Going green in your office means more than just concluding all your emails with “save a tree and don’t print this!” If your goal is to have a truly environmentally-friendly office, you’ll need to carefully examine every aspect of the space, from interior design to maintenance.

WaIls. The Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) found in most commercial paints can emit harmful gases for years after the intoxicating fresh paint aroma has faded. Opt for plant or mineral-based paint, or choose an attractive wallpaper made from reclaimed paper pulp.

Floors. Atop-quality finish is a must-have for enhancing and protecting the natural beauty of wood floors. Water-based polyurethane finishes are the most environmentally-friendly, and are just as effective as other types. For carpeting, opt for untreated wool with hessian backing (not latex).

Furniture. Modern office furniture is often seething with chemical fire retardants, synthetic stain resistant coatings and other toxic ingredients, including carcinogens. Shop around for materials such as wood (but not from old-growth forests, please!), natural latex rubber, or wicker.Some beautiful eco-friendly furniture coverings include hemp, organic cotton, natural silk or wool.

Paper.It goes without saying that all paper in an eco-conscious office should be both recycled and recyclable. But there’s much more you can do to minimize paper use. Switch to an electronic client database and make it a policy never to print records unless absolutely necessary. Save and send faxes electronically. Take noteson a digital pad or speak them into a voice recorder.

Cleaning. Your office doesn’t magically clean itself at the end of the day, does it? Find out if your janitorial service uses environmentally safe cleaning products. For most offices, plain old vinegar and water is all that’s needed to maintain hygiene and freshness. And yes, those flower-print paper towels are cute, but they release dyes into the earth. Instead, use cloth rags for clean-ups.

In addition to the five points mentioned above, there are a ton of other areas in which you can reduce your office’s environmental footprint.

How many ways can you think of to go green in your office?

Are you considering a career as an administrative assistant? If so, the sky is the limit asfar as career opportunities. Administrative assistants are needed in every industry, from Fortune 500 companies to small publishing houses to health care centers. Whatever your passion, you can find an administrative assistant position that doesn’t just pay the bills, but is also fulfilling and rewarding.

An administrative assistant position can be the start of a challenging and fun career path, or it can be a stepping-stone to other exciting roles within your chosen industry. Are you dreaming about becoming a filmmaker? Get your foot in the door by working as an administrative assistant for a film studio. You’ll gain valuable hands-on training and improve your resume at the same time.

Are you hoping to become an administrative assistant to a celebrity one day? Explore jobs in a variety of industries to learn all you can about good interpersonal communication, discretion, and how to keep a cool head. The bottom line is that becoming an administrative assistant can take you as far as you want. But before you start scanning the online ads for administrative openings, take the time to figure out if you have the right skills for this job. Being an administrative assistant isn’t just about filing papers and answering the phone.

In addition to answering phones and emails and doing paperwork, you might find yourself scheduling meetings and lunches, sending out press releases, setting up interviews, organizing price quotes, purchasing office items planning business travel, and anything else that’s required. Although many assistant positions are entry-level, this doesn’t mean the job is easy. On the contrary, you’ll be competing against dozens or even hundreds of highly qualified applicants for the same desirable job. What skills can help you stand out from the crowd and land that job offer?

As an administrative assistant, you’ll spend a good deal of time around people.Unless you want your job to drive you crazy, you need to enjoy socializing and genuinely want to make life easier for the people you work with. Strong organizational and time management skills are a must, as is the ability to jump headfirst into your day and juggle priorities on the fly. You’ll also need to be comfortable using technology and learning new software applications quickly. If you have a good attitude, are a quick thinker, and adjust your habits and needs on the fly to fit the surroundings (and your employer), you can definitely make a great administrative assistant.

One thing you don’t need right away is a four-year college degree.This is good news for qualified and smart applicants with the right skills and a high school diploma. Most employers don’t require you to have a college degree, although some will offer assistance so that you can continue your education while working.If you don’t yet have a college degree, focus on polishing your resume and applying for jobs that will give you the experience you need to advance your career. In the past couple of decades, the responsibilities and roles of administrative assistants have shifted. Online communication platforms have changed the way that people interact and companies do business.

However, the job of an administrative assistant is not going anywhere anytime soon.If anything, with today’s digitized work environment and the fast-pace of daily life, administrative assistants are needed more than ever to keep organizations running smoothly. According to a national survey conducted by an administrative staffing agency, almost 75% of managers polled think that responsibilities for support professionals have increased in the last five years. More than half of the managers believed that their administrative staff now have a better career-growth track. The administrative industry is growing rapidly, and qualified individuals are needed to fill positions in a range of fields.

Whatever your long-term goals or dreams, becoming an administrative assistant could be the first step on your path to success.

Is stealing time the same as stealing money? Is lying acceptable if nobody finds out? To some employees, these questions have obvious answers; to others, they’re grey areas.While you probably haven’t committed any serious crimes at work, you may stray into the grey areas more often than you care to admit. This can easily get you fired and you wouldn’t even know you were in the wrong. Let’s take a look at some of the mistakes you can make at work without fully realizing it:

Copying software for your personal use.Installing the software you use at work on your personal computer without a prior authorization/agreement with the employer is definitely a grey area or even outright illegal. Even though it’s not a physical product, a program is still protected by copyright, and installing it using a work license is practically like stealing a stapler or other office supplies.

