3 Ways to Maintain Your Weight While Working Behind a Desk

Original Post from Dumb Little Man - Tips for Life by DLM Writers

If you have ever changed jobs you know the transition can often mean big changes to your daily schedule and habits. Due to the advancement of technology, many people are finding themselves behind a desk rather than out in a field or on the go. While I am thankful for the technological advantage of our current time, I cannot help but notice the alarming rate of obesity.

After college I noticed many of my friends heading out to sedentary jobs, many of which were behind a desk. Over time I noticed almost all of them slowly gaining unwanted weight and I knew exactly why; none of them changed their habits. They were so used to being very active as they spent most of their day walking to and from class, going to the gym and going out at night. Now all they were doing was going to work, sitting on their rump and then going home to sit some more.

I recently relocated and found myself at a desk job similar to all of my friends. However I knew that I didn't want to gain the excess weight as they had. So if you have recently changed jobs or have been at a desk for some time and have put on some weight, here are some tips I utilized to maintain my weight despite my activity levels decreasing drastically.

• Eat Less

  
  I know this sounds easy but consistency is key. If you were like me, running around on campus 5-6 hours per day required a lot of food energy to maintain my weight. As you can imagine my food choices were not the healthiest and I usually went for the most calorie dense bites I could find. When I began my desk job I had to make a conscious effort to eat less at first but in time the habits were ingrained in my psyche and it just felt normal. Here's what I did.
  
  
  • I consumed fiber rich foods – I decided to stick with foods higher in fiber to keep me full. Instead of eating my usual pop tarts and cereal for breakfast I made sure I ate more fruit and veggies. The extra vegetables added a lot of bulk to my diet which allowed me to feel full on a fraction of the calories. Fruit and veggies contain more water than other foods which also helps with satiety. This made adherence easier.
  
  
  • I lowered my meal frequency – I knew that I wouldn't need to be consuming the same amount of calories as I was in college so I dropped my meal frequency down from 5 meals to 3 meals per day. This was an easy way to cut back on the calories.
  
  
  • I ate more lean protein – Protein is the most satiating of the three macro nutrients. It's a good idea to eat lean protein with every meal due to the hunger blunting effects it can have.



• Move More

  
  So how do you move more when you are chained to a desk all day? Here is a concept you must get creative with. Depending on the rules and structure of your workplace, you may not have the freedom to move about as you'd like. Here is what I did to ensure my expenditure increased somewhat.
  
  
  • I walked a lot – I found the bathroom farthest away from you desk. Each time I had to relieve myself I walked clear across the building. During both of my fifteen minute breaks, instead of sitting around in the lounge I would head outside and walk a few laps around the building. This always woke up me up and the fresh air was nice.
  
  
  • I took the stairs – Working in an office on the tenth floor posed a great opportunity. I took the stairs every morning. Sure, it took longer than the elevator but I burned a few extra calories in the process. When it was time to retire for the evening I also took the stairs down.
  
  
  • I asked to have my desk raised – Working while I stood gave me a little more freedom to move around as opposed to keeping my rump parked in the chair for 2-3 hours before going on break.
  
  
  • Add An Extra Day Of Training - If you are participating in a regular workout routine you can always add an extra day to your schedule. By making this change you will increase your expenditure, which will decrease the likelihood of gaining any unwanted body fat.
  
  One way I increased my activity was by going hiking every Sunday afternoon for about an hour. When it was warm enough I would go for a swim in the lake. Just adding a little more exercise can really add up over time.



• Do Not Snack At Your Desk

  
  Mindless eating is the epitome of unwanted weight gain. 99% of those around me that are overweight have some kind of snack at their desk. None of them have apples or bananas to munch on; it's always an energy dense bag of candy or chips. When you eat out of boredom you develop a bad habit of curing your boredom with food. Don't get into this habit by allowing no food at your desk.

Give these tips a shot if you find yourself chained to a desk for any substantial period of time. Unnecessary weight gain does not have to happen.

