Jobless Dont Let Desperation Expose You to ID Theft

Jobless Dont Let Desperation Expose You to ID TheftJobless? Dont Let Desperation Expose You to ID TheftJobless Dont Let Desperation Expose You to ID TheftIf youre among the millions out of work and are responding to several job openings or posting your resume to job boards, beware of identity thieves who are just waiting to add to your misery by committing fraud in your name.Desperate times call for desperate measures. And if youre jobless, you may be so desperate for a new job that you ignore your better judgment and submit an online application that asks for your Social Security number, drivers license number, or other data that can be used to track down even more of your personal information.Heres a word of advice Dont give it out, unless you want to put yourself at risk for identity theft.Identity thieves are taking advantage of these uncertain economic times to scam job seekers and gather personal identifying information, the ohne gewinnerzielungsabsicht Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) announced in a recent statement.How Identity Thieves WorkWhat can identity thieves do with your information? Here are three common schemesCredit cards They use your personal data to open a credit card account, racking up perhaps thousands of dollars in charges, which go unpaid and ruin your credit record.Banking They open a bank account in your name, write counterfeit checks, or clone your debit or ATM cards to make withdrawals from your account.Government fraud Using your drivers license or Social Security number, they register for government benefits, such as a Social Security pension.How to Protect YourselfDont give out your Social Security number. Never put the number on your resume or a job application, either online or on paper. Let prospective employers ask for it after they have interviewed you and are seriously considering you for the job, the ITRC suggests. The ITRC especially warns of scams in which someone notlageifies you that youre a finalist for a job an d needs your Social Security number to do a background check. If you have not had a face-to-face interview with the company, offer to call them back later when you have more time to talk. This will allow you to research the phone number and company to make sure theyre legit.Dont submit personal information such as age, birth date, marital status, and graduation dates. Employers cannot legally ask you for personal data, and including it on your resume can help an identity thief get even more information for fraudulent activities.Dont pre-register for anything on the web using sensitive information. Avoid any web site that requires you to pre-register with your Social Security number, home address, or drivers license number. The ITRC also warns that you should not have to pay to view job listings. Requirements such as these are strong indicators of a scam.Watch your bank and credit card statements. The first line of prevention is to consistently monitor your bank and credit card state ments, and check your credit report regularly. If an identity thief is opening credit accounts in your name, these accounts will likely show up on your credit report. To find out, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggests you order a copy of your credit reports from the three major nationwide consumer reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union). By law, they must provide you with a free copy of your report once a year, at your request.Need to know more about identity theft? Play this online game on the FTC site. The six true-or-false questions provide valuable information on what you should do if you believe youre a victim.Which precaution do you believe is most important for job seekers in preventing identity theft?

Ancient wisdom reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy

Ancient wisdom reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyAncient wisdom reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyAlright, youve probably read a zillion articles about happiness online and youre bedrngnislage a zillion times happier. What gives?Reading aint the same as doing.You wouldnt expect to read some martial arts books and then go kick ass like Bruce Lee, would you? All behavior, all changes, must betrained.The ancientStoicsknew this. They didnt write stuff just to be read. They created rituals - exercises - to be performed to train your mind to respond properly to life so you could live it well.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the species of LivingThats why the philosophers warn us bedrngnis to be satisfied with mere learning, but to add practice and then training. For as time passes we forget what we learned and end up doing the opposite, and hold opinions the opposite of what we should. - Epictetus, Discourses, 2.9.13-14And whats fascinatin g is that modern scientific research agrees with a surprising amount of what ansicht guys were talking about 2000 years ago.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraOkay, kiddo, time to rummage through the Stoic toolbox and dig out some simple rituals you can use tobe much happier.So lets say life decides to suplex you and youre feeling 32 flavorsof badeanstalt. Whats the first thing in the Stoic bag of philosophical tricks to improve how you feel- and help you make better choices in the future?Ask, What would I recommend if this happened to someone else?besucherzahlen is terrible. Your friend is driving. He leans onthe horn, punchesthe steering wheel, and shouts at the other drivers. Youre like,Jeez, calm down. Why you getting so worked up? Chill.The next day traffic is terrible butyouredriving So, of course, you lean onthe horn, punchthe steering wheel, and shout at the other driver s.See the problem here, Sherlock? We all do it. But theres a lesson to be learned that the Stoics knew a few millennia agoWhen something bad happens, ask yourself, What would I recommendif this happened to someone else? And then dothat. Youll probably be more rational. And its harder to ignore the advice - because its your own.FromA Guide to the Good Life The Ancient species of Stoic JoyIn his Handbook, Epictetus advocates this sort of projective visualization. Suppose, he says, that our servant breaks a cup. We are likely to get angry and have our tranquility disrupted by the incident. One way to avert this anger is to think about how we would feel if the incident had happened to someone else instead. If we were at someones house and his servant broke a cup, we would be unlikely to get angry indeed, we might try to calm our host by saying Its just a cup these things happen. Engaging in projective visualization, Epictetus believes, will make us appreciate the relative insignificanc e of the bad things that happen to us and will therefore prevent them from disrupting our tranquility.Slick advice. Does it work? When I spoke with Duke profDan Ariely, author of the bestsellerPredictably Irrational, he said pretty muchthe same thing. He called it taking the outside perspective. Heres DanIf I had to give advice across many aspects of life, I would ask people to take whats called the outside perspective. And the outside perspective is easily thought about What would you do if you made the recommendation for another person? And I find that often when were recommending something to another person, we dont think about our current state and we dont think about our current emotions. We actually think a bit more distant from the decision and often make the better decision because of that.The Golden Rule says do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In honor of the Stoics, Im going to suggest that when something gets you worked up you should follow The Toga Rule a nd Do unto yourself what you would recommend to others.