Eating food out of the office fridge.While companies do not generally care about the employees time off work, including pauses, if you constantly take whatever you can find in the office fridge without asking permission, someone is bound to complain, which will attract the employer’s attention upon you and may even get you fired.

Down playing your productivity.You get paid by the hour, so you make the same amount of money whether you cash 5 checks per hour or only 2, right? You might be tempted to work slower or just do some work, take half an hour off and then say it took you 1 hour to do the work. This is a very common reason people get fired, and most of the times employers know all the tricks in the book and can see the signs right away.

Applyingto other jobs. Nobody likes an employee who is only there temporarily and can quit at any time because he found a better offer or is just bored. If you start applying to other jobs and your current employer notices, you’re bound to have some explaining to do or you can even get fired prematurely.

Calling in sick so you can run personal errands.Sick leave should be used only when you’re sick. If you make a habit out of calling in sick when you need to go shopping or run some personal errands, your employer is bound to eventually notice and you’ll definitely not get away scot free.

Blaming someone else for your mistakes.If you make a mistake, it might be a good idea to just admit it and say that you’ll be more careful next time instead of laying blame on everything and everyone else in the office. Not taking responsibility for your actions is about the worst thing you can do if you want to advance in a career.

Making personal calls on the clock.You know they’re not allowed, so don’t tempt fate (and the employer). Making personal calls when you’re on the clock, especially using the company’s phone is a big no-no if you want to keep your job.

Exposing others to germs. If you’re sick but you “can’t afford” to call in sick – please, don’t do it. This is exactly the time for calling in sick, and if you don’t care much about yourself, think about the other people in the office who might contract the same disease you have – nobody wants that, including your employer – they’d much rather pay you to stay at home or go to a hospital.

Fudging the numbers.If the numbers don’t add up, you shouldn’t just change them to fit your needs – you need to investigate and solve the problem itself. If your report shows you’re $1000 short of the goal, simply changing the numbers to match the goal isn’t going to work and not only can it get you fired, but you can also have criminal charges against you for fraud – this is very serious.

Avoid the above things, and you should be safe!

This is the urge to do something with the objective of achieving a set target. Anticipation to achieve certain targets will force one work for extra time or go for that guiding source only to be turned down by the lack of motivation maybe from those around someone or mostly from within. At most times, one lacks inside motivation to sail them to the next level.

For one to get and remain motivated, they should consider.

1. Being positive in whatever they are doing or thinking of doing. This will enable one work tirelessly to achieve all that he/she wants with the view that it will positively bear fruits.

2. Ones self esteem determines the mood at which they talk to other people, what they say about themselves and what they are in control of.

3. At one point of the day, if one gets discouraged, they should not pay much attention to that, instead they should focus on their achievements throughout the day.

4. One should not take all the time struggling to achieve some things, there should also be time scheduled for relaxation and play. This will help ones’ mind relax and function properly.

5. If things do not go according to expectations, one should not give up, instead, they should take their time to diverse another way to tackle the situation. Giving up means that ones mind has strained to the point where even tackling any other issues is a problem.

6. One should also choose learn from experienced role models. If they have planed to achieve something, they should first consult and get motivation from those who have already do it and succeeded.

7. Getting widely informed will help one have alternate and real solutions to issues that may pose some weight.

8. One should be realistically in what they want to achieve. One won’t get motivation to try a thing which is almost impossible.

There are many individuals who can be classified as stars but probably one of the most common one is the movie star. Although there are several roles in a movie that need to be filled the starring roles are few which are characterized by talented actors who has charm. Movie directors like to go for these individuals for the top movies. It is important to follow a few steps in order to become a star.

• Initial stages

It is important to start at an early age to practice and this can be achieved by trying various parts either in school plays or community theatres.

• Take Lessons

Acting lessons are very important so it is important to visit an accredited local theater company or a professional actors studio to take acting lessons.

• Attend a top notch Drama and Performing Arts

It is also important to attend one of the top notch drama or performing arts programs that is available in your specific state.

• Do Auditions

Someone who wants to become movie star is also supposed to audition for school films indies as well as low budget films. One can also explore some options on the internet by visiting a specific website known as Auditions.net. One is supposed to be expect some rejection so it is important to persevere and be resilient.

• Join Screen Actors Guild

The screen actors guild can be joined through their website SAG.org and this is where the major movies get their actors from. You must land a role for you to become a member.

• Get an Agent

A movie star is supposed to get an agent who is responsible for looking for auditions for roles directly from the movie directors.

• Good Looks

A movie star is supposed to look good at all times because the better you look the buzz one will get.

• Choose movies

It is important to choose your movies carefully because some of the movies have no chance of making it big in the market. Choosing successful movies will deelop your image.

