Convince Your Boss to Let You Work From Home - Excelle

Nealeigh Mitchell | Excelle

Telecommuting has reached such a critical mass that everyone knows at least someone who’s doing it. Downsizing and soaring gas prices have pushed nearly a quarter of Americans into some form of flexible arrangement, according to a Citrix Online survey.

We all know the perks, but wanting to have more time with your family and avoiding traffic aren’t reason enough to persuade a dubious boss. Physical separation tends to blow up every issue, and most managers have a hard time leading without face-to-face contact.

Plus, not all jobs are appropriate for telecommuting. You know better than anybody else if you can do your duties outside the office. So how will you get your boss on board?

Convincing your boss to let your work at home is a negotiation. Put yourself in your manager’s shoes and be prepared to answer the most common objections to successfully make your case.

via excelle.monster.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

"Do Not Covet Your Ideas"

It's easy to understand why you'd want to safeguard every idea you have, but it's probably not the best way to get things done. Motivational author Paul Arden suggests you're a lot better off freeing your ideas, and staying hungry for new ones.

Paul Arden, author of the book It's Not How Good Your Are, It's How Good You Want To Be, suggests giving away your good ideas.

DO NOT COVET YOUR IDEAS.

Give away everything you know, and more will come back to you.

You will remember from school other students preventing you from seeing their answers by placing their arms around their exercise book or exam paper.

It is the same at work, people are secretive with ideas. 'Don't tell them that, they'll take credit for it.'

The problems with hoarding is you end up living off your reserves. Eventually you'll become stale.

If you give away everything you have, you are let with nothing. This forces you to look, to be aware, to replenish.

Somehow the more you give away the more comes back to you.

Ideas are open knowledge. Don't claim ownership.

They're not your ideas anyway, they're someone else's. They are out there floating by on the ether.

You just have to put yourself in a frame of mind to pick them up.

In a time of mass and instantaneous communication it does seem silly to sit on and hoard ideas when they could be out there doing good and being brought to fruition. Sound off in the comments with your thoughts on the quote.

It's Not How Good Your Are, It's How Good You Want To Be [via Tumblr]

Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.

via lifehacker.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

MovieBuddy for the iPad: a new way to look at Netflix

by David Winograd (RSS feed) on May 8th 2010 at 5:00PM

MovieBuddy for Netflix [US $0.99] is a new native iPad app that serves as a graphically beautiful front-end for Netflix subscribers. Billy Crystal, as Fernando on Saturday Night Live, had a catch-phrase that went: "It's better to look good than to feel good," and that's what kept going through my mind as I looked at this

via tuaw.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

Seth's Blog: Mentoring, platforms and taking a leap

How much support does someone need (or get, or deserve, you pick) before they ship their art?

The fearful lizard brain demands reassurance and coaching and even a push before it is quiet enough to permit us to do the difficult work our economy demands, before it will allow us to create art that changes others.

So it's logical to wonder how to build systems that encourage legions of people to find that reassurance, and it's encouraging to imagine that we could build a school or a coaching program or other external forces that would create more artists.

And yet most mentors and coaches and teachers will tell you that few of their students ever do, not in comparison with their potential. A few break through and change everything, and we celebrate them, but what about everyone else?

The artists are different. They took a leap.

They weren't pushed. They jumped.

image by gomattolson

via sethgodin.typepad.com

 

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

Sell Your Used Car for More by Getting It Detailed - Selling - Lifehacker

Dealers take real time to polish up a used car so it looks as showroom-fresh as possible. Take a cue from them and increase your chances of getting the asking price on your used car.

Photo by area57.

MSN Money put together a list of six ways you can get more money for your used car. Key among them is thinking like a dealer—as shower-inducing as that sounds—and getting your car as clean and shiny as possible:

Dealers have a few tricks up their sleeves. They know that even a clunker can look like a cream puff when it's cleaned up.

A detailing that includes vacuuming the interior, cleaning the seats, and washing and waxing the exterior will run about $50. Shining up older tires is cheap — $5 to $10 — and helps increase curb appeal. Dealers also steam clean the engine, polish chrome surfaces and even use Armor All on the plastic tubing, says Phil Reed of Edmunds.com. That can give buyers a sense of confidence in the care of your car when they look under the hood.

Besides the spit and polish, make sure your vehicle is clear of all your stuff. Look in the compact-disc player, seat-back pockets, under seats and in the trunk. Verify that the spare tire is there (if it comes with one) and that all jacks and tools are accounted for.

It seems like having a spotless maintenance record would be more important than a spotless driver seat, but purchasers like to feel like their getting a "new" car, even when they're shopping for a used one. Check out the full article for more tips. What put your own used car over the top for a buyer? Share your trade secret in the comments.

6 Ways to Get Top Dollar for Your Car [MSN Money via Free Money Finance]

Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.

via lifehacker.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

From J. Lory and other Northern California Jobs group members on LinkedIn

Below is a great example of social networking and building your network.

In March of this year, my Linked-In profile was compromised. I am attempting to reestablish connections past and present. I have 10+ years of delivering full-life-cycle recruiting services to web-based and advanced software application technology companies, including all levels of software product development, associated engineering and services, and product marketing and sales. I am extremely well versed in advanced sourcing techniques. Primary areas of work have been specific to ERP practices, E-Business, SAAS platforms, mobile & media, and advanced communications.

I am currently seeking contract recruiting work in the Bay Area/ Silicon Valley region. Please feel free to establish [or reestablish] connections with me. My Linked-In profile can be found at www.linkedin.com/in/jlory1

Thanks in advance. By J. Lory, Sr. Recruiter :: Information Technology

Posted via web from AndyWergedal