Do These 30 Things If You Want to Be Unstoppable
Article by Benjamin P. Hardy A lot of people are good at what they do. Some are even elite. A select few are completely unstoppable. Those who are unstoppable are in their own world. They don't compete with anyone but themselves. You never know what they will do – only that you will be forced to respond. Even though they don't compete with you, they make you compete with them. Are...
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The One Thing Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and Your Office All Have in Common
Most of us are aware of the gender wage gap that affects the American workforce. But what you might not know is that this discrimination doesn't only affect the working mothers of the middle class. It's also happening in Hollywood and Silicon Valley. The Sony hacks gained international attention from the release of the movie The Interview. These hacks lead to the release of some salary...
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When You Start Saying These 3 Things to Yourself, It's Time for a Change
Article by Steve Rizzo When work and life are out of balance, you might have a conversation in your head that sounds something like this: I love my job, but it hurts that I am missing out on valuable time with my kids, time that I will never get back. I am going to have to occasionally leave early so that I can have more time for them. When I get home too late, I know that I missed out...
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How to Negotiate Like a Lawyer
Every professional should be well versed in how to negotiate. Whether you're a junior employee making a case for a promotion, an HR professional selecting company insurance benefits, or a top executive brokering new deals, these skills will come in handy. However, few professionals have any formal education on negotiation, and strategies vary depending on circumstances. Negotiation is a...
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4 Tips for Setting Powerful Goals
Article by Jim Rohn The most important benefit of setting goals isn't achieving those goals; it's what you do and the person you become in order to achieve your goals that's the real benefit. Goal-setting is powerful because it provides focus. It shapes our dreams. It gives us the ability to hone in on the exact actions we need to perform to achieve everything we desire in life. Goals...
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Is It Ever Okay to Burn a Professional Bridge?
Although there are many occasions where burning a bridge is probably going to hurt you more than it hurts your employer, there are some situations where it will actually be your best bet – or even your only possible course of action. Just what situations would warrant burning a bridge? Here are five of them: 1. You Literally Hate Your Job Robert Tew once said, "Respect yourself...
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Why Hard Work Isn't Enough to Succeed
One of the most common messages I received as a child was, "Work hard, and you will be rewarded." This sentiment was echoed by loved ones, teachers, and mentors. There's a good chance you, too, heard the same rumor about life being fair and equitable. Don't get me wrong: Hard work is a critical component of success. However, the fact is that there's more to it than just hard work. This...
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Why You Should Always Do What You Love [Video]
Figuring out your career can feel like a job in itself. With the average American holding approximately 12 different jobs by age 48 and only 27 percent of college graduates ending up in careers related to their majors, it's safe to say there's a lot of confusion when it comes to finding the right career path. As we get older, our decisions are influenced by more realistic views of what it...
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Are You Coming Across Well to Your Colleagues?
"Don't be that guy!" We've all said it before – perhaps even at the office water cooler – when talking about the clueless boorishness of some scandal-plagued celebrity of the day, or maybe someone closer to home, like Lloyd in marketing. And sometimes, we get that haunting feeling that maybe, just maybe, we are "that guy" in some people's eyes. How do I come across to my...
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How to Get Promoted Quickly – Without Destroying Your Work-life Balance
Millennials tend to care more about work-life balance than Generation X does, but it's not because millennials are short on ambition; they just have a different kind of ambition. Resarch from Bentley University tells us that millennials actually want successful, high-paying careers. In fact, three-quarters of them want to strut their stuff in major corporations at some point. However,...
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4 More Ways to Reduce Work Overload
Yesterday, I talked about the unfortunate state of professional life for many workers today. The majority of Americans are putting in 47 hours a week or more, which has led to poor work-life balance and increasing levels of burnout for many. To help workers combat this state of affairs, I offered four tips that can go a long way in helping you lighten your workload. In case those tips...
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4 Ways to Deal With Work Overload
At a time when work-life balance is all the rage, many unfortunate workers are still locked in depressing, overburdened grinds. The average work week today is 47 hours, and 21 percent of Americans work between 50 and 59 hours a week. A further 18 percent of Americans work 60+ hours a week. As if that weren't bad enough, increasing numbers of workers are not taking their paid time...
