Job Search Skills and Strategies for 2019

Job Search Skills and Strategies for 2019 Job Search Skills and Strategies The Complete GuideJanuary 2, 2019 By Jess Chen Reviewed by Mark Slack, CPRWNeed some tips and tricks to help you optimize your job search? We break down job search skills into four parts traditional search skills, ververwesen search skills, self-improvement skills, and attitude.Build My Resume NowJob search strategies and skills can be categorized into three partsPractical steps that you can take to improve your chances of getting a jobTools and tricks that a job seeker can use to increase interview chancesPositive psychological attitudes and outlooks that can help to reinforce the process and keep it goingFor some people, these come naturally. We all know those people who seem to create extensive networks with others as though it were second nature, right? Others of us need a little bit of help and guidance. Thats what this page is for.Weve separated job search strategies and skills into four sections trad itional search skills, modern search skills, self-improvement skills, and attitude.Naturally, we begin with tradition.1. Traditional Job Search SkillsThe foundation of a successful job search begins with traditional skills. These are the skills that existed before the advent of the Internet, instant communication, and online profiles. They consist of scanning newspapers, using the phone, walking into establishments with your own two legs, and generally having a hard-nosed sense of purpose to find employment. You may be wondering why its important that you practice these skills in these modern times. In short because they still work, and they leave a strong impression on hiring managers.So, for a brief moment, lets travel back in time to when no telephones were cordless and televisions were fat and heavy.Heres how someone would start their job searchScanning NewspapersScanning newspaper classified job ads for employment is still a key method for finding a job. Not all establishment o wners are web savvy, nor do they need to be. Many are older and more traditional therefore, the classifieds job section in your local newspaper is still worth looking through.What should be your strategy when looking through newspaper job ads?Get a pen, and circle jobs that look relevant to youChoose jobs that are below your pay grade. Dont be too picky throw out a broad net, just in case you ansturm into bad luck.Choose jobs that are above your pay grade. You may surprise yourself and end up in a better position than you could have imagined.If there is a phone number, give them a call directly. Even if theres also an email attached.Send a resume and cover letter via the email address given.Telephone Cold CallingCold calling is about as enjoyable as jumping into a cold pool. Nobody really likes it, but it can create too many opportunities to pass up. These are the benefits of cold callingYou can clarify the application process, if it is unclearYou may be first in line if the compa ny has just decided to hire new employeesYoull leave a strong impression on the hiring manager, who is likely to be surprised by a confident cold callYou can cold call any company you want especially the ones that could give you your dream jobBe koranvers to speak into the phone with confidence. If you sound meek, you may leave a negative impression.Legs Theyre Made For WalkingWalking into an establishment to ask about employment is even more nerve wracking than cold calling, but the potential is even greater. Take these steps to ensure a successful visit.Dress up to make a smart impressionBring copies of your resume and cover letterDo your research, and ask to speak to the hiring manager by their specific nameMake sure youve done your research on the company before walking in. There is a possibility that you will get interviewed on the spot, if youre qualified and lucky enough. You dont want to stutter and look foolish, having walked into an establishment without knowing its purpo se and cause for existenceLeverage YourNetworkDid you know that the 1 trait of successful people is that they ask other people for help? Many people have a fear of troubling others by asking for assistance. The truth is, people generally like to be helpful, unless youre asking for a serious time commitment. Fortunately, asking other people if they are aware of employment opportunities does not qualify as a serious time commitment, so you are in the clear.Ask your friends, friends of friends, and family if they are aware of any employment opportunities. With luck, that partie will recommend you directly to the hiring manager, which will almost certainly put you on a short list for an interview, given that you are qualified enough. TipYou may wish to send out aletter of interest to companies you are impressed by, even if theyre not advertising. You can use any contacts you have in the company to put in a good word for youIf you dont have many friends, family, or connections, this may be harder. Its never too late to start making new friends.2. Modern Job Search SkillsModern job search skills are quickly becoming an absolute necessity to successfully apply to major corporations, and especially modern types of business like web companies and app developers. By modern we are, of course, talking about the Internet and its various jobs search tools and aides. Currently, the defining characteristic of Internet-based job search tools is how rapidly they change. Fortunately, this has largely been for the better generally theres been increased ease of use, and less werbemail, scams, and nonsense.However, the rapid evolution of the Internet means that youll need to constantly brush up on your skills in order to keep up with the zeitgeist. Here are the major tools youll need to succeed in the current eraJob Search EnginesAlthough utilizing your personal network is best, sometimes it need to be supplemented. Job search engines are great because many of them now aggregate job postings from other websites, providing a huge collection of postings from around the web. Job search engines are especially useful for international searches, as that is where many recruiters will go first when seeking a particular employee with a unique set of skills.There are several online job search engines you can use to seek out employment. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks. You can read an article here explaining the virtues of each site. Dont rely solely on the search engine to do all of the work though, as its best to email the hiring manager directly, and call to follow up on your resume application.When used correctly, search engines are a great boost to any job hunt.TwitterAt first glance, Twitter is a terribly shallow mess of spam and nonsense. Yet, we can sum up our argument for why you should give Twitter a chance in three picturesAs it turns out, there are diamonds in the rough Use the search function to search for your profession, and you may encounter tw eets from companies looking to employ someone like you. Its worth a shot.Make aLinkedIn AccountThis is a must. Set up a LinkedIn account and tailor a well-worded outline of your career. Recruiters are using this network for professionals more and more frequently to find new talent. On LinkedIn, you can upload your resume, your friends and co-workers can endorse your skills, and they can also write letters of recommendation for you.Employers can actually find your profile when searching for related keywords, meaning that simply by having a LinkedIn account youre actually passively accruing job leads.You cant argue with that kind of efficiency.3.Self-improvement methodsDo you feel like your job search is unsuccessful because youre lacking marketable skills? The Internet offers a generous sortiment of gifts in the form of websites, that teach you valuable skills youd normally have to pay tens of thousands of dollars for in structured college courses.Here are a few sites you can use to learn some skills, and beef up your resumeCoursera This site partners with Universities to offer courses ranging from computer science to biology.Khan Academy Similar to Coursera, but more centered on self-learning rather than seminar style classes.Code Academy Learn how to code with this very simple tool.Mozilla Open Badges Mozilla and the MacArthur Foundation are partnering up, and will potentially revolutionize the way we earn and display our skill sets. Id highly recommend starting early on earning digital badges.Excel Easy Knowing how to use Excel (PIVOT TABLES) will often make your amtsstube mates think youre a magician. Some even say knowing Excel can help you rise faster in your job. Its definitely worth looking in to.4. Helpful LinksFor more information about job searching and strategies, check out Don Georgevichs collection of links covering all aspects of the job hunt.

How Having More Girls in STEM Might be a Very Bad Thing

How Having More Girls in STEM Might be a Very schwimmbad Thing Kids spend a lot of time behind screens, whittling away hours each day messaging friends on social media, playing games, watching movies or television series, reading and even doing homework. And parents especially those who work in Silicon Valley are worried for their childrens health. While encouraging more girls to pursue coding could lead to economic equality, many parents are wary about promoting further use of technology, especially when girls need more screen time outside of school to stay on the STEM path to pursue STEM roles.Nearly one in four American teens report an almost constant use of their tech devices, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. One report by Common Sense Media found that the amount of time young people spend on mobile devices alone has tripled in just four years children eight years old and younger spent about 15 minutes a day staring at a mobile screen in 2013, and now they spen d 48 minutes a day (which adds up to an average of two hours and 19 minutes a day for all screen media).Chris Anderson, the former editor of Wired and currently the chief executive of a robotics and drone company, as well as the founder of GeekDad.com, told the New York Times On the scale between candy and crack cocaine, technology is closer to crack cocaine. He added that technologists thought they could control technology use, but tech goes straight to the pleasure centers of the developing brain, which he said is beyond the capacity of regular parents to understand.Anderson isnt alone in worrying that technology is addicting. Some addiction specialists contend that the overuse of social media, video games and other screen media technology can affect the brain in the same ways that drug and alcohol dependency do. In fact, estimates posit that over 210 million people suffer from internet and social media addictions across the globe, which is no surprise given that statistics show w e spend an average of a day a week online, tapping, swiping and clicking on our devices 2,617 times each day.Technology can be so addictive, in fact, one study found that 71 percent of Americans actually sleep with or next to their mobile devices 45 percent of whom check social media instead of sleeping. Roughly 10 percent of teens actually check their phones more than 10 times per night. Even 90 percent of drivers admit to using smartphones behind the wheel, 50 percent of whom are reportedly checking social media. Forty-six percent of Americans go so far as to say that they could not live without their mobile phones.Like all addictions, technology overuse can have debilitating effects. A 2018 study found that teens who spend five hours per day using their phones were almost twice as likely to exhibit depressive symptoms than counterparts who