Becoming a buyer requires hard work and keen intellect if one is to succeed in handling the powerful and glamorous job of being a buyer. Since the field is very competitive, one needs to be open-minded and fast in learning the prevailing market trends. The job of a buyer includes examining goods, and working within set budgets to bid for products, which are resold for a profit. Since most of the purchases made by a buyer are meant for diverse markets, the buyer should have a keen eye for what is marketable. To attain such skills, one should go through the relevant courses that offer training in the same.

• Obtain a degree or a diploma in retail buying from an accredited college. Subjects covered in these courses include retail management, business, fashion merchandising, communication skills and marketing.

• Apply for a buyer job in a retail outlet. Often times, getting a job as a buyer fresh out of college may prove hard. As such, one may consider taking up an internship or working at the counter sales before being considered for a buyer position. An internship offers people exposure in the retail industry, thereby giving them the chance to learn on the job.

• Attending training sessions organized to train buyers on different skills is also a good way of gaining additional knowledge about the industry. The sessions offer a platform where one can meet prospective employers since some of them are organized by major retailers.

• One should also gain as much industry knowledge as possible by keeping abreast with prevailing trends in retail buying and marketing. Due to the different demands placed on different industries, the marketing trends change frequently in order to address competition, while retail buying responds to the demands directly.

• Finally, one should specialize in a specific sector in the retail industry and learn all there is to know about it.

With the current economic constraints being felt all around the world, many people will be forced to rethink their money issues all over again. For many, they will definitely want to have a structured plan of how they will safe guard their futures. To be on the safe side it will be better to accumulate wealth early enough to cater for the future.

Research: One of the key things is to research on various different individuals who have succeeded over the past in their quest of becoming wealthy. Going through several of these stories will give one inspiration and this is very important because they give you a guideline to follow when one is not sure.

Save: Another very important thing is learning how to save. This is where you analyze your spending habits and decide which ones you can do without. One should come up with a well structured way of how he/she will be saving for a particular amount of time for example 10% of your monthly salary will be directed to your savings for that month. The amount should be that it makes your life comfortable but not hard. With this, one is supposed to be disciplined otherwise it will disorganize your plans. So whatever amount one has decided to put aside every month should be fixed to avoid any draw backs. The best way to do this is by deducting the specified amount first before paying any bills. This will reduce over spending.

Invest correctly: One is advised to regularly check on his/her savings in order to have an idea of when is the right time to invest. Before investing, one is supposed to research properly on the various investment options available depending on one’s knowledge, strength and capability. This is because some investments require more money than others. So depending on one’s savings, you should choose wisely. Another thing is different people have different strengths so choose an investment that best compliments your strengths. This will give you the right route to success of being wealthy in future!

Times are tight for all of us these days and unfortunately, there’s no quick fix that will help you bring in thousands more every month. Short of winning the lottery, the only thing you can do is figure out a plan for yourself that will help you weather the storm of this bad economy. Today we’re going to look at a few things you can do to make your monthly pay checks go a little farther so you have some extra cash each month that you can either put away in savings or spend on something else you desperately need.

1. Before we even talk about money saving tips, it’s important to know what to do with the money you do end up saving. While it’s nice to have extra money each month, you have to make sure you understand that the ultimate goal of saving money is to save it for when you really need it. There is almost always someone that’s doing worse off than you, so realizing that you too could end up in an even worse situation than your current one should be a sobering reality. When you have extra money leftover at the end of the month, put it away for an emergency.

2. Where do you even begin? Well the best place to start, if you haven’t already thought of this, is your commute to work. Most of us have gotten into the habit of stopping for a quick doughnut or cup of coffee on the way to the job site. Cut this “budget fat” out of your day. You probably spend hundreds of dollars a year on unnecessary foods and snacks that you could have easily brought from home or made yourself.

3. Assuming you already had the foresight to cut out the unnecessary things each month, where do we begin SAVING money on things? Each month you more than likely spend more money than you should on basic everyday items. When you go to the grocery store, look for the in-store brand of ANYTHING you can find. More often than not, there is no difference between the store’s brand and the more popular “Kellog’s” or “Post” brand. Coupons should also be of great help to you. There are plenty places online that dish out coupons for just about everything. And hell, you could even buy the majority of your non-perishables online for a fraction of the cost that they are in store.

4. Electricity is another big money waster. Believe it or not, turning a light on and off as you enter and leave the room could actually cost you more money than leaving it on permanently. A standard 75W bulb can cost just a dollar or two each month to leave on, but replacing bulbs costs much more. The big electricity wasters are your computers, stove, and washer/dryer. If you have a computer at home and times are tight, you may want to consider not even using it. Try and use public computers when possible to check your email and if you have a laptop, charge it while you’re out and about, instead of at home. In regards to the dryer, make sure that your lint filters are clean and that you don’t under-pack the dryer. If you’re running it without a full load in there, you’re practically burning money away.

It would be impossible to outline everything that you can do to save money in a month, but common sense, and some ingenuity can save you big bucks. Be frugal and anywhere you can save a few pennies, like by hanging your clothes in the garden to dry, or by cutting off your cable connection (watch the shows online!), do it. You will be surprised how much money you save every month if you just try.

