Journal of Office Workers
Archive for October 10, 2014
Is There Any Truth to Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”?
Originally posted on TIME:
Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People is the classic on getting along well with others.
But is there any real science behind it, or is it just advice that “sounds good”? In the past I’ve broken down old sayings and career advice, let’s see if Carnegie holds up to scrutiny.
Carnegie listed six ways to make people like you.
Via Wikipedia:
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile.
- Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the other person’s interest.
- Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.
1) “Become genuinely interested in other people.”
Actively showing interest in other people is powerful. Merely listening to what they have to say and ask them to tell you more
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Savis Food, Design Your Own Pasta, At Beach Road
Originally posted on NAHMJ:
Savis Food though it may be an unassuming store at a not so glamorous place, in a Hawker Centre, it certainly serves delicious authentic Pasta with a Fusion twist. What more, the price is at a fraction of your usual pasta found in the various cafe and restaurant.
The shop has a mixed and match menu for dinners to customise their own pasta. I like the idea so that I could have the best or rather my favourite ingredients in the pasta. How it works is that, first go to the order side of the shop and start choosing the prefer type of pasta, next the pasta based. Finally the vegetable and/or the meat which include seafood. Lastly, if you prefer, you can add Truffle and Caviar into your pasta. And not forgetting the spiciness level can also be customised to your preference. There are four level.
As…
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3 Reasons No Experience Will Land You That Dream Job
You want to go into a new career field, but you know nothing about it. Rather than let that be a barrier to entry, having no experience can be your in.
Really.
No experience in a new field is intimidating, and you may feel like you’re not worthy of the opportunity to work in the field that you want to.
Related: How To Change Jobs With Little To No Experience
Don’t look at that as an excuse.
If you want to go into this new career, pursue it. Make your lack of experience an asset by focusing on the value of the perspective you can bring the company - the fact that you aren’t conditioned by years of exposure to the field - and your drive to learn and grow along with the industry.
The “sure thing” sometimes isn’t always the best thing for you or the people hiring you; the person with no experience but with passion and drive can be just as valuable.
It may be scary to jump ship from what is expected of you to what you want to do with no experience and in a world where “things have always been done this way,” you come in with a fresh perspective and look at the industry from a different angle.
3 Reasons No Experience Will Land You That Dream Job
Here are the three reasons why inexperience is an asset:
1. You See Things Differently From The Bottom
We all have to start from the bottom, at some point or another in time.
When you take that step and recognize what you’re currently doing isn’t how you want to spend the rest of your life, you’re starting from a blank slate again, and when it’s a step you want to take you look at “the bottom” a bit differently and approach it differently.
It is another - and just as valuable – perspective. Nothing more, nothing less.
Starting from scratch in the field you want to pursue may be exactly what you need. We all have fears of failing at our passions if it’s too drastic of a change. But sometimes it’s that drastic change that we need and the new perspective that the industry (or your employer) wants.
Don’t limit yourself and your opportunities before you’ve even seen the landscape. Don’t doubt your opportunities before you’ve even pursued them.
2. Innovative Thinking Is More Important Than Ever
It is that ability to innovate that is going to be incredibly important to your career moving forward, regardless of whether or not you change fields.
We’re moving to a creative age, where those repetitive tasks and tactics will be outsourced or computerized.
The way you think can’t be replicated.
The jumps that you take based on experience and education are what sets you apart. You’re already behind and set to lose your job if you’re content doing what’s been done before, if you don’t challenge beliefs and push to move forward.
As a newcomer into an industry you are in the best position to capitalize upon that creative skill set and set yourself apart for the rest of your career in that industry because you dared to go against the norm.
For a great example of how creative thinking made me $12,000/month working only 4-hours on Friday nights, watch this video.
3. Because Others Have Done It - And It Worked!
In a former life I was a boxing promoter and publicist, so I knew how to make an athlete stand out. But I wanted to get into the racing world and had no direct experience there.
My first client hired me because he knew I’d bring new angles to his promotion.
I pitched a driver’s column to ESPN that had nothing to do with the actual race and everything to do with what racers did in their lives outside of the race. ESPN loved the idea and I was soon writing columns for their website talking about my client’s life off the track.
If I had been entrenched in the racing world well before working with this client, I probably wouldn’t have thought of that particular angle.
I relied on my experience and knowledge of a parallel field to inform my choices.
If you don’t know what’s impossible or even implausible, it’s easier to do; you don’t have that conditioned fear of difference that some cultivate after years in a particular industry.
It’s that drawing on different experiences that makes coming into a completely new field so valuable.
You’re not inexperienced and uniformed, but bring a different perspective in the way you think.
As a new set of eyes, your assets are your soft skills - your critical thinking, understanding of strategy and people, and your creativity.
Use them and make them work for you in ways that the industry probably hasn’t seen before.
Constantly be open to innovation and new views and you will always find a way to succeed.
To learn more about different ways in which having no experience is actually an asset, click here.
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About the author
Alex Simon is a career reinvention coach and speaker. Often referred to as “a master at breaking into sexy and exciting careers”, he has promoted world title fights, managed Indy 500 race car drivers, worked for a Wall Street giant, and is the subject of Starsuckers, an award-winning documentary on the pursuit of fame. Check out his website, follow him on Twitter, or add him on LinkedIn!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.