(To learn the 6 rituals that ancient wisdom says will make your life awesome, clickhere.)Alright, youre following The Toga Rule when life goes sideways. But some reactions are hard to squelch. You have bad habits. We all do. So what do the Stoics have on their Batman utility belt to deal with bad habits?Turns out they were way ahead of their time on this oneUse the discipline of assentTheres usually a moment - however brief - when youdecide to give in to an impulse or resist it. You have a choice. But you agree to act out that script youve performed a 1000 times, even though it always has lousyconsequences.The Stoics were big on not getting carried away by thoughts and feelings. The discipline of assent is to feel that impulse, that desire to do something you know you shouldnt, and not give in. But, as you know, that isreally freakin hard.Epictetus thought the key welches that moment when youre deciding. Catch yourself when yo ure about to actand justpostpone. You dont have to grit your teeth andbe a willpower superhero yet. Just pause and think.InDiscourses and Selected WritingsEpictetus saidDont let the force of an impression when it first hits you knock you off your feet just say to it, Hold on a moment let me see who you are and what you represent. Let me put you to the test.And modernresearch into breaking bad habitssays the same thing. First, catch yourself in the act, and thenpostponeThose in the postponement condition actually ate significantly less than those in the self-denial condition The result suggests that telling yourself I can have this later operates in the mind a bit like having it now. It satisfies the craving to some degree - and can be even more effective at suppressing the appetite than actually eating the treat It takes willpower to turn down dessert, but apparently its less stressful on the mind to say Later rather than Never. In the long run, you end up wanting less and also c onsuming less.Great, you resisted. But its gonna happen again So how do youbreakbad habits? You dont.Youreplacethem.InDiscourses and Selected WritingsEpictetus saidWhat aid can we find to combat habit? The opposed habit So if you like doing something, do it regularly if you dont like doing something, make a habit of doing something different.And recent science says the exact same thing. Dont try to eliminate replace.FromThe Power of Habit Why We Do What We Do in Life and BusinessWe know that a habit cannot be eradicated - it must, instead, be replaced. And we know that habits are most malleable when the Golden Rule of habit change is applied If we keep the same cue and the same reward, a new routine can be inserted.(To learn the science of breaking all your bad habits for good, clickhere.)Alright,clearing out the bad is good. But just taking out the negative doesnt necessarily increase the positive. Because youwant. Youwantandneedandcrave. Enough isnever really enough because we all eventually take things for granted and then find new, even shinier things to needHow can you stop running on this treadmill of desire and finally justbe happy with what you have? Stoics to the rescueMake it a treatThe Stoics understood just howmiserable runaway desire can make you. In his bookEnchiridion, Epictetus wroteHe is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.And, frankly, the Stoic response to this was prettyextreme. To make themselves appreciate the things they had, these guys would deliberately contemplate losing everything they loved. Theyd think about death. A lot. Theyd deprive themselves of every pleasure to force themselves tostop taking things for granted.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingHeres a lesson to test your minds mettle take part of a week in which you have only the most meager and cheap food, dress in shabby clothes, and ask yourself if this is rea lly the worst that you feared. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 18.5-6And research shows doing thatreallyworks. But it aint any kind of fun. Luckily, there is a less painful way to get similar resultsWhats something you used to relish that you now take for granted?Did that first morning cup of coffee used to be a wonderful moment - and now its just something you hastily gulp down? Well, skip it for three days.This isnt merely something old dead guys recommend. When I spoke to Harvard professorMike Nortonhe said this is how youcan regain an appreciation for the things that youve taken for granted. Make them a treat. Heres MikeIf you love, every day, having the same coffee, dont have it for a few days and then when you have it again, its going to be way more amazing than all of the ones that you would have had in the meantime Its not give it up forever. Its give it up for short periods of time, and I promise you youre going to love it even more when you come back to it.And then, once the t hree days are over, oh man, SAVOR that coffee - or whatever it is that youve denied yourself. Yes, the Stoicswantyou to deeply enjoy it. They werent a bunch of joyless bores and they werent like Spock from Star Trek. They didnt believe in being unemotional they just foughtnegative emotions.The Stoics believed in living in the present moment so you could enjoy life more.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingIts ruinous for the soul to be anxious about the future and miserable in advance of misery, engulfed by anxiety that the things it desires might remain its own until the very end. For such a soul will never be at rest - by longing for things to come it will lose the ability to enjoy present things. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 98.5b-6aAnd, yes,sciencebacks up Stoic savoring. When youre focused on the present and turn your attention to the pleasurable experience in front of you, youre happier.ViaHappiness Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychol ogical WealthThe key component to effective savoring is focused attention. By taking the time and spending the effort to appreciate the positive, people are able to experience more well-being.Deprive yourself a bit - then savor the hell out it. This is how you can stop wanting and start enjoying what you have.