Written on 7/27/2009 by JC. JC is the author of JCDFitness, A No BS Approach To Looking Great Naked.

Photo Credit: star5112

5 Networking Tips For Shy or Introverted People

Original Post: August 6, 2009 by Rich DeMatteo

Being shy can be a networking asset, you just need to know how to use it.  Remember, the world craves balance.  If networking events were made up of entirely extroverts, they would drive themselves crazy.  Here are COTJ's 5 networking tips for shy or introverted people:

1. Utilize Social Media – Begin networking first on Linkedin, Facebook, Myspace, or any web 2.0 destination that connects you to people with similar interests.  Start building up your contacts/friends list, and build up your relationship with these people.  Once you feel comfortable, invite them to join a networking event with you.  This may help the lessen any intimidation you may feel of going it alone.  

2 . Use being shy to your advantage - People absolutely love carrying on about themselves, so provide an ear for them to let loose on, and you'll make a friend in the process.  Don't be intimidated by louder, extroverted net workers.  They need you, and they know it.  Just be yourself, be polite, listen, and sacrifice your ears over to the extroverts.

3 – Set networking goals -  Make it your mission to talk to X amount of people and/or set a goal on how many events you'll attend each month.  If nothing else, just set your mind on having fun and enjoying each event.  A positive mind set is critical.

4 – Know when to speak up -  Lay low until a question surrounding your area of expertise is brought up.  Once you feel confident, speak loud and clear.  Keep it short and to the point, and you will look like a star.  

5– Smile -  Simple right?  Not only does the upside down frown bring a look of confidence, but you'll instantly become easier to approach as well.  Heck, smiling may even force/trick you into having a good time.  Not smiling can leave a negative impression that you're intimidated, uncomfortable, uninterested (maybe the worst), tired, or just sociably awkward.  I know this is weird, but just in case you honestly don't know how to smile, click HERE TO LEARN.

What it Feels Like to Get Fired

Original Post: What it Feels Like to Get Fired:

"Today I got fired from my summer internship. Okay, so that’s a lie. I wasn’t fired. It was the last day of my internship, and I wasn’t offered a full-time job after graduation—which feels like getting fired when it was “my offer to lose.” I think I said that I was fired so I could feel like Heather Armstrong, a now-famous blogger who got fired for blogging about work. Alas, I didn’t get fired for writing about work—although that is definitely not okay—at least not while you are still working there. I got fired for a lot of other things—like being late to meetings a lot, not listening well, and being “too aggressive.”

When responding to the feedback I received, my voice shook like I would cry, but I didn’t, and I’m proud of that. Still haven’t cried. Don’t plan on it.

I’ve never been fired actually. I’ve come quite close several times. When I worked at the movie theater and grocery store in high school, my till would come up missing hundreds of dollars sometimes. My bosses repeatedly asserted that they would have fired anyone else, but they were all sure that sweet, zany Kaneisha had not stolen money from the register only to then diligently show up to work four times a week after school. I surely hadn’t stolen the money. I can just be very absent-minded at times. My customers were probably yelling, “Look!” and then pulling money out of the register when I turned my head to see what was so exciting. The managers at the movie theater and grocery store hired me, but in the end, it wasn’t a good fit.

And neither was this internship. When receiving my feedback, some of the things were spot-on, but others caught me completely by surprise. In my head as I read my feedback: “People cared about what I was doing and wanted to be included? They wanted to see my spreadsheets?! I didn’t even want to see my spreadsheets!” But then again, that’s part of why I was fired. You’ve got to take the whole job—not just the parts that you like.

Getting fired feels like getting broken up with. More than anything, you just want to hear that they really did care for you, that there really had been something special there at some point. It just didn’t work out. You’re a lovely person with a lot to offer—just not to offer this particular person breaking up with you.

