How to Get a Job (the practical way)

Most of you have (at one point or another) applied for a job and had an interview to determine if you are a good candidate. Regardless of your current position, you may feel the need to find new employment. So I have come up with a little how-to to assist you in finding a job. The aim of this blog (as you all know) is about health and wellness; and your wellness is profoundly impacted by your career (or even a career-less temporary job).

I will not be playing this the fair way per se... as I said in an earlier post, the job market is a dog-eat-dog situation and I want to arm you with the tools you need to fend off the dogs and become the dog-catcher.  I want you to become "above" the rabble and be aware of your options, what the hiring party is thinking, and how you can separate yourself from the background.

With a good career, you will be happy, healthy, and possibly wealthy (although money does not bring you happiness, it DOES give you comfort in your lifestyle; and until we live in a completely communal society, it is a sad necessity)

The following is a bullet point system for the whole process.  A great deal of this information is available in various sources online and in books. I simply aim to reiterate it and pass it along.

1. Before you even apply:
1. Know yourself, what you want, and who you want to help. This could mean that you take a career aptitude/satisfaction test; or maybe a talk to a career counselor. All in all, make sure you know the kind of job you will be happy with. One that is rewarding and also provides you with the future experience and upward movement you need. For example, if you enjoy reading and mostly solitary activities; it might not be advisable to apply for jobs that require you to interact with the public on a regular basis (like a sales job). Instead focus on jobs that are more self-monitored, like library work or book-keeping etc
2. Tailor a couple resumes and have people look over them. Make sure you put only pertinent and your most current jobs on the resume. If you are applying for a job in the human resources field,  for example, list skills that you have applying to this (5 years of counseling experience, HR Certificate, Great communication skills). Then leave out information that is not as critical, like "I am interested in how radio-isotopes interact and have written a thesis on said subject". 
3. Get some professional new clothes. I do not want you to go spend thousands of dollars and a made-to-measure suit. Simply make sure that your clothes fit, they aren't stained, and they are up-to-date with current business-wear trends. This will save you from rushing to the store the day before an interview trying to find a shirt that fits and is under $5 because you didn't budget for a last minute expense like that.
4. Write a couple cover letters.  Test out different formats for your cover letters, have friends and family read them and give constructive criticism. There are many great online resources for cover letters and resumes; just do a Google search and surf away! Lastly, make sure you tailor, like your resume, a cover letter to each application; highlighting your strengths in the field you are applying for.
2. Looking for Jobs:
1. Like I said earlier, look for your interests! Make sure you check out many different avenues for advetisment as well. Your local online job-bank, newspapers, monster.com, etc etc. Don't limit yourself to advertised jobs either; take your resume around to different companies you are interested in, they will keep your resume on file and call you when a job opens up that they believe you would be suited for. This also shows you are interested in their company beyond the simple "I need a job".
3. The Interview:
1. Dress Appropriately. Do I even need to say this? really?
2. Have a copy of your resume, references contact sheet, and cover letter. This is for your convenience and theirs (sometimes the interviewers are not very organized and won't have a copy of your resume, it's best that they have something to look at).
3. Don't be afraid to bring a portfolio of your work to show off
4. Figure out what the company wants. If you are applying for a sales position, make sure you have a couple SPECIFIC examples of good sales experiences, times when you gave great customer service etc... They want to hear what job, when, what happened, and how you resolved it. The don't want to hear: "in this situation I would..." they want to hear: "During my time at Sears, I had an experience where .... and we both came to an agreement and left on good terms".  Check a Google search for more information about behavioral interview questions.
5. Have your lies rehearsed and backed up. I know it's bad to lie, but sometimes you have to. A good example of where to lie would be if you are planning on attending Graduate school in the next year, and you are applying for a full time job. Employers want someone they can have for as long as possible (because it's expensive to train a noob). Therefore, instead of saying "I plan on attending a graduate school in the next couple years" say: "My long term plan is to attend graduate school after 5 or 6 years of practical work experience, I would like to take a little break from school and get some hands-on experience"  That whole thing might be bullshit, but once you're hired they can't fire you for changing your mind. Essentially, don't give them any pause for thought (any reason do doubt hiring you).
6. Ask a couple questions: A good one to ask is "how long should it be before an answer is given on the job offer" That way you aren't waiting by the phone day after day for a call that isn't going to come. Ask about the company (but don't sound too dumb) and ask how the interviewers enjoy working at the company.
7. Always leave with a handshake. Also, leave with a smile, a "pleasure to meet you", and a "I look forward to hearing from you". 
4. Follow-up:
1. Send a friendly e-mail or phone call to check on the competition status. Don't be pushy, but word a nice e-mail expressing your curiosity on the status of the job offer.
2. If you don't get the job: Don't sweat it, move on. If you want to analyze your techniques, this is the best time to do it. See where you may have gone wrong and correct for the next time.

I hope this helps all of you! if you have anything to add, please put them in the comments section below

Time to Cut The Sweet Stuff

It's surprising how much sugar we consume..