There is a very delicate balance between finding a job you love and finding a job that pays enough money for you to enjoy your life outside of the office. Obviously, both are very important factors to consider before accepting your next job offer. But, which one should you consider more? The answer to that question is purely subjective and can’t be answered in a quick blog post but we’re hopefully going to organize your thoughts so you can weigh the pros and cons of both options properly.

The first scenario is one where you have a lifelong passion such as carpentry or flying and you now have an opportunity to earn a living by doing it full time. When you were in high-school you more than likely would have made the decision to take the job and live a wonderful and happy life until the end of time, but part of the real world is understanding that a lot of the time, your passion usually never pays enough to get by. The upside of following your dream and taking the job that you’ve always wanted, even if it’s for a lot less money than a “real” job, is that you get to spend your time being happy and not have to think of everything as “work.” Instead, work and “play” are synonymous with one another.

The second scenario that could happen is one where you find a job that pays very well and has all of the perks that a high ranking company lifestyle brings. The only downside to the whole situation is that you end up detesting your job. So, where do you draw the line? Do you take the second option where you can make a lot of money and enjoy your downtime with those decent paychecks you pull in or do you take the first option where you enjoy your line of work but barely get by each month?

Well, you may not have to pick and choose. There are many jobs out there that let you enjoy your passions and your paychecks at the same time. There isn’t a set plan to follow to find a job that fits both criteria but I suggest starting out in a field that you enjoy, making enough to get by and then as you progress through the field, see if the money is becoming an issue, and if it is, before it’s too late, make a change towards a better career. But, if you manage to move through the ranks at a steady pace and make a nice wage for enjoying what you do, you’ve found what you’re looking for.

These days, if you don’t have at least a Facebook or Twitter account, you’re considered to be living in the dark ages. Well, not entirely true. If you belong to the generation that grew up on the “good music,” you’re almost immune to the problems that arise because of the social media phenomenon. But, if you’re unlucky enough to fall into the current generation of socialites and party goers, finding a job becomes much more difficult. With our lives being tracked by not only ourselves, but the people around us taking photos of us when we least expect it, we are especially vulnerable to letting our potential employers in on the secrets of our weekends that we don’t expect.

Just ten years ago, if you told your best friends that one day everyone would own a personal computer and cellular phone that was constantly connected to the internet, they’d call you crazy. If you kept the conversation going and went on to say that one day everyone would spend the majority of their day updating all of their friends about everything they’re doing at any given time, you’d probably be ditched for that evening’s antics. The thought of social media wasn’t even relevant ten or fifteen years ago and anyone in their mid 20s to mid 30s back then, now doesn’t have to really worry about the implications of an always on life. It may be biased to say that employers don’t care about the “old folks,” but it’s those “old folks” that have gained company trust and don’t need a thorough look over before employment.

So what about these days? What if you’re about to apply for your first big job and you’ve been keeping up with the way of the world and updating your Facebook status every hour, on the hour, for the past 9 months? Well the sad fact of the matter is, you’re putting yourself at risk. Social networking sites are a treasure trove for advertisers because they document all of our likes and dislikes in one easy to read column format. If an advertiser can use that information, so can an employer. And they do. Companies are now “spying” on applicants and seeing what it is they like to do on the weekends and who they’re friends with. It may seem biased but if an employer has access to more information than your overly-false resume with all of the self congratulations you gave yourself, they’re going to take advantage of that.

It’s not a crime to live your life, but the pictures of you “going wild” with your girlfriends last weekend in Cabo San Lucas are something you wouldn’t want to show your parents, then your employer probably won’t like them either. It has to be understood that it’s a new generation of applicants making it into the work force, but it’s also a new era of vulnerability. Don’t post things you wouldn’t want the world to know about and if you ever lose a job opportunity because of it, consider it a lesson learned.

We all sincerely hope that you haven’t lost your job during this economic downturn (at least what they call it to make it sound less terrible). Unfortunately for some of you, you probably already have and are a few months into your unemployment benefits with the end of them approaching faster than you’d like. What should you do? The benefits will soon run out and you’ll be in an even worse off position than you are now with still nothing coming in. Well instead of waiting for the end to get to you, we’re going to highlight some things you can try to make some extra money while you look for a new job.

1. Freelance work: There are always people in the freelance market that do it full time and then there are those that just have a little extra time on their hands or they need the cash. You can easily set up accounts on various freelance writing and design forums to see if you can get some quick jobs. Surely you have a skill outside of the workplace that you could put to good use. As long as you’re fluent and knowledgeable in the field you’re looking to freelance for, you should have no problem making some extra cash every month. It’s worth a shot, right?

2. Craigslist Jobs: Craigslist is a great resource for freelance work as well. Instead of the “digital” kind though, if you are a handyman or great cook, there are plenty of people in your area that are in need of your services. The elderly will always need help doing chores or running errands. Take a quick browse through the job listings section on Craigslist to see what people need done in your area. If the job is serious enough, it may turn into a full time gig until you can get a job similar to your old one.