Just like when getting broken up with, I eloquently expressed my thoughts and feelings to the other party, and ended the interaction as amicably as I imagined it could be. Then I promptly vented to my girl friends, my beau, my Grandma, and sought refuge in a self-help book (This time it was Think and Grow Rich). Yep, that’s the usual routine after a break-up. Or when I get fired.

Looks like it’s time to find a new relationship aka job. 10 months and counting until I graduate. I’ve decided my ultimate goal is to work for myself. Does that make me a career spinster?

Read Your Résumé from the Bottom Up to Reduce Errors

Original Post: Read Your Résumé from the Bottom Up to Reduce Errors [Resume]: "

Getting a job in this tight economy necessitates making a great first impression, which leaves little-to-no room for typos and other résumé mistakes. The Washington Post details some ways to help outline your credentials more accurately.

Photo by kafka4prez.

While most of their suggestions aren't revolutionary (see: printing out your résumé), one of their tips seems like an interesting way to help avoid glaring errors. According to the post, prospective employees should review their résumés from the bottom up. The writer contends that this backwards approach will more fully ensure that you don't skip over sections, as opposed to reading from the top down, which may lead to skimming more readily than working your way up.

In interviews with 150 senior executives from the nation's 1,000 largest companies, 40 percent of the respondents said that just one typo on a résumé would kick a job candidate out of the queue for consideration. Thirty percent said it would take just two mistakes before the résumé was discarded.
"The way we see it, there's so much competition out there. There's no room for error," said Natasha Melgar, branch manager of the Washington office of the staffing firm Robert Half International. "The résumé is the first opportunity to present yourself."
With unemployment in some areas in the double digits and job postings drawing hundreds of applicants, I understand the need to quickly weed people out. But zero tolerance for one or two résumé typos is too harsh.

The article also offers some embarrassing résumé gaffes to watch for. Hit up the full link to check them out, then let us know what you do to ensure that your résumé appears spotless in the comments. And remember to ditch these six words from the fold when creating yours.

Tiny Typos Can Add Up To a Big X On Your Résumé [Washington Post]

Are You Hiring? Look Out For Fake Job Reference Agencies

What Not To Do

Original Post: Are You Hiring? Look Out For Fake Job Reference Agencies [Employment]: "

Are you looking for a job? Do you need positive references, but don't have anyone left from your old employer who would say nice things about you after the incident with the office bagel tray, shaving cream, and a box of gerbils? Don't worry. You can take care of that with a few hundred dollars.

Yes, Alibi HQ, a company better known for providing fake invitations, conference programs, and phone screening to give people plausible cover stories, also provides employment services. They provide fake references and employment verification services. From their page:

If you're in need of Fake Job Reference services, we'll provide a local or toll free number for your previous employer or employers. We'll answer all incoming calls as the fictitious company and confirm your dates of employment, indicate that you are eligible to be rehired.

The reader who shared this with us is looking at the situation from a hiring perspective. As should you. This is why it's a good idea to double-check numbers provided to you. Reverse lookup is your friend. If there's no Yellow Pages listing for a number that your prospective renter or employee claims is a law firm....big red flag, right there.

FAKE JOB REFERENCES [Alibi HQ]

(Photo: matt512)

Avoid these 9 phone interview mistakes

Original post: http://blog.brand-yourself.com/2009/phone-interview-tips/

Bethany Stringer posted an article on 9 phone interview blunders.

1. Do not stammer or use excessive slang. Uh, um, and like are horrible fillers in speech. It is better to pause momentarily to collect thoughts than it is to explain that you were the, uh, like, uh head, uh cashier. Practice answering potential questions with a friend or family member to help weed out these unnecessary (and unprofessional) words.

2. Do not reply in all yes’s and no’s. Answer with some personal experiences that are relevant to the job in question. Yes/no answers do not help sell your personal brand to the interviewer.

3. Do not lose focus. Remember this is an interview, not an exposé. Keep answers pithy and to the point. Go to an area where there will be limited distractions and both people can hear each other clearly.

4. Do not volunteer information. This is hopefully a preliminary interview, so there’s no need to commit to a salary requirement at this point. The salary the company is prepared to offer may be higher than what was expected, or, likewise, your requirements may be a bit more than they can afford.

5. Do not just roll out of bed. Since the caller cannot see you, it is tempting to appear disheveled. Getting up early, eating a good breakfast, showering, and dressing (does not have to be business attire) will relieve stress and make you more prepared and alert.

6. Do not be a robot. Show the interviewer that you are excited about the position with specific references to what is fascinating about the company. The energy and excitement will be apparent in your voice. Have an upbeat, positive attitude, and smile. It is surprising how much one can hear the change in a person’s voice when he or she smiles.

7. Do not wing it. Prepare ahead of time with some traditional questions and have your resume and the job description handy as well as any additional information about the company. Have a list of your attributes with situational examples that would be considered important for this job. Write down important questions that you have for the interviewer beforehand (focus on learning more about the specifics of the job, money can be discussed in person).

8. Do not have a hurried interview. When you are already running late for a meeting at your current job, or are dashing to pick up Jimmy and Janie from school is not the time to interview. While one would ideally be in a quiet setting with no other pressing engagements when the potential employer phones, sometimes it’s just not possible. Politely ask if it would be alright for you to call him or her back later and suggest a time (the sooner, the better).

9. Do not forget to thank the interviewer. After working diligently to answer questions, showing passion for the company and job offered, and standing up and smiling at someone who cannot even see your face, do not blow the interview in the last five minutes. Be certain to leave a positive final impression. Thank the caller and state that you are eagerly looking forward to the opportunity to discuss the position with him or her further face-face.

Many people advocate watching yourself in a mirror (to help you remember to smile) and don't forget to brush your teeth. You will unconsciously cover your mouth and mumble your words.

How Cash Over Credit Can Save You Money [Saving Money]

from Lifehacker by MainStreet.com

Avoiding pricey credit card fees isn't the only reason to opt for cash over credit (although it's a good one).

Nowadays, using cash over credit has some additional post-recession benefits. After all, with consumer demand low, some businesses, including auto dealers and electronics retailers, are offering better deals for cash-carrying customers. Other service providers may cut you a deal, too.

So why pay cash over credit? Let us count the ways:

Flee the Fee-Fest: With new credit regulations coming down the pike next year, card carriers are rushing to add new fees and charges to card holders before the hammer comes down next February. Some of the new fees, like fees for paying bills over the phone via credit card or higher fees for tardy payments, may drive cardholders over the edge, and have them leave their plastic at home and more cash in their wallet.

Use Cash, Cut a Better Deal: Retailers are beginning to rebel against the automatic fees that come with credit card purchases. Car dealers, hotels, and high-end electronics dealers are increasingly open to offering lower prices if a buyer pays with cash. Take the travel site Tripadvisor.com. The online site offers more hotels and at better prices for customers who give up the greenbacks.

Doctor Dollars: Paying your doctor bill with dollars gives new meaning to the term cold cash. If you need to see the doctor for a virus or other malady, offer to pay your bill in cash. Physician's offices are overrun with paperwork, and could be amenable to lightening the paper trail if you offer a couple sawbucks on a $50 tab. That's a 20% discount – and don't be surprised if your doctor goes along with the deal.

Instant Accountability: People who pay bills with plastic may spend more knowing that bill really doesn't come due until 30 days later, when their credit card bill shows up in the mail or via email. But paying a tab using cash means the money is coming out of your pocket right now. Being more cognizant of how fast your household budget is being depleted should save you more money in the long run.

Credit card holders who have become attached to the perks of plastic, things like card rewards, theft protection and the convenience of avoiding ATMs and waiting at the counter for change from a $50 bill, may balk at using cash.

But stand firm. By weaning yourself away from the plastic with the big bank logo on the bottom, you're saving money, gaining some leverage, and sticking it to the very same people who drove your interest rate up when went over your limit.

As the old saying goes, revenge is a dish best served cold … and paid for with cash.