Since 9/11, we've been counseled that spending money is taking back our lifestyle from terrorism, but now things have changed. People are more mindful of spending money, both in how to spend it and if to spend.
Because I had started cutting back before 9/11, I wasn't sucked back into spending mode; not that I'd have had any money to spend, what with all the consumer debt and student loans I had at the time. Thrift hasn't been a consideration in this country in years. We can learn a lot from Japan, which, not too long ago, lost a decade due to financial implosion.
I doubt we'll have the same problem; people here just don't seem to learn. Right now, despite all the information out there on credit cards, people don't pay close attention to the terms of their account. Meaning that they're more likely to lose track of their interest rate, balance, due date, adherence to payment schedule and spending. Never good things to lose track of.
It's so easy to get sucked back in. Yesterday I received my credit card bill, and opened it, despite knowing I haven't used it since making my most recent payment; as a born-again transactor, I need to pay the bill in full, no matter how tempting it is to pay only a portion of it. I was happy to see a zero balance and find, under payment due, the word NONE.
While I still spend money, sometimes frivolously, I try to be more careful about how I spend and my method of payment; so far it has worked well for me. I'm also more aware of due dates for my bills than I have been at times in the past; late payments on credit cards do not bode well for interest rates. As we're so accustomed to spending, I believe that cutbacks in doing so will only last as long as the recession; once people are working again and the economy isn't as bad, spending will once again seem normal.
Every month during which I a) pay off my credit card balance, if any, in its entirety, and b) make payments on my student loans, is a month which reduces my debt.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Networking for Introverts
Following you will find a helpful article on networking. I'm an introvert, so need all the help I can get for this sort of thing
Subject: "Networking for the Introvert"
Subject: "Networking for the Introvert"
Being an introvert myself, it's especially gratifying when I can help my introverted clients gain an edge wherever possible. We live in a world that favors extroversion, and when it comes to networking, many introverts feel at a disadvantage. But there are strategies and approaches that we can use to be on a more level playing field with our extroverted counterparts.
Before getting into these strategies, I wanted to point out some common misconceptions about introverts. One of the most common is that we are by definition shy and unsociable wallflowers. But these traits are really unrelated to introversion. The true definition has to do with where we derive our energy. Introverts tend to feel anxious if faced with a string of social or professional events in a short amount of time. So to address this anxiety, we need to "recharge" our batteries more often by having more "alone" time. We derive our energy from within ourselves vs. from other people (as is the case with extroverts.)
Another myth is that we comprise only a tiny percentage of the world, but in fact approximately 25% of the population falls into the introvert category. Finally, many people believe that it is a learned behavior, but actually there is much evidence suggesting a biological basis for introversion. In other words, people are more or less "hard-wired" to be introverts or extroverts. But that's not to say that even strong introverts aren't able to exhibit extrovert-like behavior on occasion, and vice-versa.
In addition to taking time to recharge, there are numerous strategies to make networking a more positive, productive and enjoyable experience. For example:
- Bring a friend to an event, but agree to separate for at least part of the time. This forces you to interact with others, but it can help reduce your anxiety level.
- Commit to a certain number of networking activities each day (or each week.) Reward yourself for meeting or exceeding whatever goal you set for yourself.
- Consider letter writing as an alternative to phone calls. And don't underestimate the power of virtual networking on such sites as linkedin and Facebook, for example, is designed to do much of the legwork that you would normally do in a more traditional networking situation. But don't rely solely on virtual networking. A combination is ideal.
- Pace yourself. Don't try to schedule a full day of networking activities if you're attending an event that evening.
- If breaking the ice is a challenge for you, just remember to keep it simple: for example, talking about the weather or offering a compliment can be effective ways to get a conversation going.
- And most importantly, RELAX! If you're fearful of approaching others at a networking event, keep in mind that chances are everyone there has some degree of fear (even extroverts!), as well as a desire to approach you.
Joe Rosenlicht is a certified leadership coach and founder of InMotion Career & Wellness, a coaching practice specializing in career, small business and wellness issues. Through a structured and proven approach, Joe is able to help clients achieve their goals and live happier and healthier lives.
Visit Joe at http://www.inmotioncoach.com to get his free monthly newsletter containing valuable insights, tips and resources for your career and health, and to arrange a complimentary consultation.