3. eBay: The suggestion to sell things on eBay comes up in almost any “make extra money” discussion. The reason that’s true is because it actually works. Everyone has some useless junk around their house that they need to get rid of and the internet is the best place to do it. Even if you don’t have “junk” and own something more substantial that you think you’d be able to sell like furniture or electronics, give it a go. If things get bad enough you may have to seriously consider selling some of your prized possessions.

Kristi Daeda is a person I recently met at a social forum. She is a citizen of The United States and she, of course is a blogger, albeit a passionate one. She is one of those few who blogs not for money, but for a purpose; sharingknowledge.  So, why am I writing about her? Kristi has written a book titled “51 ordinary and extraordinary places to find a job”. Oh I forgot, Kristi runs a career related blog at Kristi Daeda. I downloaded it last night, and honestly it was a no fluff book. She doesn’t waste time with theories, but gets directly to the subject. Here are a couple excerpts so you are tempted to download it.

The Ordinary

Job fairs are advertised in the newspaper or online, often through the major job boards. Some professional organizations have taken to sponsoring industry- or function-specific “fairs” as well. Moderate your expectations, though – often the employers at the fair don’t actually have jobs available or they’re not suitable for your career goals. Be sure to make the most of the face time with employers and other attendees to get value out of the experience.

The Out of The Way

VisualCV is a slick, user-friendly way to create a content-rich, media-packed version of your resume for potential employers. Add that fantastic sales presentation you did last year or a portfolio of your graphic design work. VisualCV is totally free, and also has a job board available.

The Extraordinary

Do not fall for the trap of thinking that every company that has a layoff is not hiring. Even organizations that claim they’re under a hiring freeze often find some roles and skill sets are must-haves. If you want to work for an organization that’s had a layoff, treat them like every other organization on your list. Someday the winds will change, and you may be first in line.

So, go ahead and download the book at Kristi Daeda

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We recently covered what you should do to prepare for a job loss. But what if that day has already come and you’re stuck in the dark without much more than a hope and a prayer that things will get better? Today I’m going to try and give you a fairly quick overview of what you should do if you lose or already have lost your job.

1. The first step in the entire process is to not give up. I know that sounds like one hell of a feat if you’re down and out with barely any income every month. Keep your head up high and know that things will get better soon enough no matter how bleak your job situation is at the moment.

2. The next move is to figure out the essentials every month in your bill paying line. Depending on whether or not you filed to the state for unemployment money, your monthly income may vary. If you’re in a “good” situation you can manage to pay for most if not all of the critical monthly expenses such as rent, food, internet bills, car, etc. If you’re barely making enough to feed yourself and pay one or two other bills, it’s time to prioritize. Your first instinct would be to keep paying your mortgage so you have somewhere to live but in reality, your car should be the number 1 spot on your priority list. Without it, you can’t get another job. Obviously food takes priority over everything else, but apart from that, your car is first in line. As long as you have a car and some friends with a couch, you should be good for a while.

Note: Some people think they should keep paying other things like their mortgage and credit cards for fear of accruing bad credit and putting them in a bad position down the line. The fact of the matter is, if you’ve lost your job, drastic measures have to be taken. Focus on the important things now. You can build yourself back up at a later date.

3. After you’ve got your life in order it’s time to start looking for a new job. Depending on how long you can hold out without cash, your decision here may vary. If you need cash ASAP, get something part time and easy. You may have been a top paid executive not too long ago, but now you’re just like everyone else and your skill sets aren’t important. Sometimes you just have to take what you can get until you can reestablish a name for yourself. Look for jobs in the paper if you’re looking for a quick fix or get in contact with people you know and see if they “know a guy who knows a guy” that has a job open. Exhaust all options before trying another route.

Losing your job isn’t something that can be turned around in a few short days. It may take weeks or months to find a suitable place of employment for yourself. When things are looking grim, just remember step 1 and if all goes well, you should be back on your feet, ready to work, in no time at all.

Hopefully you haven’t been asleep for the past few months and missed the fact that the current global economy is practically in free-fall. While things are getting a little better for small businesses and corporations, many of the regular everyday employees out there are still losing their jobs left and right. Approximately ten percent of the entire U.S. population is jobless. It really isn’t fair to have to let anyone go from a job but it’s just simply not practical to keep people on board if the company is going under and will lose everything if they don’t. Jobs used to be the most secure thing in your life, now they’re as vulnerable as ever. Today we’re going to look at how to prepare for a job loss should your employer have to unfortunately let you go.

1. Start saving: You should always be saving money, but if you think you’re especially vulnerable to be let go, save as much of your paycheck as possible. This means cutting out Starbucks in the morning and McDonalds for lunch. Those few dollars every month add up to a lot. Set up a saving account if you haven’t already and make sure to not touch the money in your account unless it’s an emergency. (No, drinks with your friends is NOT an emergency).

2. Look elsewhere: If you’re right on the cusp of being fired, start looking for another job before you actually get the boot. Being ahead of the game will help you have a better chance at a new position than your other colleagues. You may not be able to pursue anything just yet but at least sending in your resume to new potential employers so they have you on file is a good start. But, unless you want out of your current job because the stress of not knowing your day to day status, don’t accept any other job offers.