(To learn the 4 Stoic secrets to becoming mentally strong, clickhere.)Now its time for the big one how can you make sure your life keeps getting better? Or, put another way how can you make sure youre getting better at life? Not making the same mistakes, always learning and improving so that every day is better than the one before? Toga-truth to the rescueDo an evening reviewAnnual reviews at work dont do much for happiness. But the Stoics were big fans of reviewing your day so that you can improve your life.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingI will keep constant watch over myself and - most usefully - will put each day up for r eview. For this is what makes us evil - that none of us looks back upon our own lives. We reflect upon only that which we are about to do. And yet our plans for the future descend from the past. Seneca, Moral Letters, 83.2But does reflecting on your actionsreallymake a difference?Yup. When bestselling authorDavid Epsteinlooked at what makes great athletes great he found that the magic word was reflection.They think about what theyve done and ask themselves if its working.HeresDavidWhen they do something, whether its good or bad, they take time for reflection. They asked themselvesWas it difficult enough? Was it too easy? Did it make me better? Did it not? It sounds simple and sounds facile, but I think we dont do it.Anevening ritualwhere you reflect on what you did that day is critical. Seneca, one of the heavy hitters of Stoicism saidthisWhen the light has been removed and my wife has fallen silent, aware of this habit thats now mine, I examine my entire day and go back over what Ive done and said, hiding nothing from myself, passing nothing by. For why should I fear any consequence from my mistakes, when Im able to say, See that you dont do it again, but now I forgive you.Ask yourself what you did wrong today. Ask yourself what you should have done that you didnt do. Now you know how you can improve tomorrow. But dont beat yourself up. Be like Seneca and forgive yourself. Have someself-compassion.Did you procrastinate today?Research shows that itsforgiving yourself- not beating yourself up - that preventsyou from continuing to put things off.And dont just be critical of yourself. Think about what you did well so you can repeat it tomorrow. Be grateful for the good that happened today. Yes, Stoicism gives the thumbs up to gratitude. Marcus Aurelius believed in counting your blessings.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingDont set your mind on things you dont possess as if they were yours, but count the blessings you actually possess and think how much you would desire them if they werent already yours. Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 7.27Andwriting those blessings downbefore you go to bed is one of the most scientifically proven methods for boosting happiness.(To learn more happiness tips from ancient philosophy, clickhere.)Okay, youve earned your toga. Time to round up everythingyou now have in your Stoic bag o tricks and learn the ancient technique for getting along with other people so wecan allbe happySum upHeres what Stoicism says will make you happierAsk, What would I recommendif this happened to someone else?Take my advice by taking your own advice.Use the discipline of assentDont resist postpone. Then evaluate. And break bad habits by replacing them.Make it a treatDeprive and then savor.When you cant find a bathroom and then you finally do,thats happiness.Do an evening reviewReflect. Forgive. Count your blessings. Show gratitude. (Yes, you can even begrateful for bloggers who read l ots of books so you dont have to.)If you want to be happy, relationships are key. But all too often we focus on whatothersshould be doing forus. Thats a prescription for frustration.One of the most fundamental principles in Stoicism is that you need to focus on what you can control. And you cant control other people. (Okay, maybe you can but those methods result in significant jail time.)The Stoics knew that youcancontrol whatyoudo. And very often, that will affect how others treat you.Senecaput it very simplyIf you would be loved, love.Yes,sciencebacks that up.But reading aint the same as doingSoshowsomeone you love them today. Its the Stoic thing to do.Join over 320,000 readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.This column first appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that w ill double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong peopleAncient wisdom reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyAlright, youve probably read a zillion articles about happiness online and youre not a zillion times happier. What gives?Reading aint the same as doing.You wouldnt expect to read some martial arts books and then go kick ass like Bruce Lee, would you? All behavior, all changes, must betrained.The ancientStoicsknew this. They didnt write stuff just to be read. They created rituals - exercises - to be performed to train your mind to respond properly to life so you could live it well.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingThats why the philosophers warn us not to be satisfied with mere learning, but to add practice and then training. For as time passes we forget what we learned and end up doing the opposite, and hold opinions the opposite of what we should. - Epictetus, Discourses, 2.9.13-14And whats fascinating is that modern scientific research agrees with a surprising amount of what these guys were talking about 2000 years ago.Okay, kiddo, time to rummage through the Stoic toolbox and dig out some simple rituals you can use tobe much happier.So lets say life decides to suplex you and youre feeling 32 flavorsof bad. Whats the first thing in the Stoic bag of philosophical tricks to improve how you feel- and help you make better choices in the future?Ask, What would I recommend if this happened to someone else?Traffic is terrible. Your friend is driving. He leans onthe horn, punchesthe steering wheel, and shouts at the other drivers. Youre like,Jeez, calm down. Why you getting so worked up? Chill.The next day traffic is terrible butyouredriving So, of course, you lean onthe horn, punchthe steering wheel, and shout at the other drivers.See the problem here, Sherlock? We all do it. But theres a lesson to be learned that the Stoics kn ew a few millennia agoWhen something bad happens, ask yourself, What would I recommendif this happened to someone else? And then dothat. Youll probably be more rational. And its harder to ignore the advice - because its your own.FromA Guide to the Good Life The Ancient Art of Stoic JoyIn his Handbook, Epictetus advocates this sort of projective visualization. Suppose, he says, that our servant breaks a cup. We are likely to get angry and have our tranquility disrupted by the incident. One way to avert this anger is to think about how we would feel if the incident had happened to someone else instead. If we were at someones house and his servant broke a cup, we would be unlikely to get angry indeed, we might try to calm our host by saying Its just a cup these things happen. Engaging in projective visualization, Epictetus believes, will make us appreciate the relative insignificance of the bad things that happen to us and will therefore prevent them from disrupting our tranquility.Sl ick advice. Does it work? When I spoke with Duke professorDan Ariely, author of the bestsellerPredictably Irrational, he said pretty muchthe same thing. He called it taking the outside perspective. Heres DanIf I had to give advice across many aspects of life, I would ask people to take whats called the outside perspective. And the outside perspective is easily thought about What would you do if you made the recommendation for another person? And I find that often when were recommending something to another person, we dont think about our current state and we dont think about our current emotions. We actually think a bit more distant from the decision and often make the better decision because of that.The Golden Rule says do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In honor of the Stoics, Im going to suggest that when something gets you worked up you should follow The Toga Rule and Do unto yourself what you would recommend to others.