Do you have "career know-how?" Take Joe's free career self-assessment at http://inmotioncoach.com/forms.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Rosenlicht
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Behavioral Interviews
Part 1
Whether it is called the behavioral interview, the
behavior-based interview, or the personal experience
interview, the behavioral interview is being used by more
and more employers to assess candidates. Let us help you to
gain the skills you will need to beat your competitors at
this type of interview!
In Part 1 of this series of two articles, we'll cover the
reasons you need to practice the behavioral interview, and
also what the interviewer is looking for.
In Part 2, we'll cover some behavioral interview questions
and how best to prepare for them. By the way, the
Careerfriend website
http://www.careerfriend.com/articles/behavioral-interview-qs.html
holds a full list of questions on its behavioral interview
questions page! What is the behavioral interview anyway?
Perhaps it is better to answer this question by thinking
about what the �traditional� interview might entail.
Traditional interview questions might include �Why are you
applying for this position?� or �What do you know about our
company?�
In fact, I�m sure that you have a whole list of these types
of interview questions against each of which you have
written, rehearsed and memorized your answer. If you
haven�t, then you should!
It is reasonably easy though for you to know (or at least
take an educated guess at) what the interviewer wants to
hear when they ask each of these questions. Therefore it is
also reasonably easy to come up with the �right� interview
answer. And because of this, interviewers find it very
difficult to differentiate candidates based on their
responses to this type of interview question alone.
This is where the behavioral interview comes in!
The behavioral interview is based on the premise that the
best guide to your future performance is your past
performance. Each interview will draw upon one or a small
number of �experiences� � times in your life when you found
yourself in a situation or problem where you needed to take
a set of actions to resolve the situation or problem. The
behavioral interview is designed to allow you to tell the
interviewer about what actions you took.
This certainly appears to make sense. If, for example, I was
interviewing you for a role which required well-developed
negotiation skills, I would much rather hear about a time
when you used your skills in a tough negotiation than hear
about what you know about my company! Therefore, behavioral
interviews are a much better predictor of future
performance.
Another key attribute about good behavior-based interviews,
in my view, is that they should be more �input-based� than
�output-based�. What do I mean by that? I mean that I want
to know what you did, what you said, how you felt, and what
you thought (in other words, your �behaviors�) during your
tough negotiation more than whether it was successful or
not. The reason for this is that even if you had achieved
your desired outcome in the negotiation, I have no idea in
the confines of our interview room whether the person you
were negotiating with was a push-over, or the hardest
negotiator that walked the earth! I will be able to get a
much better view of that by finding out how you ran the
negotiation process, what you did and said at each stage,
and how you planned for the next stage of negotiation �
this is what I mean by the �input�.
So who uses behavioral interviewing techniques?
The truth is that most top-grade employers use behavioral
interviews. They have found it to be a much better way of
assessing whether a candidate is suitable for the job than
other �traditional� methods of interviewing.
It is also true that some less-trained interviewers may ask
behavioral interview questions, without realizing that they
are doing so! You can use this to your advantage, since if
you use the techniques in this report your answer will be
far more compelling than those from unprepared candidates.
Let me illustrate with an example:
A less-trained interviewer may ask, �What positions of
responsibility have you held?�
This information should be on your resume, so the
interviewer is asking the question either because they
haven�t seen or read your resume (which is possible) or
because they are hinting that they would like some more
detail behind the facts on your resume.
Either way, here is your chance to shine. Keep reading, and
I�ll show you how you can really impress your interviewer
by providing a behavioral interview styled answer!
What is the interviewer looking for at the behavioral
interview?
As mentioned above, the interviewer is looking for a set of
behaviors which the employer has decided are key for
success in the position. They could include taking
initiative, taking risks, persuading, manipulating complex
data, making decisions under pressure, facilitating
meetings, working within teams, leading teams etc.
It is important for you to have a clear idea of what
behaviors the interviewer will be looking for.
Sometimes you will find this on the company website under
their �careers� section. Sometimes you will find hints
towards what they think are important traits in their
people in the �about our people� or �about us� sections.
Remember to check the websites of other companies who
operate in the same sector � they are likely to want the
same things as your prospective employer!