3. Unemployment Money: This step of the process might take a little more effort but it will be very worth it when the time comes for you to need it. Start off by writing down all of your monthly expenses that are crucial to your day to day life. These things include insurance, food, utilities, and your mortgage. Don’t put in extra little bits and pieces just yet. These things should be the bare minimum. The next step is to call the local unemployment office and see how much money you can claim each month based on your current salary and expenses.

If you get an unemployment plan in place and are able to determine how much money you can claim from the government each month, you should be able to get by for at least 3 months. Assuming you have some money in savings, using those funds can more than likely help you get by for another 3 months on top of the original 3. And if you started looking for jobs and had your foot in the door before you lost your job, you should be able to make your way back into a steady nine to five in no time. Of course, sometimes things don’t work out that way and you can be left without a job for longer than six months. But hopefully you don’t wind up in a situation like that and you will be able to use the tips above to get yourself back on your feet within a year.

At some point or another you’ve probably read here on our blog a few tips and tricks to make it ahead in a job or break into a field that has always interested you. Most of the time we talk about going back to school to get a better education or if you’re still in school, pursue a degree that will help you better understand your field. But in this ever changing world, our degrees are becoming more and more worthless. I use the term worthless very lightly because of course what you’re learning is something that many people across the globe will never get to hear. But nonetheless, as more people go to school in the coming years, more and more people will be coming out with degrees. And as Ken Robinson explains at a TED conference, because the advent of technology has given rise to the number of people capable of going to school, the degrees we’re earning are no longer worth as much. Therefore, we have to rethink the way we educate our children.

In an almost comedic fashion, Ken Robinson delivers a presentation that highlights all of the fallacies within our current education system. I can guarantee that at some point in time your creative spirit was hindered by an adult who told you that what you were doing is not something you should pursue because it’s impossible to get a job playing music or painting pictures. And while jobs may be limited in the arts field, the creativity that is necessary to produce art is not something that should stay limited to pictures and instruments. Creativity is something that is stifled from a very young age and as children grow up, they’re led to believe that their creative ideas about the world no longer matter. Studying numbers and the language is very important but without a creative spark, nothing new can happen.

The world is changing faster than ever before and Ken Robinson makes sure everyone understands that. In schools though, the same curriculum is being taught the same way it was 50 years ago. Children are still just as creative and while he is in no way implying that we drop everything and put all of our children through art school, the fact that mathematics and language take precedence over the arts is upsetting. Children these days should be encouraged to create, invent, and explore creative possibilities while still implementing the fundamental tools they learn in school. Instead of art or music being an extracurricular activity, it should be on the same level as the other core subjects. If we push to bring creativity to the forefront of educations in the 21st century, degrees will no longer be proof of what we’ve accomplished; they will become aids to our creative spirit, giving us the tools to pursue new ideas. But if our new ideas are never given a chance to flourish, in the next few years there will be too many people with too many degrees doing a whole lot of nothing.

Society has shaped our perspective of the world in more ways than we’d like to admit. And at some point or another, your career has had you doubt your purpose in the world and your ranking in the social ladder because of something someone has said. But just because you’re not the CEO of a Fortune 500 company does not mean, as many would like you to believe, that you’re not successful.

The goals for success as we think of them differ between everybody and as Alain De Botton, a speaker at the most recent TED conference (Technology, Education, and Design Conference), puts it; We must not let others define what success and failure are because if we let them, we’d all end up being failures and “losers.”

Botton talks about the reasons that many of us experience crises in our life relating to our careers and jobs. Those times where we feel inadequate and that we haven’t done something better with our lives are actually not our own doing but rather the product of someone else. Snobbery as Botton explains is when someone judges your entire character based on a small piece of information they gather in the first few minutes of meeting you. At parties when you explain to others what it is you do you may either be greeted with respect and admiration or a nasty look and a dead conversation. This tid-bit of information, our careers, do not, as Botton puts it, define our level of success. Some may think it does but those people are inevitably snobs.

In the past few years things have really gotten out of control in terms of judging our own self worth. Everyone has been pestered with ideas of not being good enough and while people have been putting themselves down for centuries, now we live in a culture where we’re told anything is possible. But that just simply isn’t true. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, many people are unable to ever break free of their social means and ultimately, cannot ever become a doctor. But because all of the magazines, books, and TV shows that filter into our lives every day show “ordinary” people doing not so ordinary things, we’re led to believe that if they can do it so can we. And when we never achieve that level of “success” that they did, we feel as though we’re a failure.

But we’re not all failures. Remember that. No one is good at everything. Everyone is good at something and bad at other things and just because your name isn’t plastered on the front of the New York Times doesn’t mean that you’re in any way inadequate, it just means that whatever that thing someone else is good at is not the same thing that you’re good it. Redefine your levels of self worth and determine what it is that makes you happy and unique, not what you’re told you should be. Only then can you be truly successful.

