Words from Web Worker

Phone interviews can be tough. With the lack of visual communication, you must be able to rely on auditory feedback and be disciplined enough to keep focus. Preparation There are two main types of phone interviews - expected and unexpected . In order to be prepared for the unexpected phone call, make sure you have access to proper materials near your phone or desk. Keep a file of “employer research” near by along with a fresh copy of your resume.  Your resume will allow you to easily answer questions about your past experiences. Company research can help you quickly come up with a few questions for your interviewer. Having access to a notepad and a pen is probably a good bet as well. For expected interviews, make sure you have a space set aside that is free of distractions . Keep a glass of water nearby in case you need to clear your throat. Remember, phone interviews are just as much of an interview as a traditional meeting. Tips Know your comfort zone. Some people per...

Most of us are already hip-deep in online efficiency tools like shared calendars , code libraries, and rss feeds; here are 30 simple ways that you can make your life (the real one) easier: At Home Synchronize recurring events. This can be done annually, monthly, or even weekly. As an example, there are many household tasks that really only need to be done annually. Make it easy to remember when they need to be done by doing them all on the same day. The switch to daylight savings time is a good time to check batteries in smoke detectors , clean screens and windows, change air filters , clean fireplaces, etc. You can do the same with your car, by checking your tires , wiper fluid, battery, etc., every time you get an oil change . Sacrificing one day a month to do household chores like laundry, cleaning, and gardening can relieve the burden of having those things hang over your head and follow you around during the rest of the month. Scatter lots of cheap pens and pencils . Distribu...

Studying happiness is hard. What one man loves another loathes. One woman's joy is another's junk. Social scientists, therefore, have generally left the contemplation of smiles and satisfaction to poets and philosophers. But that's changing. Drawing on his research on happiness, there are three general pieces of advice: -> Be attuned to what gives you genuine satisfaction . Although many people assume that popular activities like watching TV are enjoyable, their own reports generally indicate that they feel more engaged, energetic, satisfied and happy when doing other things. -> Study yourself . To better understand their own happiness, Csikszentmihalyi says, people should systematically record their activities and feelings every few hours for a week or two. In recording your observations, try to focus on how you actually feel, rather than what you think you ought to be feeling or what you expect to feel. Afterwards, note the high points, particularly, and the low on...

1. Attitude Is Everything Happy employees are productive employees. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist or a consulting firm to figure that one out. Negative attitudes can torpedo employee productivity much faster than nonstop basketball being streamed over the Web. “An employee with a positive attitude usually enjoys the work that they do and feels empowered and recognized for their contributions,” said Henning. “An employee that is complacent and does not really enjoy their work, but is simply there for a paycheck usually does not produce at a high level, develops a bad attitude and generally drags a team down.” 2. Boss Is the Barrier How can you improve employee productivity when the boss stinks? A recent poll found that, among other things, an employee’s productivity is determined by their relationship with their immediate supervisor. When the bad boss fails to keep promises, never gives credit when due, makes negative comments, or blames others for their mistakes, the pro...

Here’s something I’ve found to help me open up conversations, give people a lift, and raise my self-esteem at the same time. There’s nothing like a warm, sincere compliment to make your day. Instead of waiting for one, why not give one out? Take it from me, the more you give, the more you find you’ll receive. 1) Make your compliment specific. “That necklace looks really good on you” makes a bigger impact compared to “you look really good today”. The more specific the better, it makes the person feel like you notice them. 2) Back up your compliment. Don’t just stop at “that necklace looks really good on you”. Your compliment becomes stronger when you say why you think so; “that necklace looks really good on you because it matches your eyes”. 3) Ask a question with your compliment. And if you want to use it as a conversational starter, ask a question about the subject of your compliment; “that necklace looks really good on you because it matches your eyes. Where did you find it?”. Why Gi...

“No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.” - Eleanor Roosevelt Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself, how confident you are, how accomplished you feel. It reflects whether a person loves, accepts, and believes in who they are. For some of us, however, it can go up and down. One day you might feel really on top of everything, great about yourself, unafraid to try anything. And the next day, you’re just as likely to feel completely at the bottom, unsure of yourself, afraid to say or do anything. Building high self-esteem is a process, not something you can develop overnight. And this isn’t necessarily easy. Yet, every single person has the capacity of high self-esteem. The question is, are you ready to make a commitment to increase your self-esteem? If your answer is yes, here are some tips to get you started: 1. Stop comparing yourself with other people. Human beings can amplify or reduce their value by contrasting themselves either positively or negatively with o...

Now this is just a joke for the day. I hope this makes few of your moments smiling if not for the rest of the day. Have a nice day ahead.