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How to Proclaim Email Debt Forgiveness (or Email Bankruptcy, If Things Have Gotten Drastic)
In today's workplace, email is a fact of life. Gone are the days of predictable phone calls and regular in-person chats to check in. The bulk of communication now happens through email. Often, one message may contain 10 more or recipients – all of whom seem to "reply all" to share the smallest of details. This can leave your inbox jam-packed with unread and unanswered...
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It's Week One, and You Hate Your New Job. What Do You Do?
It sucks, doesn't it? You started your new job with off-the-chart expectations, only to find that it was one huge mistake. Maybe the work is not what you expected, or you don't get along with the boss, or you just hate the company culture. Whatever the cause of your woes may be, you have a problem. Fortunately, it's a surmountable problem – one that you may be able to solve...
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5 Ways to Survive and Thrive Under a New Boss
When a new boss comes in, you might feel some mixed emotions: bitterness, excitement, apprehension, and anticipation are all common. However, it is during such times of change that you need to draw on all your emotional intelligence to avoid negativity and stay focused on your professional goals and successes. The reality is that, when a new boss arrives, there are winners and there are...
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How to Hold Down 3 Jobs Without Going Insane
Things are really chaotic in the job market at the moment. The job-for-life is all but gone, and even the career-for-life idea is fading fast as organizations move from permanent, full-time workforces to contingent workforces composed of freelancers, casual staff, temps, and part-timers. For those of us who prefer the stability of traditional employment, this modern employment...
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5 Ways to Succeed as an 'Accidental Manager'
It's easy to believe that the typical manager is completely comfortable in their role, but that's actually not true. In fact, studies suggest that about 6 in 10 managers have had no formal management training. These people see themselves as "accidental managers" – people who just kind of fell into management without necessarily meaning to. This does not have to be a bad thing: The kind...
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5 Ways to Increase Your Relationship Focus in 2016
It's hard for me to believe that in 2016, a full eight years after I published the original edition of Relationship Economics, I still see a broad range of professionals undervaluing the asset that is your portfolio of relationships. Whether you're a frontline contributor or a senior executive, your ability to reach your goals is closely tied to your ability to leverage the value in your...
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8 Tips on Negotiating Your Next Raise
Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers! Have a question you'd like to ask? Leave it in the comments, and you might just see it in the next installment of Recruiter QA! Today's Question: In the past, we've run Q&A pieces on how to ask for a raise. Asking is a critical first step, of course, but what happens...
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Employee Recognition: Incorporating Feedback Into the Daily Grind
Respect, authority, recognition, and reputation: How you are seen at work can be just as important as how much you make. Status plays an important role in how we feel about our work and ourselves and how we interact with the people around us. Status is more than just a job title. It's about being recognized and appreciated, no matter the what rung of the corporate ladder you're...
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5 Mobile Apps to Help You De-Stress at Work
It's only 11:00 A.M., and you're ready to go home, get a drink, and put your feet up in front of some nameless sitcom on TV. Here's what you've dealt with since arriving at the office this morning: Your computer gave you the blue screen of death, and you lost three days' work on a report that is due tomorrow; a coworker called in sick, and you have to finish a spreadsheet they were...
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7 Tips on Negotiating Your Promotion
Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers! Have a question you'd like to ask? Leave it in the comments, and you might just see it in the next installment of Recruiter QA! Today's Question: What are your best negotiation tips that employees should know when they're trying to land promotions? How can they convince...
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10 Phrases to Drop From Your Vocabulary
Researchers believe that the earliest spoken language was Mayan, which arose around 7,000 years ago. Imagine, in 70 centuries, we've progressed to, "... and I was like, really?" Whether you are leading a team meeting, presenting to a prospective client, or delivering a keynote speech to a global audience, verbal mistakes will undermine your credibility and distract from your...
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10 Stats to Help You Drive Better Teamwork Initiatives
What does it take to build a successful team? One organization's method of achieving this goal will be different from another's, and the shifting composition of the workforce combined with rapid technological innovation means that all employers will have to sit back and rethink their teamwork tactics soon. Looking to build an excellent team and drive powerful teamwork initiatives? Start...