dedicated only one hour on their phones. A study by the National Institute of Mental Health also found a significant association between soci al media use and depression. This research isnt surprising, however. Another study by the American Journal of Preventive Medicinefound that heavy social media users were twice as likely to report experiencing social isolation. Meanwhile, 52 percent of school-age students say social media makes them feel less confident about both their appearances and about how interesting their lives are.For parents interested in encouraging their daughters to pursue passions for STEM the question of how much technology use is acceptable is a tough one. To date, only 27 percent of all students taking the AP Computer Science exam in the United States are female, and just 18 percent of American computer-science college degrees go to women.The women who do go into STEM are more likely than men to leave their careers for jobs in other industries, too, according to Catalyst data. Fifty-three percent of women (compared to 31 percent of men) who start out in business roles in tech-intensive industries lea ve for other industries, largely because of isolation, hostile male-dominated work environments, ineffective executive feedback and a lack of effective sponsors, the research suggests. If more women worked in STEM, women would have female peers, leaders and sponsors, which would, in theory, lead to better retention rates.How does society get more women to enter STEM? Start them out young and expose them to more potentially dangerous screen time outside of school.The more young girls spend time using technology growing up, the more skills and perhaps the more interest theyll have in pursuing careers in STEM. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics says that evidence-based benefits identified from the use of digital and social media include early learning, exposure to new ideas and knowledge, increased opportunities for social contact and support.As girls grow older, women with technology experience may even have an advantage in the boardroom, according to Catalyst research. In 2016, women on corporate boards (16 percent) were almost twice as likely as their male counterparts (nine percent) to have professional technology experience among 518 ForbesGlobal 2000 companies.The conundrum To gain more technology experience, girls have to spend more time on technology.Its important there is balance in the online and offline worlds and in leisure and learning, but what that looks like for different kids at different ages and in different families is hard to prescribe, Jocelyn Brewer, a psychologist who specializes in the concept of digital nutrition, told The Guardian. Research shows that not having access to the digital world has a negative impact on kids so its about finding the right amount with a holistic approach.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a feminist, a freelance journalist and an adventure aficionado with an affinity for impulsive solo travel. She spends her days writing about womens empowerment from around the world. You can follow her work on her blog, HerReport.or g, and follow her journeys on Instagram her_report, Twitterherreport and Facebook.

Pinterest Isnt Just For Recipes Anymore How to Use it to Recruit - Spark Hire

Pinterest Isnt Just For Recipes Anymore How to Use it to Recruit - Spark HireWe all know that Pinterest is perfect for those looking to try new foods or get crafty at home, but this site can actually be a powerful recruiting tool too. Though it may not seem like it, Pinterest is quickly becoming a hot new strategy for those looking to get in touch with top-tier talent. Here are some ways that you can use your Pinterest hauptplatine for more than just pinning workout routines you wont actually end up doingGive a job a pin boardIf youre looking to recruit for a particular position, consider dedicating a pin board specifically to the opening. On the board, you can post images that sum up some of the attributes that youre hoping to find in a candidate. You can also use pictures to illustrate the kinds of tasks that the new hire will be asked to take on. Additionally, you might consider pinning some useful resources for those who are looking to pursue this kind of job. As more and more pe ople turn to Pinterest for professional guidance, it is important to develop a presence on the platform.Link back to your companys sitePinterest is a terrific way to garner some extra traffic for your companys site. If you pin a particularly useful article or picture, make sure it links back to your companys site. A person who is impressed with the content will probably click to find its source, and may be inspired to get in touch with you.Show off company cultureA recruiter can use Pinterest to illustrate the company culture found at some of their clients workplaces, or at their own place of employment. Pin pictures of company outings or the office space itself. ansicht images will pique a persons interest, and are far more effective than simply writing a message that says, This company is laid back.Incorporate videoStill pictures and text can make it difficult to get a real sense of what a company is like. Pinterest allows users to incorporate video, which enables them to create a 3D picture of that particular organization. Instead of having to hope that your words are doing the business justice, let a short video get the message across.When you begin to incorporate Pinterest into your social media recruiting routine, dont forget to continue to continue to attend to your profiles on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Some candidates prefer Pinterest, while others are heavily involved with Twitter. Making sure you are active on all of the major social media sites will help to boost your recruiting efforts and land you top-notch talent.