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5 Things To Increase Your Team’s Productivity
It can be difficult to motivate an entire team, and even more challenging to constantly encourage everyone’s productivity. By making a few simple changes in the work week, however, company leaders can leave a lasting positive impact on their staff’s efforts.
Related: Empowered Employees Equals Empowered Company
Employees who feel empowered within their company are more inspired to contribute. Not to mention, if they are accountable for their goals, and given the tools to succeed, employees will be excited to improve their team’s success.
Part of being successful as a team, requires coming together as a team. Here are five things you can do today to increase your team’s productivity:
1. Share, Support, And Succeed Together
It’s important for staff members to recognize expectations, understand the company culture and goals, and have a chance to contribute to them. With the support of management or company leaders, employees can feel empowered to contribute to the bigger picture in the company through their individual efforts. A great way to achieve this is to establish weekly team meetings or e-mails. (We do both, here at CAREEREALISM!) These meetings encourage open communication and help everyone to be on the same page. Not to mention, success can be experienced and celebrated together!
2. Set Attainable Goals
Just because you have goals doesn’t make them attainable! If you have too many goals and too little time, or don’t give your staff the tools they need to accomplish them, you’re setting them up for failure! Talk about a quick way to lose interest. To keep from sending productivity out the window, set both long-term and short-term goals. Then, look for your staff’s participation to establish the ways you can accomplish both. By offering feedback and support, you can nail down the most efficient way to check more goals off your list.
3. Collaborate
Sometimes the best projects come from putting your heads together. By encouraging collaboration within your staff, you give people with different perspectives and skill sets an opportunity to think creatively and challenge themselves. Collaborative work complements productivity because everyone holds themselves to a higher standard to accomplish more, better work. At CAREEREALISM, it’s not uncommon to find us brainstorming around someone’s desk or sharing e-mails for feedback from colleagues! We want to do great work for ourselves AND for one another.
4. Develop Leaders
If your employees are taught to think like “businesses-of-one,” you are going to develop leaders within your staff. By encouraging your employees to be independent, they will increase their skills, seek challenges, and take ownership of projects. By developing leaders, you are ensuring that your employees are critical thinkers who will work to grow as professionals. Better professionals means better employees.
5. Make Time For Team Bonding
This may sound silly, but teams that laugh together, do really great work together. I always stand by this statement. From sports teams, to groups of friends, to successful companies, this rule is a great one to fall back on. Just as important as having a game plan, it’s essential that your team is comprised of people who can trust and rely on another. While working collaboratively helps develop a team, bonding over something funny or having down-time at things like team lunches breaks down the barriers that allow your employees to feel comfortable at work. If you have a team that can laugh together, they can be productive together.
In addition to team lunches, one way we stay laughing at CAREEREALISM is trying to film our weekly YouTube series, Career in Real Life. I say trying because sometimes (okay, usually) it’s filled with more laughter than acting prowess. Don’t buy it? Check out our Bloopers video.
While not every team is going to put themselves on camera, there are plenty of other ways to grow as a team. Company outings, friendly department competitions, or even a joke-of-the-week can help your employees get to know one another. Find what suits your company best!
Overall, an environment where employees feel their efforts are valued and voices are heard is the type of place where there will be no loss for productivity. Where there are productive, happy employees, there is a successful company.
Get To Know Us!
Does this sound like the kind of company YOU want to work for? Get to know us! Check out our CAREEREALISM Workplace Culture page. Also, be sure to check out our video below!
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First Impressions: You’ve Got 30 Seconds To Make The Right One
Justin Timberlake’s sense of urgency is clear. He’s only got four minutes to save the world. In your job search, you won’t be that lucky. First impressions are formed in less than 30 seconds.
Related: 5 Tips For Making The Best Impression In An Interview
Psychology Today says we process small clues, everything from tone of voice to posture, and in a snap we form a larger picture in our minds. This means that hiring managers may draw conclusions, and finalize their opinions, in under a minute.
One study found that people shown 20 second video segments of job applicants formed similar opinions to hiring managers who were given 20 full minutes with the applicants. Now, that’s a snap decision.
Beyond The Boardroom
The importance of first impressions goes beyond your hiring manager. When you get the job, you’ll need to impress your co-workers, vendors, clients, and so on.
Honestly, it’s just as important in the non-work world. How long does it take you to make a yae or nay decision when you’re introduced to a potential date?
The bottom line is that you need to keep your first impression top of mind and walk into each situation prepared for your review.
The Eyes Have It
Good posture and strong eye contact are key physical attributes to think about. Dressing appropriately is always high on the list impression triggers. And good personal hygiene? We don’t need to mention that, right? Bed Head may be a great line of beauty products, but actual unwashed hair won’t cut it.
On the flip side of that, too much personal hygiene can be a bad thing. I once interviewed a job candidate whose perfume was so strong I had to keep leaving the room to get fresh air.
Relax
Take a deep breath. We’ve all seen people who come off as stiff or even arrogant in an attempt to make a good impression. Take a breath and try to relax. The more relaxed you are, the more naturally confident you’ll appear.