(To learn the 6 rituals that ancient wisdom says will make your life awesome, clickhere.)Alright, youre following The Toga Rule when life goes sideways. But some reactions are hard to squelch. You have bad habits. We all do. So what do the Stoics have on their Batman utility belt to deal with bad habits?Turns out they were way ahead of their time on this oneUse the discipline of assentTheres usually a moment - however brief - when youdecide to give in to an impulse or resist it. You have a choice. But you agree to act out that script youve performed a 1000 times, even though it always has lousyconsequences.The Stoics were big on not getting carried away by thoughts and feelings. The discipline of assent is to feel that impulse, that desire to do something you know you shouldnt, and not give in. But, as you know, that isreally freakin hard.Epictetus thought the key was that moment when youre deciding. Catch yourself when youre about to actand justpostpone. You dont have to grit your teeth andbe a willpower superhero yet. Jus t pause and think.InDiscourses and Selected WritingsEpictetus saidDont let the force of an impression when it first hits you knock you off your feet just say to it, Hold on a moment let me see who you are and what you represent. Let me put you to the test.And modernresearch into breaking bad habitssays the same thing. First, catch yourself in the act, and thenpostponeThose in the postponement condition actually ate significantly less than those in the self-denial condition The result suggests that telling yourself I can have this later operates in the mind a bit like having it now. It satisfies the craving to some degree - and can be even more effective at suppressing the appetite than actually eating the treat It takes willpower to turn down dessert, but apparently its less stressful on the mind to say Later rather than Never. In the long run, you end up wanting less and also consuming less.Great, you resisted. But its gonna happen again So how do youbreakbad habits? You dont.Y oureplacethem.InDiscourses and Selected WritingsEpictetus saidWhat aid can we find to combat habit? The opposed habit So if you like doing something, do it regularly if you dont like doing something, make a habit of doing something different.And recent science says the exact same thing. Dont try to eliminate replace.FromThe Power of Habit Why We Do What We Do in Life and BusinessWe know that a habit cannot be eradicated - it must, instead, be replaced. And we know that habits are most malleable when the Golden Rule of habit change is applied If we keep the same cue and the same reward, a new routine can be inserted.(To learn the science of breaking all your bad habits for good, clickhere.)Alright,clearing out the bad is good. But just taking out the negative doesnt necessarily increase the positive. Because youwant. Youwantandneedandcrave. Enough isnever really enough because we all eventually take things for granted and then find new, even shinier things to needHow can you stop r unning on this treadmill of desire and finally justbe happy with what you have? Stoics to the rescueMake it a treatThe Stoics understood just howmiserable runaway desire can make you. In his bookEnchiridion, Epictetus wroteHe is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.And, frankly, the Stoic response to this was prettyextreme. To make themselves appreciate the things they had, these guys would deliberately contemplate losing everything they loved. Theyd think about death. A lot. Theyd deprive themselves of every pleasure to force themselves tostop taking things for granted.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingHeres a lesson to test your minds mettle take part of a week in which you have only the most meager and cheap food, dress in shabby clothes, and ask yourself if this is really the worst that you feared. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 18.5-6And research shows doing thatreallyworks . But it aint any kind of fun. Luckily, there is a less painful way to get similar resultsWhats something you used to relish that you now take for granted?Did that first morning cup of coffee used to be a wonderful moment - and now its just something you hastily gulp down? Well, skip it for three days.This isnt merely something old dead guys recommend. When I spoke to Harvard professorMike Nortonhe said this is how youcan regain an appreciation for the things that youve taken for granted. Make them a treat. Heres MikeIf you love, every day, having the same coffee, dont have it for a few days and then when you have it again, its going to be way more amazing than all of the ones that you would have had in the meantime Its not give it up forever. Its give it up for short periods of time, and I promise you youre going to love it even more when you come back to it.And then, once the three days are over, oh man, SAVOR that coffee - or whatever it is that youve denied yourself. Yes, the Stoicswantyou to deeply enjoy it. They werent a bunch of joyless bores and they werent like Spock from Star Trek. They didnt believe in being unemotional they just foughtnegative emotions.The Stoics believed in living in the present moment so you could enjoy life more.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingIts ruinous for the soul to be anxious about the future and miserable in advance of misery, engulfed by anxiety that the things it desires might remain its own until the very end. For such a soul will never be at rest - by longing for things to come it will lose the ability to enjoy present things. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 98.5b-6aAnd, yes,sciencebacks up Stoic savoring. When youre focused on the present and turn your attention to the pleasurable experience in front of you, youre happier.ViaHappiness Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological WealthThe key component to effective savoring is focused attention. By taking the time and spend ing the effort to appreciate the positive, people are able to experience more well-being.Deprive yourself a bit - then savor the hell out it. This is how you can stop wanting and start enjoying what you have.