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How to Deal With a Narcissistic Boss
Narcissistic. Bully boss. Jerk. Toxic leader. Employees use these terms to describe a supervisor or manager who creates workplace havoc through the dysfunctional way they relate to others. As a psychologist, I am cautious about using psychological diagnostic labels (no, "jerk" is not a diagnosis), but sometimes terms find their way into the general culture, and the relevant issues need to...
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Get the Salary You Deserve [Infographic]
According to a new infographic from financial company Dollars Direct, less than half of us have ever asked for higher salaries in our current jobs. That's a major bummer: How are we supposed to earn more if we never ask for it? It's nice to think that our bosses will award us with raises when they see how great we've been doing, but that's just not the case. Your boss is a business man,...
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What's Your Exit Strategy? A Job Seeker's Guide to Jumping Ship
Given the unusual job market we've been experiencing for years now, it is imperative that every job seeker keep an exit strategy in mind. Do you have yours nailed down? If your exit strategy is dependent on hope and crossed fingers, it's time to rethink some things. Ideally, you shouldn't wait until signs of trouble show up to plan your next career move. At a minimum, when those signs...
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7 Qualities of People With High Emotional Intelligence
"If your emotional abilities aren't in hand, if you don't have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can't have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far." That's what Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., well-known writer and researcher on leadership who wrote the bestseller Emotional...
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How to Maximize the Productivity of Your Introverted Employees
Research shows that at least 50 percent of the population may be introverted. This may come as a surprise, because many people force themselves to act like extraverts – particularly in professional settings, where extraversion is almost required. Of course, the reality is that introvert/extravert isn't as black and white as we think it is. We exist on a spectrum, with "true"...
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Four Tips for Becoming a Trailblazer at Your First Job
For four (maybe five – okay, six?) years, you've dreamed of walking across the stage at graduation, mom and dad snapping pictures, a diploma fresh in hand – that tiny piece of paper telling the world you've been stamped for approval by the Academy. And now you've done it. You're off the stage and onto the next step of adulthood. Within a few months, you'll (hopefully) start your first...
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3 More Ways to Boost Your Freelance Earnings
Did you enter the gig economy via platforms like Fiverr, Freelancer, and Upwork? Were you full of hope, looking forward to exciting tasks, autonomy, and high levels of income? Did your dreams turn into reality – or did you quickly find yourself struggling to pay your bills? If you are a programming whiz, you probably love the gig economy – but if you don't posses skills in a...
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4 Ways to Boost Your Freelance Earnings
The gig economy is now a major source of income for many workers: 22 percent of Americans have offered their services up in the gig economy, and 42 percent have used at least one gig-economy service. And while the gig economy is an attractive alternative to traditional work for many Americans, it is not by any means a bed of roses. As the U.S. Government Accountability Office has pointed...
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Education and Experience Don't Guarantee Success – Attitude and Habits Do
Professional success is the culmination of many factors. Your education matters – maybe not as much as you think, but a degree in your field can really jump-start your progress. Your experience certainly matters, but that can only come to you after years of dedication. Your talent matters, too, but aside from skills (which develop from experience), most of your talent is innate, meaning you...
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Career Transition Success: How a Shift in Your Mindset Can Help
To put it simply, a "career transition" is the process of moving within your career. This move can be a lateral move, a move upward, or a complete change of direction that brings your career into a brand new industry or type of role. The foundation for success in any career transition is not your resume, your LinkedIn profile, your network, your past experience, your certifications, your...
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Want a Promotion? 10 Ways to Get It
Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers! Have a question you'd like to ask? Leave it in the comments, and you might just see it in the next installment of Recruiter QA! Today's Question: What tips do you have for employees who want to make a good impression and snag a promotion? What are the best ways to get...
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7 Motivational Quotes to Help You Face Your Fears
Fear is something that lurks in the shadows of our minds, something that haunts us, paralyzes us. Like anybody else, I know what fear feels like. When I'm anxious about something, my stomach does somersaults and my throat gets tight. My mind gets tangled, muddled – the worry, the dread, stalks my thoughts. What are you afraid of? Have you ever really thought about them – the...
