Career 01 (Sep 08 - Mar 10)

[helios]

then i need to invest in health or cancer treatment related products after your support of phillip morris as well as to invest alittle on carbon capturing technology companies

Stem Cells technology bah?

if one got cancer, one can inject the stem cells as therapeutics ...

[sidney]

then i need to invest in health or cancer treatment related products after your support of phillip morris as well as to invest alittle on carbon capturing technology companies

Stem Cells technology bah?

if one got cancer, one can inject the stem cells as therapeutics ...

I suggest 1 stop shop. Final destinations actually... public listing casket coy

[winston]

It's Fun to Know: When Contract Negotiations Go Really Bad

This year's salary increase not up to your standards? Your request for a promotion denied?

Why not retaliate by kidnapping your boss? It's the latest fad in France.

There have been more than five "bossnapping" incidents connected with labor disputes so far this year. No violence or weapons are involved. Union officials simply detain executives until their demands are met (which has happened) or let them go when further negotiations are promised.

(Source: Agence France-Presse and The Times)

[winston]

Let's Look at Finances by Jessica McGregor Johnson

Whenever you are looking to make a career change it is really important to address your finances. Many people can be rather ostrich-like about this, but if you analyse your situation at the beginning then it will certainly smooth your way later.

The first step you can address is budgets. Whenever you move from one career to another that includes a time for retraining, you need to have a close look at your budget. Often it means a time of pulling in the belt and cutting back in some areas. It is always best to identify this before you set out so you can make plans.

Take a piece of paper and create two columns.

In the first column write down all your main monthly living expenses, the ones that are not avoidable; mortgage payment/rent, utility bills, insurances, basic food bill, car payments/costs, health care, anything that is a fixed, unavoidable, cost.

In the second column write down all the other payments you make in a month, health club subscriptions, meals out, holidays, clothes, luxury foods, hobbies, movies, luxury goods payments, everything that is a choice rather than a necessity. If you don’t know what these might be then keep a note of all expenditure in a month, everything, even that cup of coffee. It is quite revealing.

It is always good to see where the money you’re currently earning is going and it helps you to see where you can implement a change of priority. What could you maybe spend less on, for example taking lunch to work rather than buying it every day. Or maybe there are expenses that you can simply drop for a short time till you are earning full money again.

Sometimes retraining does require us to change our lifestyle, if only temporarily, however the final outcome, the new career is always worth it. One word of caution, do not budget out all the fun stuff in life, you also need to be able to enjoy your life whilst you retrain and so identify some of the less expensive (or free) things or activities that you can keep in your life.

Once you have got real about your current and projected finances the next step it is to work out the shortfall. This is obviously something you will need to do with your partner if you have one, as it will affect him or her too. Is this shortfall an amount that you can supplement with part time or evening work? Could you see yourself doing a full or part time course and working enough to fill this shortfall?

If yes, then you have the next step – identify the part time work that you could do that would pay enough. This is a matter of research, the wider the window, i.e. you being willing to do a wide variety of work, the easier it will be to find part time work. Make a list of all your usable skills and of the type of work you’d be willing to do - for ideas go to a job website like monster and search different skills. You might also try talking with employment agencies; they are a good source of ideas. Once you have some ideas start contacting those types of companies. Another thought is perhaps your current place of work might consider a part time position; often companies do not want to lose good employees.

If however you realise that part time work is not going to address the total shortfall then it is a rethink that is needed. Is your only option a full time course? Could you re-look at that element of the puzzle? Given your financial picture what would be possible? Maybe a longer, less time consuming course? Investigate if there are any grants available or maybe student loans that have a low rate of interest. This can help pay for the course as well as supplement your part time earnings. Sometimes you do need to finance a retraining through loans, but the main thing to do is to have a debt repayment plan before you go down that road. In this way it feels more attainable and can’t get out of control.

Another option if you do not like the idea of large loans is to see if you can save some of the necessary money before leaving your current job. Once you have identified possible cuts your current budget this may seem more possible than right now and may not delay your progress too much. Finances are a juggling act, look at different variations of ideas and see which one looks the best for you.

Most importantly be real about your finances. You need to approach your finances without rose tinted glasses, be creative and open to any (legal!) idea or way that makes it possible for your dream to come true. When we come from that space, with a determination to make something happen, we cannot fail.

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Let_ ... ances.html

[winston]

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*** Article: Do You Know What You Want to Do? - By Natalie Caine, M.A. ***
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Empty nesters, women and men who have been in a career for decades, stay-at-home moms, parents retiring, college grads, and people returning from service... all are asked, What do you want to do now?

Are you asking yourself that question? Have you come up with some ideas, but....

I know what it is like when you are burnt out, can't figure out what to do next, or feel you just can't do it all by yourself.

Over the years, I have heard stories of desire and confusion when it comes to what to do next.