(To learn the 4 Stoic secrets to becoming mentally strong, clickhere.)Now its time for the big one how can you make sure your life keeps getting better? Or, put another way how can you make sure youre getting better at life? Not making the same mistakes, always learning and improving so that every day is better than the one before? Toga-truth to the rescueDo an evening reviewAnnual reviews at work dont do much for happiness. But the Stoics were big fans of reviewing your day so that you can improve your life.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingI will keep constant watch over myself and - most usefully - will put each day up for review. For this is what makes us evil - that none of us looks back upon our own lives. We reflect upon only that which we are about to do. And yet our plans for the future descend from the past. Seneca, Moral Letters, 83.2But does reflecting on your actionsreallymake a difference?Yup. When bestselling authorDavid Epsteinlooked at what makes great athletes great he found that the magic word was reflection.They think about what theyve done and ask themselves if its working.HeresDavidWhen they do something, whether its good or bad, they take time for reflection. They asked themselvesWas it difficult enough? Was it too easy? Did it make me better? Did it not? It sounds simple and sounds facile, but I think we dont do it.Anevening ritualwhere you reflect on what you did that day is critical. Seneca, one of the heavy hitters of Stoicism saidthisWhen the light has been removed and my wife has fallen silent, aware of this habit thats now mine, I examine my entire day and go back over what Ive done and said, hiding nothing from myself, passing nothing by. For why should I fear any consequen ce from my mistakes, when Im able to say, See that you dont do it again, but now I forgive you.Ask yourself what you did wrong today. Ask yourself what you should have done that you didnt do. Now you know how you can improve tomorrow. But dont beat yourself up. Be like Seneca and forgive yourself. Have someself-compassion.Did you procrastinate today?Research shows that itsforgiving yourself- not beating yourself up - that preventsyou from continuing to put things off.And dont just be critical of yourself. Think about what you did well so you can repeat it tomorrow. Be grateful for the good that happened today. Yes, Stoicism gives the thumbs up to gratitude. Marcus Aurelius believed in counting your blessings.FromThe Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingDont set your mind on things you dont possess as if they were yours, but count the blessings you actually possess and think how much you would desire them if they werent already yours. Marcus Au relius, Meditations, 7.27Andwriting those blessings downbefore you go to bed is one of the most scientifically proven methods for boosting happiness.(To learn more happiness tips from ancient philosophy, clickhere.)Okay, youve earned your toga. Time to round up everythingyou now have in your Stoic bag o tricks and learn the ancient technique for getting along with other people so wecan allbe happySum upHeres what Stoicism says will make you happierAsk, What would I recommendif this happened to someone else?Take my advice by taking your own advice.Use the discipline of assentDont resist postpone. Then evaluate. And break bad habits by replacing them.Make it a treatDeprive and then savor.When you cant find a bathroom and then you finally do,thatshappiness.Do an evening reviewReflect. Forgive. Count your blessings. Show gratitude. (Yes, you can even begrateful for bloggers who read lots of books so you dont have to.)If you want to be happy, relationships are key. But all too often we f ocus on whatothersshould be doing forus. Thats a prescription for frustration.One of the most fundamental principles in Stoicism is that you need to focus on what you can control. And you cant control other people. (Okay, maybe you can but those methods result in significant jail time.)The Stoics knew that youcancontrol whatyoudo. And very often, that will affect how others treat you.Senecaput it very simplyIf you would be loved, love.Yes,sciencebacks that up.But reading aint the same as doingSoshowsomeone you love them today. Its the Stoic thing to do.Join over 320,000 readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Related postsNew Neuroscience Reveals 4 Rituals That Will Make You HappyNew Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More SuccessfulHow To Get People To Like You 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior ExpertThis column first appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

Make Your Job Posting Accessible to Screen Reader Software

Make Your Job Posting Accessible to Screen Reader SoftwareMake Your Job Posting Accessible to Screen Reader SoftwareMake Your Job Posting Accessible to Screen Reader SoftwareThe following tips will help make your job posting accessible to visually impaired people who use screen readers1. Provide text alternatives for images.2. Provide captions and/or transcripts for multimedia.3. Be sure that information expressed in color is also stated clearly in text.ExampleA green button contains the text Apply Now. The text alternative for this image should avoid any reference tocolor. ExampleActivatethisbutton to apply for the job.4. If your job posting contains an image map (a graphic image that contains different clickable areas that link to different destinations), you should provide alternative text for the image and each clickable area.5. Some users may be susceptible to seizures caused by strobing or flashing effects.Do not use designs that include flashing lights, bold, regular patterns, or regular moving patterns.We require that employers include complete job descriptions in textand not rely solely or primarily on graphics or tables.If included, graphics and tables should include proper mark up or alt tags to ensure that job descriptions will be accessible to blind persons.Accessibility StatementAt Monster, were committed to making our website accessible to everyone. We regularly test our site to identify usability issues and improve accessibility. Current accessibility features includeAlternative text for appropriate images and other non-text elementsTitle attributes for information about links and browser windowsHigh-level contrast text for better visibilityProviding device independent accessibility with mouse as well as keyboardStructural markup to indicate headings, labels and lists to aid in page comprehensionAssociation of all data cells in a data table with headersAll web pages appear and can operate in simple wayProviding help-text/tips to correct keying m istakesJavaScript and style sheets to enhance the appearance and functionality of the siteSupportive ARIA for better coverage of screen readingWe are continuously improving our website and working to make it more accessible. If you have any suggestions or questions regarding the accessibility of this site, please contact us.