Personal finance etiquette for 2019 Your stupid simple guide to talking money

Personal finance etiquette for 2019 Your stupid simple guide to talking moneyPersonal finance etiquette for 2019 Your stupid simple guide to talking moneyMoney and partal finance can be a difficult thing to talk about. Some people are just weird when it comes to money, and some situations require seriously creative thinking when it comes tocold hard cash.On one hand, we want to be helpful and offer genuine assistance when needed, but on the other, we also dont want people to take advantage of us or take your generosity for granted.Whats a gifted frugal machine like yourself do to navigate those dangerous waters? Heres a simplesituational guideto help point you in the right direction with common money situations we tackle in life.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and morePersonal finance etiquette in 2019 A situational guideHere are a few scenariosYou suddenly came into some money (lottery , big job promotion, etc) and a friend or family member has expressed a peculiar new-found interest in your success and hints attheir own need for money.You know, theyve suddenly niedergehen on hard times and just need some temporary help from a kind soul with some extra dough.Kindly offer your advice on how to generatemore incomeor get ahead at work. Sympathies arent what they are looking for, and you know that.But,that doesnt matter. They didnt earn the money. You did (except for playing the lotteryyou didnt earn jack, but you DID choose to actually play). Regardless, be relentlessly positive. Offer support and guidance.But, itsyourmoney and not theirs. The moment you so much as hint at the possibility of loaning them money, youve pretty much committed yourself.And, the requests for money most likely wont stop.Lastly, Id pay special attention to those people who suddenly show their faces after they found out that youve come into some additional cash. Friends do this, but so do fam ily members, and it sucks. If you think they are only cozying up to you for your money, they probably are.Friends and family expect your professional advice/services for free.If you are asoftware developerand a family member needs a website built, they might come to you and ask for your help or in other words,free labor.Doctors, lawyers, general contractors and virtually anyone who has specialized knowledge and experience has probably been solicited for free work.You are under no obligation to provide your services for free, even for family. Though you certainly can if it makes sense, be sure it does not interfere with your ability to make a living.If youd rather not take on free work but dont have the heart to just say no, then consider telling that part that youre swamped at the moment. Too busy. Enough of these types of excuses and they might get the hint.And likewise,YOUshould never expect friends or family to provide expertise that they spent thousands of hours to master (or t housands of dollars to learn) for free. They may offer a friend or family discount, but they are professionals, like you.Treat them like one.That said If someone asks me an IT question, I wont suddenly send them a billjust for talking with me. Im not that anal. If someone wants advice, Ill generally provide it. But, Im done with forking over mountains of work for free.Been there, done that, but I was too busy to buy the t-shirt.A friend asks for a small loan, but they havent yet paid you back for that other small loan.I never consider a loan to be a loan. Never give someone money that youactually need to be returned. Ever. Instead, you may outwardly agree that its a loan, but inside, youre mentally preparing yourself tonever see that money again.If a friend asks you for money when they havent yet paid you back for another loan, kindly remind them of your previous arrangement and that you need to prioritize YOUR financial situation (in your head, that means not loaning more money to someone who probably has no real interest or ability in paying it back).A friend borrows $1,000 from you and starts walking around with a brand new pair of expensive penny loafers.First, refer to the previous situation never loan someone money that you need back. Once money has left your hands for another hand, it could very well be gone forever. In this case, your friend seems to have had the means to come up with that $1,000 on their own with the sudden sporting of expensive footwear. Of course, it could also be a suit, jacket or anything else.In other words, they probably had the money.Take notice of the new pair of shoes and offer an innocent conversation starter Hey, nice shoes When did you plektron those up? Then, start digging a bit deeper Oh, I hope that the $1,000 helped you out. This should get the ball rollin a bit.If your friend doesnt take the hint, consider offering a more pointed query, such as You could always just give me your new pair of shoes instead of paying ba ck the grand. Hah Its funny, but its also really not.Personally, this is about as far as Id take it.Mentally, Id already said goodbye to that grand anyway. But, Id definitely reconsider my friendship with this person if he or she has expressed no real interest in making good on the