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Getting Hired

Before the interview, read this and have your answers ready. From the DLM Blog:

10 Answers You Should Know Before Your Job Interview

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

With the competition keener than ever and the economy in a slump, you need to prepare for your job interview thoroughly. It’s no longer enough to offer a firm handshake to your interviewer, make eye contact, and nod pleasantly now and then. You need to prepare a dynamic application letter and resume. You need to research the company. And you need to present a confident image and develop the ability to answer tough questions on the spot.

Although no one can predict the questions your potential employer will ask, you can think about how you’d answer some of the commonly asked ones. Here are ten questions for you to consider and a few hints about how to answer them:

1. Tell me about yourself.
   Chances are the employer doesn’t want to know how much you weighed when you were born, when you learned to tie your shoes, or how much you had to drink last night. He or she wants to know how you would fit into the company and what your relevant job experience is. You might answer by asking the interviewer what he’d like to know. Or you might talk about your education, the fact that you’re a team player, or whatever you think might be important to this particular company.


2. Why should we hire you?
   Even though five people may be waiting outside, you need to sound confident, calm, and capable. Explain how your experience has prepared you for the job. Emphasize the qualities you think the employer is looking for, such as your outstanding work ethic or the fact that you’re a fast learner.
   


3. What is your worst characteristic?
   Some human resource specialists suggest that you make a virtue sound like a flaw. “I tend to be a perfectionist,” or, “Everyone says I work too hard.” But others say these answers have become clichés. Mention a minor flaw, such as, “I think I’m too outspoken at times, but I’m working on it.”


4. Where do you want to be five years from now?
   Let the interviewer know you’re looking for job stability and that you aren’t planning to use this job as a temporary stopping point in your quest for a better position. You
   could say, “I’d like to be employed in a small company like this one, where I can learn,
   contribute, and advance.”
   


5. Why did you leave your last job?
   Never put your former employer or your co-workers in a negative light. Don’t blame them for your departure. Give a positive reason, such as you left to take advantage of another opportunity that was better suited to your skills.
   


6. Tell me about a problem you had in your life and how you solved it.
   Be prepared with a short answer that shows you’re resourceful. “I really wanted to go to a private university, but my parents didn’t have the money. I went to a community college for two years, worked part time and saved my money so I could attend the last two years at the college of my choice.”


7. Have you had difficulties getting along with supervisors or co-workers?
   You’d have to be a saint to have had no problems with the people you worked with. You might answer, “Nothing major. I try to get along with everyone.”


8. How do you deal with stress on the job?
   The employer wants to know if you’re going to run out the door when things get stressful. Ask yourself if you thrive on working with deadlines or if you need creative time to function more effectively. Think about how you handle stress and be honest. “I focus on the work I’m doing,” or, “I make time to work out at the gym.”


9. What salary do you want for this job?
   Rather than stating a definite figure, tell the interviewer you’d expect to get somewhere in the standard range paid for this position.


10. Do you have questions for me?
    Always have a few questions. They show that you researched the company. Ask about a
    current issue the company is working on or how their recent layoff in another department
    affected company morale.
    

Remember-- the job interview is a two-way discovery process. By doing your homework and answering interview questions intelligently, you’re striving to prove you’re the person for the job On the other hand, you need to decide--sometimes in the midst of the questions---if the position you’re applying for is what you want to do and if the company is where you want to spend most of your time for the next few (at least) years.

Written on 6/2/2009 by Mary Ann Gauthier. Mary Ann is a writer and an adjunct instructor of English in a private college. She helps her business students with job application letters, resumes, and interview questions and is working on a book on the therapeutic aspects of journaling.

Photo Credit: slushpup

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Relationships with Old People

When does someone become "old"? Is it 30, 40, 50?

Is it somewhere between the age of 35 and 50 when you realize that 1/2 your life is over?

I know some folks in their 40's that are old and others in their 70's that are young. Guess it has to do with attitude, but due to aging body parts, their are some limitations as we get older.

I only had one Grandparent alive during my childhood and she died when I was 26. Now it's 23 years later and I am the Step-Grandfather to a couple of boys. I don't feel old, (most days).

I read this Sunday from the DLM Blog, and it's good advice for relationships with people of all ages:

How to Have a Great Relationship With Your Grandparents

Posted: 04 Jul 2009 03:44 AM PDT

Some of us are lucky enough to have a naturally great connection with our parents’ parents. Perhaps you had a lot of contact with your grandparents as a child, or you see them on a very regular basis. Maybe they provide free childcare for you (or free baked goodies – my granny is great at this!)