You obviously wouldn’t have become a teacher if you didn’t love kids. If you do have a distaste for the little munchkins, it may be time to find a new job. But assuming you’re not on that path and need some advice on how to keep the kids’ attention for longer during the day, here it goes.

• Play Play Play: Depending on the grade that you’re teaching, the kids you’re in charge of may be no more than five or six years old. I promise you that when you were that age all you wanted to do is play. And since not much has changed since then, kids still just want to play. For many school is just buffer time between the time they wake up and the time they get to go home and play with their friends. To keep a better handle on the class throughout the day you absolutely MUST keep this in mind. Sure, play time can’t be non-stop all day but if you want to get through to them, it will have to “play” a big part (Pun definitely intended).

• Incorporate Play Time: So, assuming you decided to let the kids play all day and not get work done, you’ve captured their attention and let them burn off their after-breakfast and after-lunch energy. But now you have a bigger problem. Turns out the school board doesn’t like their students playing all day and not learning. So to honor their requests, you can incorporate all of that play time into a fun learning experience. Kids love games and colors so if you take the “boring” material and incorporate it into a game that the kids can get into and enjoy without realizing they’re learning, you’ve killed two birds with one stone.

  

• Be a Big Brother/Sister: As they get older in elementary school things start to change. At the tender age of eight or nine, kids are more susceptible to influence than the younger ones. So if you’re a fourth or fifth grade teacher, keeping their attention will be a bit more difficult. As the teacher, you’re their role model. So if you talk to them like adults and let them know that you think highly of them instead of just as kids, they’ll respect you. You’re not there to be their best friend, but you are there to act as a mentor to them. Just like you looked up to your older siblings when you were young, your class will look up to you as well if you take charge and treat them as adults.
• Rewards: Kids are big on rewards. They don’t have to be big rewards or even rewards in grade form. I know of teachers that used to give out lollipops and small Tootsie Rolls for class participation. While it may cost you a dollar or two to buy a big bag of candy, you’ll have the class’ attention for as long as you need if you reward their positive behavior or until you run out of candy.

If you took on the task of being the information technology expert at your work place, a lot is expected of you. Unfortunately the stigma of “IT Guy” has always been that they are grumpy middle aged men that don’t really want to help. But the truth is, they do. You just have to break that mold and be sure that you’re there to help people when they need it. After all, that’s why you were hired. You may have more knowledge about computers and get frustrated by the simplicity of the some of problems you’re presented with. Don’t sweat it. Sit down and take the problem step by step with the person you’re helping and hopefully they’ll learn from their mishaps and be able to save you some time in the future by solving their own problems.

So where do you begin when you want to help someone solve their computer woes?

• Diagnose the Problem: Obviously the first thing you have to do is figure out where the problem is coming from. Ask them in a polite way what they were doing when it happened, had they done anything prior to that, any funny noises? Work your way down the list until you’ve figured out what exactly is wrong.
• Troubleshoot: Here comes the fun part. Now that you’ve figured what’s wrong, you have to figure out how to fix it. As an IT professional you should know where to begin. So work your way down the list of troubleshooting tricks. But instead of just running through your normal list and leaving your coworker in the dark, if they’re up to it, let them know what you’re doing. “OK so right now I think the problem is XYZ, which means that I’m going to have to try ABC to fix it.” This way they’ll feel more involved and they may be able to fix their own email woes next time around.
• Questions: Once you’ve shown them what it is you’re doing so they understand your thought process behind the whole thing, ask them if they understand. I know it can get frustrating when non-computer techies try to understand what it is you’re doing but you’d be surprised at how many people have a thirst for learning. If you can make sure they understand what went wrong and how to fix it by answering their questions, they’ll be a whole lot better off.

• Build a relationship: By guiding them through the fix you can build a relationship with your clients or coworkers. This can pay huge dividends in the long run if you’re ever worried about your job security. Unfortunately IT Professionals are a dime a dozen so it’s best to try and make yourself stand out of the pack by providing quality service and care to the office. If you’re the regular IT guy who’s grumpy and irritable at fixing problems, you can’t guarantee your job security in the slightest.

You know you’ve been there. You were sitting at your desk or in your office after a long day at work and thought to yourself, “There’s no way they’re paying me enough to do my job.” Millions of people feel the exact same way and there really isn’t anything to lose in pursuing a raise on your salary. Now, depending on the situation you’re in, you may or may not be “eligible” to get a raise. You may think you’re doing too much work but there are a few things you should look at before marching into the boss’ office and demanding that he pay you more money. Let’s take a look at them.