We all know that sugar isn't that great for us..... but we binge on it anyway, especially around Halloween. It's part of our tradition that we walk around town and gather sweet goodies and then consume as many as possible in one night. It's also part of our culture (through our choices of food) that we eat sugar. Sugar has this nasty habit of ruining our bodies, not only is it hard on our liver, kidneys, and pancreas; it also contributes to our excess fat stores. Lets think back for a minute, do you remember when the "Fat Free" and "Low Fat" revolution came into play? Since then obesity has actually increased; despite increase consumption of "low fat" foods. What is going on?!!  It's simple really... when you cut fat out of a food product, it tastes bland and not very appetizing at all. So what do you do (as a food product specialist) ?   You add sugar to make it taste better.  It's no wonder everyone is getting so overweight! They are eating low fat products and thinking it's helping, when in actuality it is causing them to get bigger.

I would like all of you to take a look at the video I will post at the end of this article. It details all the scientific facts about sugar that everyone should know. But to make things faster for you readers out there, I'll make a list of things to avoid and things to do instead

• Tips:
• Don't eat foods that have "high fructose corn syrup"
• Don't eat foods that are high in carbohydrates just before going to bed
• Start using a natural sweetener (like honey) instead of sugar (or artificial sweeteners; they aren't that great for you either) in your coffee and tea
• Eat fruit when you get a craving for something sweet. Berries are a good choice as they are rich in good sugars and have a very sweet flavor.
• Using apple sauce in recipes instead of granulated sugar
• If you like chocolate: the darker the better (as it has less sugar)
• Stick to a plan of "no sugar"  you have to treat it like an addiction

It's not feasible to completely cut out bad sugars in a modern society, but you can reduce it. There have been rumors in the scientific community that sugar can contribute to a wide variety of diseases.... including cancer. These studies are ongoing, and I look forward to more results.  Thanks for listening, and please take this message to heart. You will feel like a new person once you've trampled your addiction to sugar.  (and as promised, here's the video) Sugar: The Bitter Truth

The Golden Rule

Is it true? Are successful people rich jerks?

If you went to grade school during the years between 1900 and 1980 you were taught about the "Golden Rule".  If you were unfortunate enough to go to school later than that, it is likely you missed the boat on how to act in a society. 

The simple truth is that we rarely follow the golden rule anymore. Its message is simple "do unto others, as you would have them do unto you"  Essentially, if you don't want to be treated like a piece of lint then don't treat other people like pieces of lint!  It really isn't hard to understand, but it is ever so hard to actually practice.

Most Psychologists, religious officials, world leaders all agree that if everyone followed this rule, we would be the most happy and cohesive species in the whole galaxy. What gets in the way of this happening? selfishness! Our world is set up so that bad people are the most successful. If you are willing to step all over people in order to get your way, then you are rewarded by having lots of money and a comfortable lifestyle. If you are always nice to people and rarely force your will.... you're likely to not go very far.   So it's true, nice people finish last in Western society. Lets say, for example, that you want to have a house on the ocean in Nova Scotia; and lets say the property you want will cost you more than you can afford, so you put your dream of home ownership on the shelf with the other dreams you can't accomplish and move on. Then suddenly a new position opens up in your office, and you have the qualifications, but Bill across the hall has more years at the company and will likely get the job. BUT, you know for a fact that Bill is homosexual, and that the boss is very homophobic.... Maybe if you mentioned this to him casually, he will reconsider your application over Bills... (Realizing there are laws against discrimination, it still happens, and in this situation they would be bogged down in court for years deliberating the outcome) What would you do?  most people would SAY that they wouldn't do anything, but studies have been done that say otherwise. People will say things that are socially more acceptable, then DO what is better for themselves.

Now, don't expect a big change in the world anytime soon. Big changes happen very slowly; and I think that we are headed in the wrong direction when it comes to morality and treating each other with respect. So here's what you can do, and it's my little word of advise for the day. Follow the Golden Rule as closely as you can, without being taken advantage of yourself. In other words, be successful, assertive, but also be wise and kind. When you find the right balance, the world will be at your fingertips.

Parrot Phrases

Hello everyone.

Are our words superficial social norms?

Last night, as I lay down to sleep, I said "goodnight" to my partner. This morning at work I said "Thank You" when a co-worker held the door for me. Also this morning, I said "good morning" to countless people. Where is all this going?..... it's about common phrases that we use everyday, but lose the meaning of.

Let me elaborate a little bit on that point. When you say good morning to someone, are you actually hoping that they have a pleasant morning? or do you say it out of social obligation? As humans we have a set of these "parrot phrases" that make our interactions with people easier. In psychology, they are called heuristics ... (a.k.a. shortcuts) and they essentially make it easier for our brains to function. It's like a keyboard shortcut on your computer, whereby you simply hit the right combo for the situation and you don't even really have to think about it. Psychologists use it to explain shortcuts in our judgments and behavior. For example, "I had an experience were a cat bit me, therefore, I hate all cats". The same works for "Thank you" and the other parrot phrases (e.g. "A woman walked into my workplace, I smiled and said 'good morning'") The character in the last example did not say "good morning" because he wished the woman had a nice day.... he said it because it is the social norm for that situation.

Because of these shortcuts in our interactions, I believe we are losing meaning behind our conversations.  So from now on, I charge all of you to think about what you say to someone, change it up. That way, they know and YOU know you mean what you are saying. "Get a good rest" "