Sometimes, though, you might find that you have to work a bit harder to build up and maintain a good relationship with your grandparents. Perhaps the generation gap seems, at times, almost insurmountable. Maybe you can never quite get them to understand what you do for a living (“so, dear, just explain this ‘internet’ thing again...”) You might also be struggling to establish cordial relations with your partner’s grandparents.

Here are some simple ways to get on well with your grandparents (or other folk of your grandparents’ generation):

Focus On What Interests Them
Whenever you want to establish a great connection with someone, you need to find out what their interests are, and use those as a starting point. This is hardly new advice; it’s an important principle in Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People (published in 1936).

So how do you find out what interests your grandparents? Chances are, you already know some of their interests. These might be hobbies such as woodwork, collecting or entering competitions. (If you’re trying to relate to older folk who aren’t relatives you know well, keep an eye out for books or magazines around the house for clues). Church and community topics are also often of interest.

Look for timeless interests that you can share with them: perhaps a love of the outdoors, or of good food! This is particularly helpful if most of your hobbies (and your conversations with your peers) revolve around cutting-edge technology or very recent inventions.

Teach One Another
A very powerful way to build up a great relationship is to ask your grandparents to teach you a particular skill. Perhaps you’ve always admired your grandma’s ability to make Christmas puddings, or maybe your grandpa is an expert carpenter. Older people have decades of knowledge and skills to pass on – make the most of this!

And don’t stop there: return the favor by teaching something in return. Perhaps your nan would love to learn how to use email, or maybe your great-uncle would secretly love to be able to compete with the younger generation on Guitar Hero...

Avoid Political/Religious Discussions
This isn’t always necessary, but depending on your own views and those of your grandparents, you might find it best to avoid discussing certain topics. If you have differing political views (if you’re liberal and they’re conservative, or vice versa), avoid letting family occasions turn into an argument.

This also goes for religious views. Perhaps you were brought up as a strict member of a certain religion, and you’ve since made up your mind to follow a different path. If your grandparents are still praying for you to return to their belief system, you probably don’t want to go in all guns blazing about why you reckon it’s a load of baloney. Be as respectful as you can be of their beliefs, even when you think they are wrong or misinformed.

Send a Handwritten Letter or Card
If you aren’t able to visit your grandparents very often, take the time to send an occasional letter or card. Ideally, write it the old-fashioned way, pen and paper, instead of using a computer (typed letters often come across as business-like or impersonal to older folk).

Let them know about all the news in your life – though keep business or work jargon out. As above, focus on topics of mutual interest: you might want to describe a recent trip to the theatre, or a community event. When sending a card, take the time to choose one with a picture or design that you know will appeal.

Do you have a great relationship with your grandparents (or other people of a similar age)? Has it arisen naturally throughout your life, or did you have to work at it? What tips do you have for maintaining a strong relationship?

Written on 7/4/2009 by Ali Hale. Ali is a professional writer and blogger, and a part-time postgraduate student of creative writing. If you need a hand with any sort of written project, drop her a line (ali@aliventures.com) or check out her website at Aliventures.

Photo Credit: ryanrocketship

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ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz

Sleep. All of us need it. Are you getting enough? From the DLM Blog:

11 Reasons Why You Absolutely Need More Sleep

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 04:52 AM PDT

There’s nothing better than that feeling of waking up completely and utterly refreshed. Feeling so good that you virtually spring out of bed, already enthusing about how marvelous the day ahead is sure to be.

Of course it’s a shame that the last time you woke feeling that way was on summer break in your college days, but hey - that’s the way it goes, isn’t it?

These days, sleep is little more than something that cuts into your every-day hectic schedule. Sure, you love going to sleep, and you definitely acknowledge that you need to sleep at least a few hours, but the reality is that you simply cannot prioritize it above everything else in your life. I mean, you're already behind on Twitter messages as it is.

Besides, you function extremely well on just 5 or 6 hours thank-you very much. In fact, you’re quite proud of it.

Well sorry to burst your bubble, but what if I were to tell you that lack of sleep is one of the Western world’s foremost reasons for increased obesity, heart disease, and diabetes? That it’s physiologically impossible for you to ‘get away with’ a lack of sleep? The truth is that what you in fact have is a very massive and very demanding sleep debt. And the interest is mounting.

It’s funny how you can start to make just a little more time for something when you truly believe and understand how important it is. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the foremost reasons for a good night’s sleep. Read these and you’ll soon realize that not only can sleep transform your weight and your health, it just might save your life.