How to Get Story Ideas for Fiction Writing

How to Get Story Ideas for Fiction WritingHow to Get Story Ideas for Fiction WritingBy far the most common question asked of professional writers is where they get their ideas. We all like to think that brilliant, fully-gestalted story ideas just pop into the heads of our favorite authors. We imagine that if we could somehow learn their secret technique then we too could crank out bestsellers as effortlessly as they binnenseem to. The truth is that you have more great ideas than you could ever write. Really, you do The problem isnt a lack of great ideas its that you havent been taught how to free these ideas from your brain. Where to Start Every how-to book on writing will tell you that you need to start with a solid premise or story idea. What they rarely tell you is where this idea comes from in the first place. This is the cause of great frustration and confusion in beginning writers and has helped create the myth that you either have great story ideas or you dont. The core of this confusion is the mistaken belief that the creation of a solid story idea is an event rather than a process. Beginning writers believe that creating a work of fiction starts with a single event a sudden burst of inspiration that pops a fully-formed story idea into their minds. This single event then leads to the process of expanding that idea into a finished work. The truth is that coming up with a full, rich story idea is itself a process. Knowing this is the key to generating more ideas than you could ever use. The Secret to Endless Ideas The secret to generating ideas is the saatkorn secret that solves every writing problem writing itself. The old adage that writers write is true in many ways, and none more so than in idea generation. Sitting in front of a blank page and waiting for inspiration to strike is not a recipe for success as a professional writer. Great ideas come from the act of writing. But if you dont yet have that great story idea, what do you write about? The truth is once you free yourself from the concept of story ideation as an event, and start to think of it as a process youll be amazed at how much there is to write about. You actually need very little inspiration to start writing. You can and should start with almost anything that you find interesting. Maybe its a location that fascinates you, a character sketch, a clever line of dialogue, or even a great title. As a writer, you will start to collect these story nuggets as you go through your daily life. Youll begin to notice when something you see or hear gives you that little tingle in the back of your brain that says theres something there worth exploring. Pay attention to this and jot it down in your notebook you do have a notebook, right? When you later sit down to write, start with these nuggets. Just pick one and begin writing about it what it makes you think of, how it makes you feel, what questions it raises. And write fast. One of the keys to idea generation (and wr iting in general) is to write as quickly as you can. You dont want to analyze anything yet. You want a volume of words on the page. If you find yourself writing about something completely different from the nugget you started with, just go with it. The idea is not to stress about structure, not to analyze where the story is going, not even to think about it as a story yet. You want volume, varied thoughts, and a wealth of possibilities. Dont make any decisions just stay open and receptive to whatever comes. You will be amazed at whats in your brain just waiting to spill out onto the page. How It Works This process of starting with story nuggets and expanding them is the core of story idea generation. As you explore your story nuggets, start to ask questions and follow your answers wherever they lead. Do not try to force your thoughts into a story yet. Keep things loose and continue asking and answering questions. Feel free to backtrack and choose different answers. And remember to write a lot. Volume is your friend. Ask a question, answer it, repeat. Keep at it for a few sessions and you will be amazed at the material youll generate. From these explorations a story idea will effortlessly begin to form it always does. Your brain loves to put things in order, to relate one thing to another, and to do so in interesting and surprising ways. Your mind will simply not allow you to continue to think about this much story data without ordering it into something understandable. Its like magic when it happens, and it happens every single time. By feeding your brain a fertile mountain of images, characters, and possibilities it goes to work trying to make sense of it all. This process is the truth of where great story ideas come from. A Bottomless Well of Ideas You will probably find yourself coming up with multiple story ideas based on the same initial nugget. Great Choose one idea to work on and work on it until its done. File the others for later use. When the pros say they have more ideas than they could ever work on in a lifetime they arent showing off (well, maybe a little), its simply that the process of working on one idea always creates new ideas. Thats the secret to a lifetime of story ideas. Collect story nuggets from your daily life, expand them into fertile story worldsand then condense those worlds down to beautiful, rich story ideas worth writing about.