Alternatively, use your network to reach out to people who
work at the company, used to work at the company, or are
otherwise involved with the company to find out what kind
of behaviors they value in their people. And again, don�t
just stop at your prospective employer, but also other
companies in the sector.
So that's it for this week - come back next week to learn
more about preparing for the behavioral interview!
- Jonathan Lewis
Jonathan Lewis is the founder and CEO of the Careerfriend
website (http://www.careerfriend.com), committed to helping
people succeed in their dream careers. The site provides a
wealth of free articles and resources covering career and
employer selection, through resume and cover letter
writing, to interviewing, salary negotiation and ongoing
career development. Jonathan's extensive experience of
attracting, recruiting, retaining and developing
exceptional people in management consulting and investment
banking allows him to offer clear, actionable advice which
has a great impact on people either looking for new jobs or
looking to succeed further in their existing jobs.
To read other articles like this:
http://www.net-temps.com/careerdev/index.htm?type=contents
-------------------------------------
Copyright 1995-2005 - Net-Temps, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Whether it is called the behavioral interview, the
behavior-based interview, or the personal experience
interview, the behavioral interview is being used by more
and more employers to assess candidates. Let us help you to
gain the skills you will need to beat your competitors at
this type of interview!
In Part 1 of this series of two articles, we'll cover the
reasons you need to practice the behavioral interview, and
also what the interviewer is looking for.
In Part 2, we'll cover some behavioral interview questions
and how best to prepare for them. By the way, the
Careerfriend website
http://www.careerfriend.com/
holds a full list of questions on its behavioral interview
questions page! What is the behavioral interview anyway?
Perhaps it is better to answer this question by thinking
about what the �traditional� interview might entail.
Traditional interview questions might include �Why are you
applying for this position?� or �What do you know about our
company?�
In fact, I�m sure that you have a whole list of these types
of interview questions against each of which you have
written, rehearsed and memorized your answer. If you
haven�t, then you should!
It is reasonably easy though for you to know (or at least
take an educated guess at) what the interviewer wants to
hear when they ask each of these questions. Therefore it is
also reasonably easy to come up with the �right� interview
answer. And because of this, interviewers find it very
difficult to differentiate candidates based on their
responses to this type of interview question alone.
This is where the behavioral interview comes in!
The behavioral interview is based on the premise that the
best guide to your future performance is your past
performance. Each interview will draw upon one or a small
number of �experiences� � times in your life when you found
yourself in a situation or problem where you needed to take
a set of actions to resolve the situation or problem. The
behavioral interview is designed to allow you to tell the
interviewer about what actions you took.
This certainly appears to make sense. If, for example, I was
interviewing you for a role which required well-developed
negotiation skills, I would much rather hear about a time
when you used your skills in a tough negotiation than hear
about what you know about my company! Therefore, behavioral
interviews are a much better predictor of future
performance.
Another key attribute about good behavior-based interviews,
in my view, is that they should be more �input-based� than
�output-based�. What do I mean by that? I mean that I want
to know what you did, what you said, how you felt, and what
you thought (in other words, your �behaviors�) during your
tough negotiation more than whether it was successful or
not. The reason for this is that even if you had achieved
your desired outcome in the negotiation, I have no idea in
the confines of our interview room whether the person you
were negotiating with was a push-over, or the hardest
negotiator that walked the earth! I will be able to get a
much better view of that by finding out how you ran the
negotiation process, what you did and said at each stage,
and how you planned for the next stage of negotiation �
this is what I mean by the �input�.
So who uses behavioral interviewing techniques?
The truth is that most top-grade employers use behavioral
interviews. They have found it to be a much better way of
assessing whether a candidate is suitable for the job than
other �traditional� methods of interviewing.
It is also true that some less-trained interviewers may ask
behavioral interview questions, without realizing that they
are doing so! You can use this to your advantage, since if
you use the techniques in this report your answer will be
far more compelling than those from unprepared candidates.
Let me illustrate with an example:
A less-trained interviewer may ask, �What positions of
responsibility have you held?�
This information should be on your resume, so the
interviewer is asking the question either because they
haven�t seen or read your resume (which is possible) or
because they are hinting that they would like some more
detail behind the facts on your resume.