1. Studies have shown that staying up all night long (being awake for 17 or more hours) can leave you with a reaction response comparable to that of an intoxicated person with a blood alcohol reading of greater than 0.5. This makes you a definite danger to yourself and to others. Of course this lack of physical and mental control does not simply ‘happen’ at minus 8 hours. For every hour you stay awake you decrease your ability to focus and perform throughout the coming days.
   
   
2. Insufficient sleep results in an incomplete hormonal cycle. This means your body cannot produce daytime hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline when it needs them first thing. As a result, you depend on stimulants to keep you going, and set yourself up for another poor night’s sleep. You can’t escape the always tired but always wired cycle you’ve set up for yourself.


3. A classic symptom of this ‘tired but wired’ cycle is not feeling hungry in the morning, or feeling nauseous when you do eat breakfast. Never imagine that this is a convenient way to save on time and calories – the food that you eat first thing stimulates your metabolism and aids in detoxification. Without a good breakfast to line your belly you set yourself up for low energy and poor eating patterns the rest of the day.


4. A poor sleep cycle causes your body to create patterns that will enable you to handle the ongoing sleep of your go-go-go lifestyle. One of these patterns is an excessive release of stress hormones such as cortisol – particularly in the evening. Stress hormones allow you to keep going, but they’re also the ones that keep you up at night, and what’s more - they signal your body to store fat. And that’s regardless of how you’re eating or exercising.


5. Physical patterns such as the release of stress hormones are just one part of the equation. The other thing you need to consider is the compensation patterns that you yourself end up creating. An extra coffee here, a few pieces of candy there, the decision to have that mid-afternoon muffin. When you’re tired your defenses are down and it’s easy to think that these little things don’t count. But they could be the one thing stopping you from losing weight and improving your health.


6. Speaking of sugar, those mid-afternoon cravings are not just in your head. When you don’t have enough sleep your brain continually sends out urgent messages for quick energy. This is a survival instinct – it’s all about keeping you as alert and focused as possible. Will power alone can’t override these cravings - not when you’re fighting your own physiology. This just makes it harder to stick to your healthy eating goals, and the sugar slump doesn’t do you any favors either. The really scary part is that these daily indulgences can mean the hormone named insulin is constantly elevated and you’re setting yourself up for possible diabetes.


7. In fact, it’s not just the mid-afternoon cravings that’ll get you when you’re tired. The truth is that you’ll find yourself eating far more on a daily basis, and that you’ll tend to do it all day long. Breakfast aside, no doubt. You’ll also tend to make poorer choices – more processed foods, more sugary sodas, more starchy carbohydrates or fried foods. And it’s pretty tough to escape this cycle when your eyes are stinging and your motivation is at an all-time low. Leading sleep researchers T.S. Wiley and Bent Formby, Ph.D, in their book ‘Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, And Survival’ show a close connection between a lack of sleep and the increasing existence of obesity in our society.
   


8. One of the most unfair symptoms of sleep debt is that inability to wind down come evening time. Of course it shouldn’t really be much of a surprise – not when you’ve spent the better part of the day jacked up on caffeine and sugar. And even if you haven’t, your nervous system is in overdrive which keeps you buzzing all night long but leaves you groggy and useless in the morning. There’s only one way out of this mess, and it’s not more coffee.


9. Back ache, neck ache, tummy ache, headache … when you’re tired it sometimes just seems as though everything hurts. According to Paul Chek, H.H.P, as stated in his book “How To Eat, Move And Be Healthy”, physical repair takes place while you’re sleeping, and it happens in the first half of the night – around 10pm-2am. If you skip those vital first few hours and hit the sack post-midnight with the alarm set for 6 or 7am, your body simply cannot rejuvenate your muscle cells, or indeed any of your cells. This leaves you physically weaker and with constant ailments.


10. Of course you could try going to bed on time and getting up super-early if you still can’t afford yourself a full 8 hours, but according to Paul you’d then you’d be skipping out on crucial psychological repair. This takes place approximately between 2am and 6am, and is directly linked to your mental focus, your moods, and your ability to maintain a positive mindset. Imagine the effects of a lack of sleep over time – small wonder so many people find themselves heading down the dark road of depression or anxiety.


11. It’s pretty hard to climb off the wheel of life when you barely have the energy to get through the day. Missing out on sleep could be costing you a lot more than you realize if it means you’re stuck in the rut of your day-to-day life and simply can’t even begin to contemplate what it would take to make some changes. Whether it’s testing the waters for a new career or a promotion, ending or beginning a relationship, or even just trying out that hobby you’ve been shelving for so long, chances are it’s not going to happen when you’re frazzled and burnt out.