• Figure out what your strengths are: If you’ve thought it through and decided that you need to make more money for the job you’re doing, the first thing to do is to figure out your strengths. Write down what exactly makes you unique in the company and why the job you’re doing is exceptional enough to call for a higher pay grade. If you list all of the things that make you unique and powerful within the company, you stand a better chance.
• Put yourself in their shoes: Suppose you owned the company you were working for. If you were to higher an employee to do the job that you’re doing, would you pay him or her as much as you’re wanting? You may be quick to jump and say “yes.” But the truth of the matter is that while it may seem like a difficult job to you, the company may not see it that way. What they’re paying you may be a very fair wage for what they think the job is. But to change their minds…

• Outline your day: If you outline everything it is you do in a day, coffee breaks and chit chat aside, you can present your daily workload to your boss. If a comparable company pays $5 more an hour for the exact same job you’re doing, you can present that too. If when written down on paper you’re doing more than you were hired to do, show your boss. A visual aid will help your case if you can show your manager that you are working more than you should. That doesn’t mean build a pie chart and graph your work history, but a simple piece of paper will do.
• Threaten to Quit: Let’s just say you’ve completely had it with your job and want the hell out. You hate your job and you hate everyone there. The only thing that would make you stay is more money. This tip of course is a last resort measure and should only be used if you are indeed actually willing to quit. If you’re not and you just plan on bluffing; Don’t. Explain how upset you are to your boss and threaten to quit unless something is done about it. In most cases, if you’re a valued employee, the company will do everything in their power to keep you there. If not, they’ll let you go. Make sure you use this tip wisely because it could end very badly if you don’t.

Enjoying working out is one thing, but to take your commitment to a whole new level by signing up for a job as a personal trainer is a huge step. Not only do you have to enjoy working out in your spare time,  but you have to be prepared to do it all day every day to make ends meet. If you’ve already made that step and enjoy your work as a personal trainer, there are a few things to keep in the back of your mind to make your job more enjoyable, stable, and fulfilling.

• Keep your client base small: If you’re just starting out, keep your client base small. The amount of money to be made as a personal trainer is appealing to almost everybody, trainer or not, and that usually leads people to the career to begin with, but, if money is all you care about, you could be in for a rude awakening. Depending on your employer, you may be required to take on a minimum number of clients. Talk to your employer before you do so and let them know that at least for the first few months you’re only going to be training the bare minimum until you get your feet. They should be agreeable. Jumping head first into a huge pool of clients could be disastrous for you and the people you’re training.

  

• Avoid talking behind people’s back: What could be the best or worst part of the job is talking with other trainers that work at the gym. It’s tempting to chit chat about funny mannerisms your clients have but the best thing you could do is avoid that urge. If you get caught talking about your clients in a negative fashion you could not only lose them, but you could also lose your job.
• Be prepared to sacrifice: One of the best parts of the job is often free membership for the employees. But, while you may get to work out as much as you want for free on your down time, you’re not really free to do what you want. As your client base expands you may start seeing clients at the gym while you’re on your break. People are curious about their health and although you may know it’s your down time, they don’t. Be prepared to answer their questions and give them tips even though they won’t be paying you. You obviously can’t turn them away. So think of it this way: If you’re at the gym, working or not, you’re on the job.

• Be encouraging: People look for your support both physically and mentally. The worst thing you can do is deter them from trying harder. I’ve had bad personal trainers in the past that stay distant and don’t help as much as I’d like. Beef up your people skills and you’ll see your client base soar without much effort at all. People want help and if you’re there to give it to them in a positive way, they’ll keep coming back.

Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or a flourishing business executive, having a full client base is nothing short of a worthwhile asset. Not only will having a strong client base prompt even more business, it allows you to build a decent reputation and gain some notoriety in your respective job community. But how exactly do you get started or continue your already successful business? You’d be surprised to learn that the old fashioned methods that seem to only work for big advertising are just as effective, if not more, than you might think.

Let’s get started with some tips to help you expand your client base and build a reputation.

Website: If you haven’t already got one, get one immediately. This is the 21^st century and any business without a functional website with at least some basic information is bound to fall behind. Even a simple free blog until you can scrape together the funds to build a real one will suffice. People are looking for contact information, who you are, and what you do. If they have any further questions, get them to email you.

Commercials: While it isn’t feasible for every small business to advertise on TV, if you can, that’s even better. A short and simple ad just putting your name out there will attract business in the long run. If you are in a specialty field, don’t expect clients to come running. But if they ever need the service that you provide, a catchy jingle or slogan would keep you in the back of their heads.

Avoid Bad Commercials: It may seem counter-intuitive to the above tip but please, under all circumstances, avoid bad commercials. If you are a professional, act like one. Commercials where you have your kids, although you love them, advertising your product or dancing around on screen won’t attract the type of business you’re after. Also, don’t make it bland. Consult an ad-executive to help you formulate the right type of ad for you. Don’t ruin yourself with a bad ad.

Business Cards: I don’t know how many times I’ve been in a public situation where I’ve wanted to pass my info off to a prospective client only to find I don’t have any business cards. Go down to the nearest Kinkos and make up a few hundred business cards. They’re cheap and effective. With business cards you can hand them out after making a lasting business impression with your potential client. They’re not watching you on TV or in a magazine ad, they’re meeting you and getting to know you.

Word of Mouth: It may seem old school but word of mouth is the BEST way to get known. I’ve drawn in more clients because of referrals than I care to think about. Take pride in what you do and provide a good service to your customers and you will reap the rewards. Word of mouth will travel fast no matter what field you operate in simply because people gossip and if you’re good, you’re bound to get more business.