Be Attentive
Ask questions and listen to the answers. Making other people feel like the center of attention is a great way to become desirable yourself. People love to talk about themselves, help them out by asking questions and listening to them attentively.
Watch Your Language
We’re judged not only by what we say, but also by how we say it. In the business world our language is viewed as a sign of intelligence, education, and culture. This doesn’t mean that being overly formal or sounding like a walking dictionary is a good thing. It’s not. But neither is sounding like you didn’t finish elementary school.
Shake On It
You hear this all the time: you’ve got to have a good handshake. Yet people still struggle with this simple act. Get it right! All the good work you’ve done can be undone in an instant if you offer a limp, clammy, or fingers only handshake. Make your handshake firm and solid. Period.
There’s an old saying you only get one chance to make a first impression. Now we know that the one chance comes and goes in an instant.
This post was originally published at an earlier date.
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Personal Etiquette: How To Make A Good First Impression
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Photo Credit: Shutterstock
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5 Must-Have Qualities Of Great Bus Drivers
Every passenger has a story.
- One of them is on his way to a make-or-break business meeting.
- Another one is nervous - she’s on her way to starting a new life in a new city.
- A family is on their way to warm weather, soft sand, and grandma’s house.
As a bus driver, it’s your job to relieve the businessman of unnecessary travel worries so he can focus on his meeting, greet the scared young woman with a warm, comforting smile to help ease her nerves, and provide the family a safe trip to the airport so the kids can get to grandma’s in one piece.
Related: 5 Step Road Map To A Career In Transportation Management
Great bus drivers don’t just drive, they care. They go beyond the job description to ensure they’re passengers have the best experience possible on their journey - no matter where they are going or what their story is.
But what are some other qualities that make great bus drivers? If you want to be happy, appreciated, and confident in your position, it’s important that you have a few key personality traits. Here are some qualities that make a great bus driver:
1. They’re personable.
As the driver, you are acting as the face of your bus line’s brand. And, while your driving skills are a crucial part of that brand, your ability to interact with your passengers is also very important.
“The driver’s first interaction with the passenger begins even before entering the coach,” said Jamie Lesniak, Vice President of C&J Bus Lines. “A friendly smile goes a long way.”
It’s your job to make every passenger feel welcome, comfortable, and appreciated. People remember kindness and friendliness, and if they have a positive experience, they will likely come back.
“We prescribe to selling more than just a bus ride, but an experience,” said Lesniak.
2. They’re willing to lead.
“Our drivers are leaders,” said Lesniak. “They are the captains of their own ships (or motor coaches).”
Are you a born leader? Do you enjoy taking the wheel (pun intended!) when things need to get done?
All great bus drivers are natural leaders. As a driver, you’re in charge of the well-being of a bus full of passengers. So, having that ability and confidence to lead is essential.
3. They’re calm under pressure.
Bus drivers have no control of those around them while on the road, and must be ready for anything that might cross their paths.
A few challenges bus drives might face include:
- Poor weather conditions
- Disgruntled passengers
- Road rage
- Poor traffic conditions
Your first priority as a driver is the safety of your passengers. Being able to make rational decisions under pressure is a key quality in great bus drivers.
4. They’re dedicated to their work.
Having passion for your work is a major part of your life happiness. The majority of the workforce spends about one third of their lives working, so you need to make sure you’re doing something you love.
The best bus drivers are not only dedicated to their work, but they’re also proud to be drivers.
“Their focus and attention [are] crucial when behind the wheel,” said Lesniak. “For this reason, they must present a strong desire and passion for the position. Something they would be proud to do, and not just do for reasons of the financial benefits.”
5. They’re respectful of others.
The foundation of a great operation is a great team. So, in addition to showing the utmost respect for their passengers, great drivers also treat their colleagues with respect.
“As a driver, you are part of the team, a voice, and not just another number,” said Lesniak.
In the end, great bus drivers care. They care about their passengers, their colleagues, and their work. Every passenger has a story, and every bus driver has the opportunity help make it a great one.
Ready to take the wheel?
If you crave a career that allows you to make a difference in the lives of others, a career in bus driving might be a great fit for you.
C&J Bus Lines, one of New England’s premier transportation providers is looking for passionate drivers to join their team. If you’re looking to work for a company that is both employee and customer focused, C&J has an opportunity for you. Click here to learn more about C&J Bus Lines.
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25 Weird Things That Happen The Closer You Get To 25
Originally posted on Thought Catalog:
1. You become really invested in things like health, eating well, and kale. Sure, you might have the impulse to fill your grocery basket exclusively with desserts and snacks, but you also remember to throw in a few bags of frozen vegetables because it is good for you in the long run.
2. People start to look at you as an unequivocal adult (and by that I mean, you relinquish your “well, they could be a college student so who knows, they might be really immature still” card, and are expected to be All Adult, All The Time).
3. … And then you do something really dumb and wonder how it is you’re allowed to legally call yourself an adult, and if adulthood could be revoked, or maybe yours should be called into question.
4. People start commenting more on when you dress down, rather than when you dress up.
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