deal, especially if they arebuying expensive stuffafter asking for money.Someone loves to ask you how much your house/car/boat/whatever costs.Naturally, you are under no obligation to answer these types of questions, and frankly, Id consider them extremely tactless to even ask. But, some people out there lack tact. Lack it big time.If Im ever asked a question about how much something costs and I prefer not to answer, Ill generally give them a polite F-off answer, like Way more than it should have But hey, did you watch the Packer game last week?This accomplishes two things First, it lets the person know that you have no interest in talking about money, and second, it immediately changes the subject to som ething you might have an interest in.Your lunchmate asks you to pick up the check (again) after several previous meals without him or her even reaching for the bill.Id start with, Hey, why dont we split this one? Ive picked up the last couple and its making a dent in our restaurant budget. Unless youre dining with a real tool, that will probably be enough of a hint for that person to toss out a credit card to cover their portion of the bill.If it doesnt, and it seems like the only person whos willing to pay is you, then pay the bill and decline the next lunch invitation (or if youre the one doing the invite, dont invite him or her). Something like, Sorry, I need to start brown-baggin it a little more to save some cash should do it.Or, youre dining with a couple of colleagues and you easily get the least expensive meal, but they want to split the check equally.If its a difference of just a few bucks, I wouldnt worry about it. Pay your share and move on and consider the additional few dollars payment for good company and conversation. However, if you ordered a salad and they ordered prime-cut filets, then the difference is probably significant.Hmm, I think $20 should cover my salad and share of the tip, right? I opt for being a little generous with my offer. Ill cover my meal dollar-for-dollar but will offer a tip amount in the neighborhood of the final bill not just my share.Ive found the extra few bucks goes a long way to avoiding conflict in an otherwisehappy and peaceful settingeven though you dont actually owethat much.We cant just split it evenly? If you get that question in response to your perfectly reasonable offering, thats your queue to sever your lunch relationship with those people. Running up the bill with expensive meals and asking a much more frugal person to pay more than their fair share isnt the mark of true friendship, and I personally avoid engaging with people like that for lunch or otherwise.You like to entertain for friends and family, but you always seem to be the person who pays for food, drink, and entertainment.Try to throw a BYOB/F Bring Your Own Food/Beer anlass instead of offering to supply everything. Or at the very least, establish an understanding that everyone is expected to at least bring something to the party. A side dish. A six-pack of booze. Something.Freeloading time is over. Even if you have to buy something from the store instead of making it, thats fine. Everyone makes a contribution.Another option would be to encourage someone else to take a turn as the host. It is implied that the host will spend a little more on entertainment events because they want people to have a good time at their house. When youre always hosting, you are always signing yourself up to spend a little extra on peoples happiness. Instead, consider rotating homes for the next few dinner parties to help split up the cost.The gifts you give are always worth way more than the gifts you receive.First, look inward and examine y our personality. For some of us, it genuinely makes us happy to spend money on other people, to see the smile on their face and excitement in their eyes, and we are willing to pay extra for a more expensive gift in order to obtain that level of joy both for the other person as well as for us. In this case, it might be okay to spend more.However, that doesnt necessarily mean that consistently spending more money than other people on gifts is always a good thing. If you feel resentful that people arent matching your level of investment in gifts, simply change your investment. If they are used to getting gifts of a certain quality from you, tell them that youre trying to watch your finances a bit more and need to save a little bit more money (or spend less). Match their investment instead.Orif your group of friends tends to spend hundreds of dollars on gifts, but youre only able to spend a fraction of that, be honest and upfront. Its easier to set and manage expectations from the very beginning than awkwardly explain why you gave someone hand-made mittens when they got you a $500 handbag.Is it ever a good idea to offer someone a loan during a rough patch?Sure I am not against helping someone out with a little cash when they need it. But, the larger concern is making sure the request is coming from an honest and trustworthy person.If they have a history of not following through with their agreements or are flakey people, thats an indication youll never see that money again. You should never feel bad about looking out for your own financial well-being first. If you dont, no one else will either. Its okay to be selfish.Like Ive said several times before, I consider all loan moneygone as if it were a gift. If it get it back, then cool. Otherwise, Ill chalk that up to a good deed and move on with my life, likely without the involvement of the person who preferred not to uphold their end of the deal.This article originally appeared on ThinkSaveRetire.You might also en joyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