Either way, here is your chance to shine. Keep reading, and
I�ll show you how you can really impress your interviewer
by providing a behavioral interview styled answer!
What is the interviewer looking for at the behavioral
interview?
As mentioned above, the interviewer is looking for a set of
behaviors which the employer has decided are key for
success in the position. They could include taking
initiative, taking risks, persuading, manipulating complex
data, making decisions under pressure, facilitating
meetings, working within teams, leading teams etc.
It is important for you to have a clear idea of what
behaviors the interviewer will be looking for.
Sometimes you will find this on the company website under
their �careers� section. Sometimes you will find hints
towards what they think are important traits in their
people in the �about our people� or �about us� sections.
Remember to check the websites of other companies who
operate in the same sector � they are likely to want the
same things as your prospective employer!
Alternatively, use your network to reach out to people who
work at the company, used to work at the company, or are
otherwise involved with the company to find out what kind
of behaviors they value in their people. And again, don�t
just stop at your prospective employer, but also other
companies in the sector.
So that's it for this week - come back next week to learn
more about preparing for the behavioral interview!
- Jonathan Lewis
Jonathan Lewis is the founder and CEO of the Careerfriend
website (http://www.careerfriend.com), committed to helping
people succeed in their dream careers. The site provides a
wealth of free articles and resources covering career and
employer selection, through resume and cover letter
writing, to interviewing, salary negotiation and ongoing
career development. Jonathan's extensive experience of
attracting, recruiting, retaining and developing
exceptional people in management consulting and investment
banking allows him to offer clear, actionable advice which
has a great impact on people either looking for new jobs or
looking to succeed further in their existing jobs.
To read other articles like this:
http://www.net-temps.com/
------------------------------
Copyright 1995-2005 - Net-Temps, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Speaking of Chocolate and Morality
In India as well as other asian countries, Valentine's Day is banned or at least highly discouraged. The objection, of course, is that dating is not allowed; traditionally in India, marriages are arranged. This is true of Saudi Arabia, which is also against Valentine's Day.
Part of the objection seems to be Christianity's involvement. They must not have heard of Hallmark. In any case, let's drink to the women who are fighting back by going to the pub and having a drink.
Part of the objection seems to be Christianity's involvement. They must not have heard of Hallmark. In any case, let's drink to the women who are fighting back by going to the pub and having a drink.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Recession-Proof Industries
Include movies, online dating and chocolate.
Superficial is out, finding someone whose personality you like is in.
Historically, movies have done well during bad economic times. Everyone needs a diversion. Chocolate is also recession-proof; I'm thinking Hersheys and Nestle, not necessarily Godiva and the high end brands. People still need treats and likely downgrade from other sorts of treats to chocolate, or from higher priced brands to lower. Since I'm not a chocolate snob, I'm no judge and am perfectly happy with ordinary brands.
Superficial is out, finding someone whose personality you like is in.
Historically, movies have done well during bad economic times. Everyone needs a diversion. Chocolate is also recession-proof; I'm thinking Hersheys and Nestle, not necessarily Godiva and the high end brands. People still need treats and likely downgrade from other sorts of treats to chocolate, or from higher priced brands to lower. Since I'm not a chocolate snob, I'm no judge and am perfectly happy with ordinary brands.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Health Insurance
CNN has some ideas on what to do if you have no health insurance and end up sick or injured.
I no longer remember which health care provider was charging people 16% interest if they had to carry a bill for lack of insurance. I'm currently making payments on a bill incurred when I had crappy insurance and am not paying any interest whatsoever. Which is huge.
The Fair Isaac Company wants to have a health care scoring system, similar to the credit report; supposedly providers wouldn't be able to check results before treatment, but it seems like a bad idea. I'm not sure if they're moving forward on it, as it seems designed to eliminate or greatly reduce treatment for the poor or unemployed.
I no longer remember which health care provider was charging people 16% interest if they had to carry a bill for lack of insurance. I'm currently making payments on a bill incurred when I had crappy insurance and am not paying any interest whatsoever. Which is huge.
The Fair Isaac Company wants to have a health care scoring system, similar to the credit report; supposedly providers wouldn't be able to check results before treatment, but it seems like a bad idea. I'm not sure if they're moving forward on it, as it seems designed to eliminate or greatly reduce treatment for the poor or unemployed.
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