Find Out Who is Talking About Concierge Resume and Why You Need to Be Worried

Find Out Who is Talking About Concierge Resume and Why You Need to Be Worried All About Concierge Resume The work description for any specific position will provide you with a clue as to whats important to the employer. The very first big section of yur resume is known as the Career Objective. Each part has to be concise and accurate which usually means you need to spare enough time to compose your resume. How to compose a resume summary. Furthermore, you can learn more on the topic of administrative careers on Monster. Recruiters receive so many resumes to scan through at a moment, so make it as simple as possible for them to fully grasp why youre excellent for the job. Naturally, each job will call for unique abilities and experiences, so make certain you read the job description with care and concentrate on the skills listed by the employer. So maintain all skilled etiquettes when youre doing your job. You may have discovered lots of important tenets in the expert porte r cover letter sample above. Writing an excellent cover might look as a challenge, and it is for most people, but theres help readily available in the shape of our professional porter cover letter sample. When it has to do with the design of your resume, the main consideration ought to be that it organizes the information tidily and that its simple to skim read. You are going to see that there are 3 types of format used generally employed for resumes. The Debate Over Concierge Resume Our resume builder is the quickest approach to create a resume that will allow you to get your fantasy job. Candidates that have a hospitality background can do the job as successful residential concierges because they have the essential experience. Resume headlines are perfect for candidates with a lot of experience. Utilize your resume to highlight how it is possible to help bring a personal touch to the specific hotel or resort youre applying to. If youre a person who has a heart to serve pe ople and you are able to develop a fantastic relationship with distinctive individuals for the benefit of oneself and enterprises, being a concierge is pretty much the very best job for you. Being a real concierge you ought to be proficient in both. You is going to be the very first to fulfill our customers so the very first impression of our hotel is dependent on your friendliness and efficiency. Its possible to look at the hospitality concierge resume sample to receive a better idea of what hiring managers start looking for. Education Recruiters will usually start looking for a degree regarding the hospitality industry for a concierge. In the hospitality concierge resume sample, you may see the value of including the very best traits employers search for in candidates. A hotel concierge cover letter sample is provided here in order to demonstrate how a job applicant may apply for one of many chances in the hotel and hospitality market. As an example, some dienstgrad members hip fees based on the number of requests are typically made per month. The fliers route is among the least costly, based on how much you spend for the printing. For instance, if a guest isnt receiving her luggage punctually from the bell captain or isnt able to attain the spa for an appointment, she could ask the concierge to work on this. To learn more on what it requires to be a Hotel Concierge, have a look at our complete Hotel Concierge Job Description. Since hotel concierges are the initial people guests meet, they should possess in-depth understanding of the expert services of the hotel, which might include details about in-house shows, spa services availability, and transportation. What You Need to Know About Concierge Resume A large facet of communication is the capability to listen and evaluate. Reiterating your own qualities is among the easiest methods to leverage the last part of the interview approach. Phrases like hard worker and decent communication skills are typical on resumes, and dont offer much info on what makes you unique. Along with making your exclusive abilities and advantages known, your closing statement can likewise be a chance to reflect on the interview. You have to know the hottest platforms and tools to keep yourself updated with the changing times. Communication and computer handling skills are also rather important in regards to cashier resume. Specify the tools youre proficient with. In case it mentions specific software expertise which you have, be certain to list it near the surface of your skills section.

What You Should Do to Find Out About Student Resume Builder Before Youre Left Behind

What You Should Do to Find Out About Student Resume Builder Before Youre Left Behind The New Fuss About Student Resume Builder With some vital data in the ideal order, everyone can create one. You might even have a hobby for example, writing a blog thats a review of every book you read or posting beautiful photographs on the internet that could be related to your job application. You dont need to list references on your true student resume, but its vital that you find it possible to provide three or more positive referrals. If theres any employer information to include, its added near the end of the resume. Our resume builder is the quickest approach to create a resume that will allow you to get your fantasy job. It is composed of a couple of sentences close to the top of your resume that describe your preferred job. There isnt any time for procrastination once it comes to getting your perfect job. When it has to do with your work history, begin with the latest job you had . A great skills list is vital on any resume for teens. Our advanced technology can help you build your resume from one of our exquisite templates so you truly feel confident youre putting your very best foot forward as you step in the work industry. Guarantee that the skills are related to the job which you desire. Consider the following suggestions to present your self-promotional tools an additional kick to assist you land that job. It is possible to add all of your academic qualifications within this Word format template. The mixture of our templates and your input is likely to make your resume fly to the peak of any pile. Instead, the functional format may be the best choice. Resume examples and templates are really helpful, especially when youre writing one of your very first resumes. It provides you an opportunity to describe yourself and your goals in your words. No fear, everyone with a work today is where youre at this time Its time to work out what others have done. Though you might not have a work history or lengthy collection of impressive degrees, you can surely find something to include. There are sure qualities found in each high quality resume prepared by means of a sonographer. These resumes have been specially created for students that are still in high school or those that are going to graduate. Its noteworthy that the student-level resume within this context is designed for students with no formal work experience. Irrespective of your field, a bodily or internet portfolio can display your talent and highlight your key accomplishments. The experience section should consist of meaningful experiences with a brief explanation of your abilities and accomplishments that are related to the job. After you get a new experience, add it. Be specific regarding the challenges, knowledge, and opportunities you aspire to binnensee in the position. With just a little creativity and some thought about your top abilities, youll find a f antastic position and commence your work history. To save a good deal of heartache down the road, be certain that you use our resume builder to create a document that could be easily transferred to several job applications. Should you need additional help creating, editing, or writing the remainder of your resume, you can see LiveCareer for more suggestions. The first point to understand is that there are various types of resume formats, and each one accommodates the work searchers circumstances. In case the student doesnt locate a suitable resume template, resume builders are another choice for assisting the user to come up with the resume live. Writing a resume can be an intimidating task. Create a master resume that will do the job for a selection of positions. Utilizing a student resume template can help save you time and effort along with offer you ideas on which sections to include and the way to complete them so as to pull in the appropriate employers. Our massive var iety of downloadable resume templates is wholly free for all to use and an excellent resource to kick off the writing process. If youre planning a career in company or intend to visit graduate school, you need to stay with majors like Business Administration, Leadership or International Business. Reasons could be you have prior expertise in the business, youve completed the job before in a different setting, or you fully grasp the significance of schlussverkauf to the businesss goal of greater growth. Writing a perfect-as-possible resume is essential in the modern job industry. You have the chance to get involved with the Student Government Association. It is appropriate for newly registered sonographers that are changing Allied Health career paths and have an obvious employment and educational record or skilled sonographers that have a good work history with over 1 employer over a time period. Its not harmful to describe all unpaid jobs like they were salaried. Showing initi ative appears good to your employer, along with on your resume. Have a look at the following links to get started browsing for exciting job positions in your region.