Missing even half an hour of sleep every night adds up to an impressive sleep debt of 182.5 hours per year. There’s no short-cut to paying of this debt, nor can you outrun it’s constant and grueling effects on your health. Next time you tell yourself that you can get by, stop and consider just how big your sleep debt is right now. And consider that the nights are dark for a reason, that your body sends you physical and emotional responses to tiredness for a reason. Maybe it’s time to listen to those messages and see just what you’re missing out on.

The good news is that increasing your sleep by as little as half an hour, or even 15 minutes, every night can immediately and drastically improve the way you feel and function. For most of us it’s not possible to drop everything and implement drastic change, but the benefits of sleep don’t have to be a case of ‘all or nothing’. Why not treat yourself to an extra half hour shut eye tonight and start to soak up the health rewards right away?

Written on 7/3/2009 by Kat Eden. Kat is a Personal Trainer from Australia. Visit her blog Body Incredible to be inspired with the latest nutritition tips, weight loss advice, and motivational thinking.

Photo Credit: betsssssy

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Video Time: A Life in Pictures

I saw this Sunday. You get to see it now...

Fort Wayne Site-of-the-Day

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Video Time: The Ghost of MJ?

Hmmmmmm....

Fort Wayne Site-of-the-Day

Today, instead of just a picture and a link, I have a story to tell too.

Typically Sunday morning for me is spent at the Firefly Coffee House on North Anthony. They open at 8, and I'm one of the first ones through the door. Yesterday however, I stayed home until 10 and then made my way to the Firefly.

When I first sat down, I picked up a booklet "Coming into Third Place" that was sitting on the table next to me. As soon as I read the opening line, I was hooked.

Problem was is that there is no author listed. At the back is a website, or blog so I turned on my computer and navigated to the listed site and discovered that the booklet was a print-out of the website.

Still no clue to the author. Perhaps they will reveal themselves to me one day. The writing is quite insightful and I encourage you to take 10 minutes and read the blog. Click here to go there.

Leave a comment if you desire.

How to Be a Selfish Pig-Man

from the DLM Blog:

How to Lose your Girlfriend

Posted: 27 Jun 2009 10:53 AM PDT

Known fact - men and women are pretty different. There are things about women that men have spent years trying to understand and guess what, women don't always get men either. However, no matter how much of a "man's man" you are, there are things you have to notice about the woman you have been dating.

The following is a guide to help you lose your girlfriend. So, if you are happy and want to remain in your relationship, do the opposite of what is listed below.

1. Buy flowers for her twice a year
   If you only buy your girlfriend flowers on her birthday and your anniversary - she won't feel special. You know why? Because doing this will make you predictable and boring. Women love "just because" and unexpected stuff. While it doesn't necessarily have to be a bouquet of roses or anything expensive, the point is that you should occasionally do something a little out of the ordinary (and so should she).
   


2. Send her calls to voicemail
   Even if the Lakers are playing or you are in the middle of a video game, just answer! Women like to call just because - and believe me, she will start to get that pain in her stomach and begin jumping to conclusions if don't answer after multiple calls. By answering, you will give her the chance to understand you are focused on something else and not someone else.


3. Keep saying "yes" to the guys
   When you always say yes to the guys, your girlfriend will begin to feel left out. Remember, women love quality time! If you can find a balance between your guy time and quality time with her, she will be happy and reassured that you are into the relationship.


4. Leave the toilet seat up
   There is nothing like falling in the toilet at 3AM. And after falling in the toilet - I am certain you will hate to hear her mouth until the next business day. There is a simple fix. The simple task of placing the toilet seat down will eliminate an agruement and help convey that you are at least a little considerate.


5. Don't pop the question
   Five years is not only a long time to be in a relationship - it is a long time to be in a relationship without an engagement ring. If you know marriage is not for you, be up front and honest about that while you are dating. Please do not lead a woman on to believe anything differently.

These steps won't solve all the problems or answer all the pending questions men have about women. But a few things are certain, following these quick tips will make you appear more considerate, honest and loving!

Written on 6/27/2009 by Rhonda Kennedy. Rhonda is a screenplay writer that enjoys meeting new people, spending time with family and listening to live music. If you want to get in touch with her, feel free to email her at kennedylife@gmail.com.

Photo Credit: simplified complication

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