Are Longer Hours Damaging Your Health?

By Simon Mackie

People who regularly work overtime, putting in 10 or 11 hours a day, increase their risk of heart disease by nearly two-thirds, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal — worrying news for web workers like myself, who tend to clock long hours.

The study covered 6,000 British civil servants, all of whom had healthy hearts at the start of the study in the 1990′s. But as it went on, 369 participants had fatal or non-fatal heart attacks or developed angina. The researchers found that even when risk factors such as age, obesity and smoking were taken into account, people working longer hours had a 56-60 percent higher chance of developing heart disease. The authors of the study say that the reason for the increased risk could be because people who work longer hours have less time for relaxation and exercise, or they may be more anxious or depressed.

However, there is some good news for web workers. A separate paper from the Cochrane Library, published earlier this year, which examined 10 other studies covering some 16,000 people , said that workers who have flexible working arrangements — in other words, get to chose their working hours, like web workers — tend to have lower blood pressure and better heart rates, presumably due to being able to establish a better work/life balance.

Do you work long hours? Photo courtesy Flickr user normalityrelief, CC-BY-SA

via webworkerdaily.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

How To Communicate Well With Anyone | Brand-Yourself.com Blog

I recall those trucker style hats that have the adjustable bands on the back. As a little youngster playing tee ball, I thought those bands were awesome. If only life wasn’t like those bands, where everything had a one size fits all approach.

Not everything has the cool adjustable band like those hats, but one element does: communication. Mastering the art of communication is a life long challenge, and one that no one masters completely, because there is too much to be learned.

You communicate daily with those around you. People you like and get along with, and people you have a hard time being around, but are forced to deal with. Luckily communication skills are flexible and can be tweaked to any situation no matter how grim. Mastering the art of being flexible is the key, as that is the ticket to success in academia, career and life.

How to communicate with those you get along with

It may feel natural to speak with or be around those whom you have no qualms with, and the conversation can typically be light and well rounded. Your shoulders let down and you can be yourself. These are typically good friends, your favorite class mate, or a friendly co-worker.

Ways to continue building these relationships:

• Pat them on the back for their successes – this will likely come easily anyway because you don’t mind giving them praise
• Teach them a skill they didn’t know – this gives you an opportunity to work on something together or be in a teach-and-learn scenario which strengthens your friendship

How to communicate with those you do not get along with

No matter how professional the setting, or on the other end, how relaxed the setting, you may feel you just can’t strike up a conversation, or hold a conversation of interest with someone you don’t connect with. It is critical that you realize right now that a high percentage of the people you likely deal with on a day to day basis may fit into this category. Why the phenomenon? Because of the vast array of personalities and backgrounds, we can’t all be the best of buds. In a perfect world that would be great. But in reality, its not the case.

No harm done, because here are a few skills to help you sharpen your verbal and non-verbal communications skills to deal diplomatically with those its hard to deal with:

• Meet in the middle – Build a communication bridge that can’t be crumbled. Don’t be defensive and work hard to see the other side
• We are all the same, really – Although they are the complete opposite of you, and may make your life miserable, work on yourself first, and worry about your attitude, not theirs
• Stop furling your brow – Non-verbal communication is huge. If you look annoyed or irritated, others know. Don’t be fake and smile until your face hurts, but show a little compassion and don’t give the evil eye

Lead the way and others will follow

Now that you’ve learned a few tips on improving the personal or professional relationships you have by communicating better, apply them often. Rinse. Repeat. When you step to the plate and get up to bat, hit the home run, others will high five you at home plate. The greatest leaders have often been the best communicators.

Challenge: Strike up a conversation with someone you struggle to talk with. Ask them about their background, learn something, and you never know what could come out of it.

About the Author: Mark Mathson sharpens his communication skills weekly by attending Toastmasters. He deals with all types of customers and does his best to communicate well so they can build dazzling Internet marketing campaigns. He enjoys conversing on Twitter and growing and adding value to his network on LinkedIn.

via blog.brand-yourself.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

How To Communicate Well With Anyone | Brand-Yourself.com Blog

I recall those trucker style hats that have the adjustable bands on the back. As a little youngster playing tee ball, I thought those bands were awesome. If only life wasn’t like those bands, where everything had a one size fits all approach.