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In Spite of Gender Pay Gap, Women Earn Greater Return on Investment in Higher Education
The U.K. is Europe's most popular destination for international students, and the second in the world after the U.S. The strong reputation of British universities guarantees a competitive advantage to those who gain a U.K. degree. It is not cheap to do so, though. Course fees in the U.K. vary, but the average Ph.D. costs students from within the European Union (E.U.) between £3,000...
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What the Most Successful People Know About Finding Career Happiness
"You work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do." – Steve Jobs A 2015 SHRM report found that, in 2014, 86 percent of U.S. employees were satisfied with their current jobs – up from 81 percent in 2013. Of this group, 39 percent of employees...
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Speak Up: A Guide to Presenting Dissenting Opinions in the Workplace
In the late '80s,I became a board member of Portland, Maine's politically influential Parkside Neighborhood Association. I was in my early 20s, single, ambitious, and looking to make a difference – and the association was looking for an infusion of younger people reflective of the influx of new residents who were moving into Maine's "City by the Sea," as Longfellow affectionately called...
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Workplace Romance: A Dangerous Affair
As if balancing work and life outside of the office weren't enough, there's a high likelihood you'll eventually have to deal with employees who nurture romances in the workplace. This adds yet another ball to the work-life balancing act. And let's not let employers and supervisors off the hook either: According to a survey conducted by Harris Poll, a quarter of office romances are between...
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Difficult Coworkers: 8 Tips to Help You Save Your Sanity
Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers! Have a question you'd like to ask? Leave it in the comments, and you might just see it in the next installment of Recruiter QA! Today's Question: Conflicts arise between peers in the workplace. That's just bound to happen. But what can employees do when they find that...
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Performance Reviews: A Brief Guide for Employees
Reviews have become the standard way in which we communicate our satisfaction or displeasure with one another. Chances are good that the last time you had a negative experience at a restaurant, you logged on to a site like Yelp to share your experience with the online community. Your annual performance evaluation serves a similar purpose. However, more is at stake for you at work. The...
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Why Passion, Empathy, and Pretty Much Everything Else Matter More Than IQ [Infographic]
What's in an IQ? Not much, according to a proliferation of recent studies. In fact, by some estimates, an individual's IQ accounts for a measly 10-25 percent of their success in life. Now, many psychologists argue that emotional intelligence – otherwise known as EQ – is what really matters when it comes to successfully navigating both life itself and the workplace. Many...
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7 Ways to Get on Your Manager's Good Side
Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers! Have a question you'd like to ask? Leave it in the comments, and you might just see it in the next installment of Recruiter QA! Today's Question: Maybe you just started a new role at a new company and you want to make a good impression, or maybe you feel like your...
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5 Signs That You Might Soon Be Fired
Being fired can be one of the most earth-shattering events of your working life, no matter the cause. It can leave you financially and psychologically devastated, and it can seriously harm your career. This is why a key skill that all workers must have – if they are to preserve their financial, emotional, and career stability – is the ability to spot the signs that they may soon be...
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Top 4 Qualities You'll Need to Gatecrash the C-Suite
The life of a CEO is not as coveted as it once was. Today, not everyone wants to rise to the top; in fact, many are content just to hang out on the lower rungs of the corporate ladder. This C-suite phobia should be welcome news to those of you who are aiming for the executive ranks. It means there's less competition out there for you to best. But that doesn't mean it will be easy: The...
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Professionals Discuss: How to Improve Performance Appraisals
Performance appraisals are part of every company's operations (at least, we hope they are). Since the dawn of time, people have been reviewing each other, evaluating various actions, criticizing, offering advice, etc. In the workplace we call these actions "performance reviews," or "performance appraisals." A good manager will have innovative ways to conduct performance reviews, but...
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Are You 'Working Happy'? 11 Clues That You Are
We tend to have one of three attitudes toward our work lives: we really dislike our jobs and know it; we are rather neutral about our work – it pays our bills, and that's good enough; or we really enjoy our professional lives and know that we are in the right career. Sometimes, however, the lines between neutrality and true enjoyment are rather gray. How do we know if we are really in...
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