How to stop people interrupting you when youre trying to work

How to stop people interrupting you when youre trying to workHow to stop people interrupting you when youre trying to workInterruption overload is the new workplace affliction.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIn the industrial age, people used to be able to interrupt you at work only by phoning or walking into your office.Today, information workers are faced with ever-increasing online distractions.Interruptions are everywhere, and personal productivity is suffering.51.5% of people are interrupted frequently throughout the day according to a RescueTime survey.For half the people we spoke to, interruptions were a constant threat to their focus. With an additional 46.5% saying they get interrupted at least a few times a day,writesJory MacKaySwitching attention can deplete your cognitive resources that can be devoted to focusing on any given task.Even the mere expectation of an emai l or a message can distract you from committing fully to a task.The profusion of communications channels is definitely harmful to productivity because it leads to more interruptions, says Jakob Nielsen,People who get distracted from a task struggle to get back to it and regain focus. And they also waste time trying to recover from interruptions.For people doing knowledge workthe most highly paid employeesevery time you are interrupted it takes 515 minutes to fully recapture your train of thought and get back to being completely immersed in your main task, says Nielsen.Some interruption like bedrngnisifications can be addictive if you dont actively dont something about them.Answering emails can also be addictive. You feel you have accomplished something but in the long-term, you can losing focus from high-value work.Emails and instant messages contribute to productivity but without management, they distract us from the real work.Interruptions can eat up 28 billion wasted hours a year , at a loss of almost $1 trillion to the U.S. economy,explainsJonathan Spira, author ofOverload How Too Much Information Is Hazardous To Your Organization.Make your unavailable time known to your colleaguesShare your calendar with your colleagues to make it easier for them to know when you occupied with important tasks.Its a simple but effective way to limit interruptions.Let people know when you are available, and when you are leid.Make it clear that during your unavailable time, they should only interrupt you if they have to.Or better still, you and your co-workers can agree on a signal, a symbol, or anything that makes it clear to everyone that you are unavailable.If you are a manager and handle urgent issues as and when they arise, this may not be easy to implement, especially when your goal is to get people talking and giving you feedback.Stop interrupting yourselfYou are probably interrupting yourself more than you know.Browser tabs, clutter on your desk, and notifications are the biggest distractions when you want to get stuff done.When working on your important stuff, close all tabs that have no relevance to the work in progress or disconnect completely.If interruptions consistently rob you of time and energy, build a system to monitor your work behavior, and find out which distractions are highly disruptive.Turn off the automatic alert on e-mail and check it manually, say, three times a day. Use a timer or thePomodoro techniqueto single task successfully.Instead of cranking through a lot of tasks and multi-tasking, learn to focus on important tasks and single-task.Use the two-minute ruleDeal immediately with all interruptions that take two minutes or less.Two minutes is short enough to prevent loss of engagement when you have to get back to your task quickly.If email takes up a lot of your day, write shorter emails.The simple change of limiting yourself to 45 sentences per email will make a big difference.Take the number of words you think your email should be, cut that number in half, and thats what your word count should be.Use atriggerHeadphone is a great trigger that can help you assume focused mode.It can easily send the right signal to people that you are not available.You can listen to calm tracks that can help you stay in the flow.You could even have an doppelalbum or playlist that gets you in the mood to work and listen to that as part of your routine.Research supports listening to music at work. Its beenfoundthat listening to music can increase accuracy and speed, with 9 out of 10 workers performing better when music is playing.Sometimes, you dont even have to play music, and youll still be left alone.Start an interrupters logThis is a simple record of your interruptions in the course of a day.There is a growing body of research that shows that self-monitoring massively reduces the time spent on low-value work and interruptions.Use smart monitoring to determine the types of interruptions you experience daily. This mean s monitoring the activity and the nature of the interruptionthose related to your current task and unrelated ones, and whether they are important or urgent.Mark down the person interrupting you, and the date and time it occurs.Try it for at least a week, and analyze the information.If you can identify the source of your interruptions, you will be able to put strategies in place to minimize them.Closing thoughtsEveryday interruptions can be a key barrier to managing your time effectively.In our digital age, attention management is the new focus.Interruptions will get worse if you dont do something about them.Start every day with an interruption plan and stick to it. The key to controlling them is to know what they are and to plan for them in your daily schedule.Cut off distractions. Own your attention.Want to get more done in a day than most people do in aweek?You need systems, not goals. Im creating a new course,Systems For Getting Work Doneto help you create a personal productivity system to get 10X more done in less time.Sign up to be notified when it launches.This article first appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Three people who had the absolute worst days at work this week

Three people who had the absolute worst days at work this weekThree people who had the absolute worst days at work this weekSometimes you screw up at work, but perhaps its not as spectacular as these unfortunate employees whose mistakes this week were seen by millions of people. Here are two recent examples of the ultimate workfails.Timing is everything in HollywoodThe Oscars this year were notable for amix-upof epic proportions when the wrong Best Picture winner was announced.The excruciatingly awkward situation embarrassed a lot of people - including presenter Warren Beatty, host Jimmy Kimmel, and most of Hollywood - but it wasnt clear at first who was to blame.Now we know the disaster was down to twoPricewaterhouseCoopers accountants one who was distracted by tweeting backstage, and the other who froze rather than jump in to fix the mistake.The two accountants were stationed backstage to hand out the winning envelopes and make koranvers everything went smoothly. PwC partner Bria n Cullinan was waiting on the right side of the stage, with most of the celebrities, and PwC partner Martha Ruiz was on the left, according to TheWrap. Each was supposed to have memorized the winners to catch any mistakes during the broadcast.But they didnt.Things went wrong when Cullinan, busy tweeting backstage, accidentally gave presenter Warren Beatty an extra Best Actress envelope with Emma Stones name on it, which led his co-presenter Faye Dunaway to announce Stones film, La La Land, as the winner.Cullinan also reportedly tweeted about La La Land actress Emma Stone moments before the Best Picture winner was announced. Because Cullinan was distracted, Beatty never received the Best Picture envelope that said Moonlight was the winner.Cullinan was apparently so concerned that the day before, he asked what to do if the wrong winner was announced. The problem he didnt do it.To make things worse, Martha Ruiz, the other accountant, didnt notice the mistake even though she had the win ners memorized, and froze backstage, refused to go in front of millions of people to fix the mistake,Oscars stage manager Gary Natoli told TheWrap.The work of repairing the disaster fell to La Land Land producer Jordan Horowitz, whowas praised for showing some leadership.Im sure theyre very lovely people, but they just didnt have the disposition for thisYou need somebody whos going to be confident and unafraid, Natoli said.PwCapologized on Twitterand issued astatement.Cullinan and Ruiz wont be able to work the Oscars again, but will stay at the company- and have been given amped-up security because their personal details have been put on the Internet, PwC told NBC News.So La La Land was the official Best Picture at theOscarsuntil it wasnt. Thats a bad day at work that will go down in Hollywood history.Breaking part of the InternetWe all joke about breaking the internet - especially when a Kardashian is involved - but only one Amazon engineer can actually claim to have done it.The engineerssingle typodisrupted the Internet on Tuesday and took down major East Coast-based websites including Trello, Giphy, Slackand yes, Ladders.It all started when the Amazon Simple Storage billing system was having problems, and the company started checking it out,according to USA TODAY. To do that, an engineer had to take some s3 servers offline, according to USA Today.A wrong command input created a four-hour outage in Amazon Web Services cloud computing system.The situation escalated, with additional servers being taken offline than planned, including two used heavily by theEast Coast, according to USA Today.The company said it ismaking several changesto keep things like this from happening in the future in a statement, and it is running safety checks.Theres no word on what has happened to the engineer, but well guess it was perhaps that persons worst day of work.

The 7 commandments of leggings at work

The 7 commandments of leggins at workThe 7 commandments of tights at workTheres been a flurry of conversation around leggins shaming, after United Airlines refused to allow two young girls clad in the ubiquitous not pants/not tights substitute to board a recent flight. I cannot tell a lie. In my work as a personal brand strategist, or when I lecture on personal branding on the graduate and undergraduate levels, I have never once told a client or student to wear leggings to the office. And I never will. But as the workplace evolves, the dress code becomes elastic (see what I did there?).But back to leggings.Leggings are a work option. They are. But they require care, and planning. Recklessness in leggings is quickly punished by the loss of your personal credibility at work, as well see. So before you opt for the stretchy comfort of leggings, consider these facts. Wearing overly casual clothing was identified by senior managers as the most common dress code violation (47%), followed by showing too much skin (32%), in a recent survey by staffing firmOfficeTeam. In fact, Brandi Britton, district president of Office Team told Ladders, Many workers probably dont think dressing down is a big deal, butif your office attire is inappropriate, you may not always receive the level of respect your achievements merit. In fact, according to our survey, 80% of executives said clothing choices affect an employees chances of earning a promotion, Britton said.That said, Britton admits that many employers are allowing workers to dress less formally in the office, especially in creative and tech fields, among others. To determine ifleggingsare acceptable, employees should consult company policies and also pay particular attention to unofficial dress codes, including what their supervisors and other managers within the company are wearing. If youre a banker or financial worker though, youre probably out of luck. Britton says those career dress codes typically skewed more formal and conservative and in these more traditional settings,leggingswould probably be frowned upon. One more tip from Britton, Its also often recommended that employees in customer or client-facing roles maintain a certain level of professionalism in their attire.So if you work in a more casual office environment, you can certainly exercise more fashion freedom, and yes, even wear leggings to the office. Here are some guidelines - commandments, if you will, of sporting leggings.Thou shalt not wear gym clothes to the officeThis should go without saying the legging you wear to work should be clean, polished and never, ever the same pair of leggings you wear to the gym. Lets never discuss this further.Thou shalt not reveal your rear endPilar Quintana,VP of Merchandising at Yandy.com says, the biggest point to stress is that you must wear a long shirt to cover up your fanny. If you dont wear a long shirt to cover up and you wear more of a short blouse or blazer, your leggings must be very thic k, like ponte fabric.Thou shalt dress leggings up, not downIf an outfit includes leggings, they should be the most casual element everything else should elevate the look. Quintana stresses that when choosing shoes to wear with your leggings, you should not wear flip flips or it tends to look like activewear. Booties, heels and boots look great with leggings for the workplace.Thou shalt consider a long tunicA long, print or color block tunic that falls anyplace from lower mid-thigh to above the knee with leggings and boots or ballet flats adds an arty effect.Thou shalt treat leggings like breechesMilitary-influenced looks do well with leggings, which the Duke of Wellington knew well. A jacket with boxy shoulders, shoulder or trench coat detailing, belts, pockets or even gold detailing adds a sharp, clean look to what can otherwise be perceived as completely casual. High boots, especially with a flat heel, ground the look.Thou shalt use leggings as a canvas for statement topsTops that are otherwise difficult are usually perfect for leggings. Asymmetrical effects are a good choice. An uneven hem on your top think handkerchief bottom, lace trim or angled cut - work well with leggings and add a polished look to an otherwise potentially distracting detail.Thou shalt skirt the issueWhile leggings look most flattering in shades of black, navy or other neutrals, if you love the idea of adding some color to your wardrobe, you can wear a stretch skirt with bright colored leggings underneath. Bright pink or even buttercup yellow look less shocking worn this way.