Not everything has the cool adjustable band like those hats, but one element does: communication. Mastering the art of communication is a life long challenge, and one that no one masters completely, because there is too much to be learned.

You communicate daily with those around you. People you like and get along with, and people you have a hard time being around, but are forced to deal with. Luckily communication skills are flexible and can be tweaked to any situation no matter how grim. Mastering the art of being flexible is the key, as that is the ticket to success in academia, career and life.

How to communicate with those you get along with

It may feel natural to speak with or be around those whom you have no qualms with, and the conversation can typically be light and well rounded. Your shoulders let down and you can be yourself. These are typically good friends, your favorite class mate, or a friendly co-worker.

Ways to continue building these relationships:

• Pat them on the back for their successes – this will likely come easily anyway because you don’t mind giving them praise
• Teach them a skill they didn’t know – this gives you an opportunity to work on something together or be in a teach-and-learn scenario which strengthens your friendship

How to communicate with those you do not get along with

No matter how professional the setting, or on the other end, how relaxed the setting, you may feel you just can’t strike up a conversation, or hold a conversation of interest with someone you don’t connect with. It is critical that you realize right now that a high percentage of the people you likely deal with on a day to day basis may fit into this category. Why the phenomenon? Because of the vast array of personalities and backgrounds, we can’t all be the best of buds. In a perfect world that would be great. But in reality, its not the case.

No harm done, because here are a few skills to help you sharpen your verbal and non-verbal communications skills to deal diplomatically with those its hard to deal with:

• Meet in the middle – Build a communication bridge that can’t be crumbled. Don’t be defensive and work hard to see the other side
• We are all the same, really – Although they are the complete opposite of you, and may make your life miserable, work on yourself first, and worry about your attitude, not theirs
• Stop furling your brow – Non-verbal communication is huge. If you look annoyed or irritated, others know. Don’t be fake and smile until your face hurts, but show a little compassion and don’t give the evil eye

Lead the way and others will follow

Now that you’ve learned a few tips on improving the personal or professional relationships you have by communicating better, apply them often. Rinse. Repeat. When you step to the plate and get up to bat, hit the home run, others will high five you at home plate. The greatest leaders have often been the best communicators.

Challenge: Strike up a conversation with someone you struggle to talk with. Ask them about their background, learn something, and you never know what could come out of it.

About the Author: Mark Mathson sharpens his communication skills weekly by attending Toastmasters. He deals with all types of customers and does his best to communicate well so they can build dazzling Internet marketing campaigns. He enjoys conversing on Twitter and growing and adding value to his network on LinkedIn.

via blog.brand-yourself.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

Top 10 Life and Career Lessons from LOST | Online Colleges

If you’re a fan of LOST, you know that the show offers a variety of lessons and morals through events and recurring themes. Whether it’s leadership, faith, or rebirth, there’s always something to learn from LOST. Here, we have detailed 10 life and career lessons that you can take from LOST.