Interview Red Flags You Need To Know About

Interview Red Flags You Need To Know AboutThere are many factors that can account for a candidates poor performance during an interview. Nerves certainly contribute, causing even the most put-together professional to blurt out something theyll later regret. However, theres a difference between a slightly embarrassing verbal misstep and a warning sign that should put you on high alert as you consider whether to bring this individual in for additional discussions. Here are some interview red flags to bear in mind as you move through the hiring processBlaming colleagues for issues at work.If you begin to discuss past professional struggles and find that the individual routinely pinpoints other people as the root of these issues, you should be on high alert. While it can be tough to admit youve made a mistake, be wary of someone who always blames others for issues. Should they receive an offer from your company, its likely this blame game issue will carry over to their new role.Excessive bragging.While everyone wants to put their best foot forward during a job interview, the ideal candidate will do so with humility. If the person carries on and on about their many wonderful accomplishments, you have to wonder how theyll behave should they abflug working in your office. This kind of ego can be very alienating, and can cause tension among your team. Instead, look for someone who can speak to their accomplishments in a humble way.Lack of real examples.Its one thing to drone on about how much you helped your companys sales record or how much new business you brought in, but the right candidate needs the numbers to back up what theyre saying.They brought on new business terrific. Exactly how many new accounts did they land? What percentage of their budget did they hit last year? If theyre unable to provide real data during your discussion, its a red flag.For those in a less data-centric role, actual examples are still a necessity. What kinds of projects did they work o n? Have they won any awards recently? How did they develop an idea and then successfully execute it, while sticking to a timeline and a budget?What a candidate might sound great, but do the numbers back up their achievements? HiringTipsClick To TweetLackluster references.The right candidate will be able to provide strong references who can speak to that individuals past job performance and character. These people shouldnt be family members, friends, or colleagues with whom they didnt closely interact during their time at the company.If the individual is unable to provide real references, its a sign that something is off. Why is their manager unwilling to speak to their performance? Why wont clients give their honest thoughts? This may indicate that the person didnt meet expectations or caused problems within the office.There are a few exceptions though if the individual is a recent college grad or relatively new to the industry, its understandable if they dont have a long list of re ferences to choose from. However, they should still have people who are willing to speak to their character and knowledge. Major employment gaps.If the person was unemployed from 2012 until 2014, they should have a good explanation about what they were doing during that time. Did they go back to school? Were they caring for a sick parent? If they cant offer details, it can be a red flag.Additionally, if they have short stints at companies or seem to bounce around a lot and cant explain exactly why their resume looks this way, proceed with caution. While not everyones resume is a smooth trajectory filled with many years at one place, the individual should at least be willing to talk about whats on the page in front of them.They trash talk their former employer.Weve all had a horrible boss who we couldnt wait to be free from, but trashing a former employer in an interview is a major no-no. There are delicate ways to indicate that you departed due to a negative work environment, but un leashing a string of insults about a manager, a colleague, or the office in general should set off alarms and flashing lights in a hiring managers head. If this person is so quick to disparage others in an interview setting, what might they say about you should they get hired and end up leaving one day?Biggest jobinterview red flag? Bad-mouthing a former employer.Click To TweetA poor presence on social media.Social media can be an important factor in assessing a candidate. If you scope out a kompetenz employees LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, what do you see? While the content doesnt need to be boring or completely professional all the time, it should still be appropriate.If the person is firing off controversial tweets about politics, making offensive comments about race or religion, or posting pictures of them having a little too much fun on the weekends, its time to re-think whether theyd be a good asset to your team. Clearly, their judgment isnt what it should be if t his is how theyre willingly portraying themselves in a public forum. Who knows how they would represent your company should they receive an offer?When you bear these interview red flags in mind, you help to prevent your company from making a regrettable hiring decision. However, as you weigh whether a candidate is worthy of additional interviews, remember that nerves dont necessarily mean the individual is unqualified. Theres a major difference between nervous tics or blunders and the red flags that can indicate more serious concerns.For more red flags and tips check outSpark Hires new eBook, The Expert Guide To Conducting The fruchtwein Effective Job Interviews.