I was fortunate, sitting in my daughter's high school college meeting, that my idea to start Empty Nest Support Services came to me, motivated from not wanting anyone to go through this major life transition alone.

I knew nothing about websites, but I did know how to teach, inspire, and learn. I made a list of what I was good at doing, what compliments I had heard over the years. For example, "You make communicating so easy. You just are able to stay hopeful even when you have no idea how to solve your problems, you say it like it is but you aren't a punisher. I have never met anyone who follows their gut feelings like you do." I am not telling you this to brag. We all know what we are good at doing. I am telling you because it sticks when others share what they know about you.

I am telling you also because here is a way to find out what people think your talents, skills, and gifts are that you could offer to others. (No one told me math.)

GET STARTED:

1. Invite them to your home.

2. Feed them.

3. Give them paper to write how they have helped you, how they have seen you help others, what they think you would like to do, and finally what short phrase they would say about you. For example, "Kathy, you are the best organizer."

4. If a friend can't come, email them the questions to fill in and have them email them written back to you. Put a return date on the email. People complete with deadlines and structure.

5. I still remember how vulnerable and how much fun that evening was for me. It actually is not ego. It takes courage to ask for help.

6. Write what you aren't good at doing. How much would you pay someone to help you, or how could you barter your needs with someone who has the skill? I have bartered computer skills for my teaching, workshops, consultations, and more.

7. Have the courage to ask for help. You can research online or in your community in the local papers, throwaway magazines, and papers to get support.

8. Have someone interview you. One of my favorite things is to interview a new client of mine. Call me and you will see how that ignites what is next for you. It is quick, easy, and gives results. A surprise is revealed, and you will be smiling. A key is looking at who you are and who you aren't as of today and then having three steps of how to pull yourself up to what you want to become. I am simply passionate about revealing your dormant selves to you. I remember the six calls I had with a mother who, long story short, discovered by letting her talk about her joy in watching soap operas, that she really wanted to teach acting to elementary children. She just forgot that part of her through the decades of being mom and working in a bookstore.

No one wants to make changes alone. You don't have to. You need someone to ask the questions, really listen, and check back in with you. I, for sure, had professionals and friends on my path of building my new passions. I say passions because there is more to life than work.

When we are thinking about what is next, it doesn't only mean work. We simply get seduced into thinking we aren't enough if we aren't working, giving back. Not true. What's next could be making time for new relationships, both in partnering and friendships. I have seen where women want to date but are spending time with their friends and not making time to meet a partner. It is a comfort zone. Single parents feel overwhelmed, out of practice, and insecure about their looks, interests, and ways to connect.

Don't you wish we could just say what is to ourselves and then others? It is freeing.

More than anything, I know people want connections with like-minded others. They want a community. They don't want to always be the initiators and planners. Sound familiar?

My reminder to you is to not go through these transitions alone. If there is one risk you can force yourself to take, write what compliments you have heard about yourself over the years and ask your friends to email you or come over and write that list with you. OK, that is two risks.

Just do it. Stop that chatter in your head. Do it.

Let's get going so summer is filled with something just for you.

* Do you want to write a book?
* Start a vegetarian cooking class?
* Grow a garden?
* Volunteer abroad for a week?
* Mentor at a library?
* Take a six-week course?
* Play tennis or golf?
* Get out your guitar?
* Take a vacation?

What do you think you need just for you?

[sidney]

Intestingly, now i'm in a position whereby the young are younger than me by a few years. They go clubbling, and i do not have the aspirations and wants of the youth cos i past that stage, no energy also.. getting old...perfer sleeping at home... The olders are much much older than me. I find it hard to position myself in between both.

[kennynah]

at every stage in life, whether 25, 35, 45, 55 or even 65... there are things that the person can offer...

i think to feel old is a sin... we are all meant to enjoy our lives every single moment, whether 25, 35, 45, 55 or even 65

[winston]

Know Thyself”: The Key to Finding Your Life’s Work by Brian Schwartz, PhD,, the Official Guide to Career Coach and Career Coaching

This is the first in a series of articles that will help people and their organizations achieve better career fit. We believe that successful enterprises in the 21st Century will be defined by the strength of alignment between company mission and the true passions of their talent.

Socrates was one smart philosopher. As best we know, he never conceived of planning his or anyone else’s career in Ancient Greece, but he most definitely gave us the key to what you must do to find the work that aligns you best with your personality type, most passionate skills, values and interests. The most powerful way of being in the world of work is to design your career from the inside out. Technologies and the hot jobs they spawn come and go but your value proposition in the world of work must be based on who you really are at your core, if you are going to take control of your career and work life.

The foundation for evaluating yourself starts with your hardwiring. It’s like the operating system on a computer. Some of us are Windows, some Mac OS or Linux, etc but we all emerge from infancy with some characteristics that might be modified or developed but which will never fundamentally change. We call this “personality type” and it answers four key questions about each of us:-
1) What is my preference in directing my energy, outward towards the world and others or inward?
2) What kind of information do I most value and pay attention to, the world of concrete and tangible realities or the world of ideas and concepts and abstractions?
3) How do I decide on the information I take in i.e. using my impersonal logical analysis or my personal values and feelings?
4) Finally, How do I act on or execute the decisions I make i.e. by working systematically and planfully toward closure or by working spontaneously and adjusting quickly to changing circumstances and new information?

Yes, we all do all of these at one time or another, but which are our natural preferences?

If you remember your combination theory from junior high school, with the four factors above and two possibilities for each factor, the number of combinations or personality types in every culture in the world is 4 squared or 16. The percentages vary for each type across cultures but even the smallest type in the USA has 6 million people while the largest type is a “tribe” of about 45 million.

If you know your type, then you will know some of the most important facts about yourself and your most natural talents and weaknesses, a surefire insurance policy for career success if you learn how to use this information. While we develop greater flexibility and broader skills over the course of a productive lifetime, the essence of who we are never changes. Circumstances might call upon us to use certain skills at certain times or even acquire new ones but the fundamental truth of our most cherished skills and values can be found in our type. So, what type are you and how is that affecting your career choice and job performance?

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/know ... _work.html

[winston]

How to Make Sure Your First Three Months Are Not Your Last! by David Couper, The Official Guide To Career Change

You're one of the lucky ones who just got a new job or you started on a new project. How can you make sure you your first 90 days isn't your last?

It's all about showing your value to the employer or your manager while still learning the industry, company or job.

That can be tough. You say "yes" to everything and sometimes you don't even know what everything is. But you want to please.

So how can you please?

Get Out There. I know someone who failed in a job because he spent a lot of time learning about the company. But he did his education by reading documents and being on the intranet. He avoided meeting people, talking to his peers and making contacts with other people in the organization. No-one knew who he was!

Know What You Don't Know. You are hired to manage a sales team and you know your boss wants you to increase sales. Easy! But wait a moment. What have the company tried before? How does the team think they are performing. Are they a new team who needs training. Or an old team who used to be successful but lost their edge and need new techniques to get their game back. Or are they a great team who doesn't know how to be fabulous. Or are they just the wrong team. If you don't know then you won't be able to solve it.

Don't Take Too Big a Bite. There may be many things to fix and it may be tempting to put together a five-year plan. But it's also good to have a quick win. It establishes your credibility and gives you the ability to launch the bigger plans.

What Flavor Manager Did You Get? You need to have communication with your boss but you need to know who her or she is and how they like to manage.

Is the manager plain vanilla - regular meetings, friendly meetings with clear responsibilities? Or is he or she something more exotic - chilli chocolate - hot tempered with dark moments. Or peppermint - cold and formal, written reports with no time on chit-chat. You need to find out.

No I in Team. Who are the peers you need to work with. Who are the people you need to be careful of. Who are the co-workers you need to avoid. You need to know when and how to create a team of supporters around you so they help you get through the first 90 days.

Be ready to show who you are, get some quick results and fit in with your boss and you team. Good luck!

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/How_ ... _Last.html

[millionairemind]

Surprise! Pretty people earn more
Fed Reserve study shows beautiful people make about 5% more than their average counterparts.


NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Kiss that merit raise goodbye.

Good-looking, slim, tall people tend to make more money than their plain-Jane counterparts, according to a study released this month by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, with researchers finding that beautiful people tend to earn 5 percent more an hour than their less comely colleagues.

After variables like education and experience are factored out, Fed researchers said the "beauty premium" exists across all occupations, and that jobs requiring more interpersonal contact have higher percentages of above-average-looking employees.

For example, the study found there was a higher beauty premium among private sector lawyers than their government-supported counterparts since private attorneys need to attract and keep clients.

If that weren't enough, the Fed also discovered a "plainness penalty," punishing below-average-looks with earnings of 9 percent less an hour.

"Certain characteristics, such as appearance, might affect productivity in ways that are not as easily measured (or as obvious) as are other characteristics, like education or experience," said the report, adding that the effects looks have on self-confidence, communication and social skills were unknown.

Another possible explanation for the wage disparity: good, old-fashioned discrimination, said the Fed.

For example, the wage differential discovered for obesity seems to be limited to white women, the study said, belying an unmeasured productivity explanation.

Economists also found that women considered obese in terms of their body mass index (BMI) in both 1981 and 1988 earned 17 percent less than women within their recommended BMI range.

And while weight seemed to dog women, short men get the short end of the stick. Economists found a "height premium" among white men, with a 1.8-percent increase in wages for every additional inch of height over the national median.