1. Strong leadership is essential. Without strong leadership, the survivors would not have fared as well as they did. Leaders like Jack, Locke, Kate, and Hurley worked to guide and delegate when necessary, especially in times of panic. None of them were perfect, but they were, most importantly, effective and available.
2. Teamwork and cooperation are vital to success. One of the most pivotal lines from LOST is, "Live Together, Die Alone." Jack shared these words to remind the survivors that they needed to work together, rather than be selfish and panic individually. This teaches us that teamwork and understanding of each other are essential to being a part of a group, and that more can be accomplished by working together.
3. Be indispensable. Although he wasn’t always the most popular among the survivors on the island, John Locke was always important. He displays characteristics that make him a valuable member of the team, including his ability to track, hunt, and follow his faith to reveal secrets. Locke shows us how vital it is to share your talents and let them be known.
4. Communication is more valuable than you know. With all the confusion on the island, you’d think at some point they’d all just sit down and share what they know. If only all of the characters among the survivors, The Others, Dharma, and other groups had shared information with each other, the mysteries of the island could have been revealed sooner and lives may have been saved. In regular life, communication is key-you can help save time, effort, and mistakes just by sharing what you know with others.
5. It’s never too late to start over. So many LOST characters experienced a rebirth of some kind. Charlie gave up heroin, Claire embraced her role as a mother, Jin and Sun rekindled their love on the island, and Mr. Eko took his brother’s place as a priest. Even Locke and Rose found new life, as their serious ailments were healed. If your life is not where you’d like it to be right now, you don’t have to get stuck on an island to change it.
6. Take time to have some fun. Even in the frenzy of Season 1, Hurley helped remind the survivors to take it easy. He set up the "Island Open" so that they could play golf, and worked to revive an old VW van on the island. Both events made a huge impact on morale, and overall, Hurley has been a voice of reason and positivity for the survivors.
7. Everyone lies. Nearly all of the LOST characters had cons and deceptions, even those that seem to be trustworthy. Kate murdered her stepfather, Michael led his friends into an ambush, Sun lied to Jin several times, and Ethan infiltrated the survivor’s camp. People can be trusted overall, but it’s important to ask questions and never assume you know the whole story.
8. Realize when you have a bargaining chip. When Jack agreed to operate on Ben and save his life, he was able to put him in a precarious situation and use him as a hostage so that Sawyer and Kate could escape. When negotiating, it’s valuable to remember what you have to offer, and what you have that others want.
9. Faith and facts are equally important. LOST presents an almost constant struggle between science and faith. Often, facts are not enough to go on, or you just don’t have enough information to fill in the gaps. Faith and intuition are essential in the LOST world, as they are in real life. Trust what you know as a fact, but pay attention to what you believe as well.
10. Always have on clean underwear. You never know when you’re going to end up on a deserted island. And on that note, always travel with more hygiene products than you think you’ll need. In all seriousness, it does help to plan ahead and be prepared for the unexpected.

• Bonus lesson: Don’t ever wear a red shirt.

via onlinecolleges.net

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

How to Share Your LinkedIn Profile

Here’s a simple question that a lot of people mess up.  Many times I’ll get an email that says “will you check out my LinkedIn Profile, here’s the link: http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?trk=hb_tab_pro”

Actually, that IS NOT the link to YOUR LinkedIn Profile… what they did was they went to their LinkedIn Profile and then copy and pasted the URL to me… see the red arrow:

The right LINK to share, if you want someone to see your LinkedIn Profile, is down a bit… scroll down to the bottom of all the main stuff… it is just above the LinkedIn Summary… this is the link that you actually want to share (this can go in your email signature, on your business card, etc.):

If this helped you then you definitely need to order my LinkedIn DVD.

via imonlinkedinnowwhat.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

MSNBC Completely Misunderstands Role Of Social Media in Job Search | Brand-Yourself.com Blog

MSNBC recently published an article entitled “Social Networking seldom gets new grads hired.” The article tries to argue that social media is not an effective way to land a job, but instead, only proves that many students simply aren’t taking advantage of the tools.  The article goes on to misunderstand how social media fits into the job search.

The article itself is actually very interesting and raises some important points but is ultimately ill-researched and draws false conclusions. I enjoyed the article, so I tried to comment with some counter research, but my comment was denied,which prompted me to write this post.

The Article uses unrelated research to support it’s claim

The article implies that social media is ineffective for recent college grads, by using anecdotal cases of a few well-connected, students who landed a job through traditional means, and statistics taken  out of context, as it main points of reference. The bread and butter of her argument quotes a study that demonstrated last year only one percent of new hires were found through social media.

Her evidence does not prove the most important point in question: Is social media an effective vehicle to land a job? It simply proves that the majority of candidates are still using traditional techniques

Who wouldn’t expect this? Social media as a job search tool has been around for a couple of years. Of course most hires are found through traditional means.

Research shows social media is an increasingly effective tool to land a job

If the article took the time to fully research the matter, it would be clear that even though many candidates aren’t utilizing the tools in  an effective way, social media is a very powerful tool to get hired.

According to recent in depth U.S study by Cross Tab Marketing:

• 75% of HR departments are now required to research candidates online.
• 70% of U.S recruiters and HR professionals say they have rejected candidates based on information they found online.
• 85% say that positive online reputation influences their hiring decisions at least to some extent. Nearly half say that a strong online reputation influences their decisions to a great extent.

In-depth 2008/2009 studies from Career Builder and Execunet report very similar findings. I have the links below, including an interesting article Mashable wrote on the Career Builder study last year.

• http://www.execunet.com/m_releases_content.cfm?id=3651
• http://mashable.com/2009/08/19/social-media-screening/

Conclusion: How social media helps

The MSNBC article simply found that social media job search techniques  are not yet mainstream practice and inaccurately concluded the methods themselves are not effective. The author did not bother to explore how social media actually complements the very techniques she champions to find a job.

Here’s what we know as fact:

• Employers will Google candidates and research them online
• They will make hiring decisions based on positive content

The article correctly pinpoints the key ingredients to getting hired:

• Networking
• Knowledge of company and industry trends
• Strong First Impression

What the author fails to understand is that for many grads, social media is the easiest way to accomplish these paramounts. Most grads don’t have many contacts in their dream companies. By creating positive content and making sure it shows up at the top of Google, grads are ensuring they make a good first impression. By participating in industry forums and groups, commenting on articles, and sharing industry trends, they are networking. By plugging into RSS feeds, posting content and joining groups they are keeping up to date and preparing themselves for the work place.  They are meeting (and impressing) industry peers they would not have met otherwise and getting their foot in the door.

Research only indicates that this method of networking will only grow.

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Posted via web from AndyWergedal

Best of Branding: Top 5 This Week | Brand-Yourself.com Blog

1. What Sites Future Employeers Are Checking When Looking At You – [Lifehacker.com]

As part of a Data Privacy Day report, Microsoft commissioned a study of over 1,200 hiring and recruitment managers. In one segment, they asked what kinds of sites they considered in researching applicants online. The short answer: almost everything.

2. Phone Interview Questions – How To Prepare Yourself In Advance – [EmploymentDigest.net]

Whenever you are applying for a new job, you may find that you are required to go through a quick interview process over the phone and this is becoming more and more common. It helps if you understand the phone interview questions that you are going to be asked during this process, but it is not always possible for you to know all of those questions in advance. Understanding some of the more common phone interview questions, however, could assist you in being able to answer them intelligently and in a way that will help you land a job.

3. The Top 10 LinkedIn Groups for Job Seekers – [Career Alley]

These groups are designed for those on the hunt for a new career, new position, new company, or information related to career search. If you’re not utilizing LinkedIn groups you are missing out. If you are involved in some groups take a look at this list to evaluate if you’re getting the most from your LinkedIn experience and doing the best you can for your career.

4. Career Change: 2 Strategies for Getting Off Your “Buts” – [Career Rocketeer]

I hear countless comments from people saying they want to change careers, BUT, but, but, but. They make up some reason for not changing. Among these reasons are: I’m too old – I’ll have to take a pay cut – I don’t want to make the effort – I don’t know what I’d do. Essentially, I think it boils down to fear of change or no effort to change, probably both.

5. Two Questions Behind Every Job Interview – [Great Resumes Fast]

An important part of any job search is having references who can attest to your being a good employee. As you begin your job search, take some time to consider which former coworkers will provide you with the most positive references possible. Most potential employers will want to talk to your former supervisors. However, you may know that a former supervisor loves gossiping about others or rarely has a kind word to say about anyone. In that scenario, it may be better to use a former coworker who’s very familiar with your work and who will discuss you more fairly with a future employer.

Social Networking is the newest tool in the job seekers and personal branders toolbox. Here are a few ideas, join LinkedIn and connect with your friends and co-workers. Signup with Twitter and start Tweeting. Make it your passion to learn about Social Networking. Embrace the new media and the connections that it brings.

Those who do not know how to use social networking like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn will be by-passed for those candidates who do have those skills. It is easier to build your network and get started learning these skills while you are employeed, than after you have suffered a job loss.

What are you waiting for?

via blog.brand-yourself.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal