INFOGRAPHIC: Which Job is Most Unique to Your State?

Explore the country's best career opportunities

CareerBuilder

By Matt Tarpey, CareerBuilder writer

The United States is made up of an incredible array of unique landscapes, climates and cultures. It stands to reason that regional economies exhibit a similarly expansive variety. An industry that is a major economic driver in one state may be almost nonexistent just a few states away. So how can you tell which jobs are the most unique to your home state?

One way is using a metric called location quotient, which is a measurement of job concentration. This is found by taking the percentage share of a state's workforce working in a given occupation and comparing it to the percentage share of the national workforce in that same occupation.

Put another way, LQ asks, "What percentage of workers in Texas are petroleum engineers?" then asks "What percentage of U.S. workers are Petroleum engineers?" and compares the two answers.

A LQ of 1.0 means that the occupation is exactly as concentrated in the state as it is at the national level. The higher the LQ, the more unique the job is to that state. Going back to the example above, the LQ for petroleum engineers in Texas is 6.39, indicating that petroleum engineer jobs are more than six times more common in Texas than they are in the country as a whole.

Industries and occupations that are more concentrated in one area are often a good indicator of what drives the economy in that region. In turn, this can shed light on career opportunities that may not be available in other parts of the country.

The following map, released by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. and designed by mental_floss magazine, uses LQ to reveal the most unique jobs in each state through 2013.

CareerBuilder

The following table provides a more in-depth look at the data behind the map.

State	Occupation	LQ	Jobs 2013	Med. Hourly Earnings
Alabama	Tire Builders	7.75	1,900	$24.55
Alaska	Fishers & Related Fishing Workers	33.56	2,901	$16.85
Arizona	Semiconductor Processors	4.19	1,640	$15.32
Arkansas	Food Processing Workers	6.78	2,303	$10.59
California	Actors	3.19	33,328	$29.23
Colorado	Atmospheric & Space Scientists	7.76	1,510	$49.34
Connecticut	Actuaries	4.16	1,141	$51.22
D.C.	Political Scientists	86.61	3,197	$55.64
Delaware	Chemists	11.65	3,050	$41.45
Florida	Motorboat Operators	5.92	1,315	$14.17
Georgia	Textile Winding, Twisting, & Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders	10.52	8,607	$13.03
Hawaii	Tour Guides & Escorts	8.55	1,687	$12.82
Idaho	Forest & Conservation Technicians	14.2	2,273	$15.06
Illinois	Correspondence Clerks	3.93	1,727	$19.88
Indiana	Boilermakers	7.03	2,686	$31.66
Iowa	Soil & Plant Scientists	8.94	1,574	$30.05
Kansas	Umpires, Referees, Other Sports Officials	5.42	1,216	$11.16
Kentucky	Roof Bolters, Mining	14.14	1,184	$25.65
Louisiana	Captains, Mates, & Pilots of Water Vessels	17.2	8,857	$34.88
Maine	Fishers & Related Fishing Workers	27.31	4,070	$17.52
Maryland	Subway & Streetcar Operators	10.41	1,884	$25.43
Massachusetts	Psychiatric Technicians	4.86	8,202	$17.52
Michigan	Model Makers, Metal & Plastic	6.23	1,095	$24.72
Minnesota	Slaughterers & Meat Packers	4.82	7,619	$12.80
Mississippi	Coil Winders, Tapers, & Finishers	11.18	1,340	$18.87
Missouri	Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, & Drying Machine Operators & Tenders	5.58	2,303	$12.37
Montana	Forest & Conservation Technicians	19.41	2,200	$15.05
Nebraska	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters & Trimmers	9.92	11,453	$13.58
Nevada	Gaming Supervisors	30.91	7,414	$25.40
New Hampshire	Metal Workers & Plastic Workers, All Other	10.05	1,020	$14.40
New Jersey	Biochemists & Biophysicists	4.71	3,628	$50.38
New Mexico	Wellhead Pumpers	13.75	1,358	$22.50
New York	Fashion Designers	5.18	7,164	$32.27
North Carolina	Textile Winding, Twisting, & Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders	7.63	6,394	$11.12
North Dakota	Derrick Operators, Oil & Gas	28.21	2,137	$26.65
Ohio	Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal & Plastic	3.53	4,778	$17.21
Oklahoma	Wellhead Pumpers	8.66	1,671	$20.51
Oregon	Logging Workers, all other	21.24	1,400	$16.57
Pennsylvania	Survey Researchers	3.54	2,776	$13.09
Rhode Island	Education, Training, & Library Workers	3.04	1,062	$20.42
South Carolina	Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders	10.99	3,220	$13.70
South Dakota	Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers	9.42	14,827	$12.78
Tennessee	Conveyor Operators & Tenders	4.25	3,486	$13.73
Texas	Petroleum Engineers	6.39	21,457	$66.80
Utah	Forest & Conservation Technicians	4.4	1,362	$13.46
Vermont	Highway Maintenance Workers	3.99	1,364	$16.88
Virginia	Legal Support Workers, All Other	5.75	9,039	$43.50
Washington	Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, & Systems Assemblers	14.21	13,535	$23.09
West Virginia	Roof Bolters, Mining	66.29	2,129	$26.84
Wisconsin	Foundry Mold & Coremakers	5.47	1,351	$15.72
Wyoming	Rotary Drill Operators, Oil & Gas	28.0	1,566	$27.05

Strategies for Successful Interviewing

Robert Half Legal

The job interview is a brief, but crucial, component of the employment process.  If you are thinking of re-entering the working world after a hiatus or starting to look for a new opportunity after a long tenure with your current firm, it's wise to brush up on what to expect during an interview.

Especially if the position you're interviewing for involves managing a large office and juggling numerous administrative responsibilities, the ability to present yourself well and inspire confidence is critical. By taking note of these key interview strategies, you can make the best possible impression and land the position you seek.

Understand the importance of the first minutes. When it comes to interviewing, the first minutes are often the most decisive, according to a survey by our company. Hiring managers polled said it takes them just 10 minutes to form an opinion of job seekers, despite meeting with staff-level applicants for 55 minutes and management-level candidates for 86 minutes, on average.

This finding underscores the importance of getting the interview off to a good start. From the moment you meet your interviewer, project enthusiasm, professionalism and confidence, both in your appearance and demeanor. Be prepared to extend a firm handshake, make eye contact and -- though it's admittedly difficult -- interact in an engaged but relaxed manner. Because the opening minutes are so influential in hiring decisions, be especially aware of your initial comments and actions. Although you want to come across as enthusiastic, don't be overly effusive. One job seeker, for instance, came across as insincere -- and even a little desperate -- by gushing excessively over personal photos in the hiring manager's office.

Ace the predictable questions. Carefully plan what you're going to say – or not going to say – to likely questions, which usually come at the start of the interview. Your goal should be to satisfy the interviewer's curiosity with your answers without raising any concerns. Following are some frequently asked questions and tips for responding:

1. Tell me about yourself. Concisely discuss your professional achievements and qualifications as they relate to the job opportunity.


2. What do you know about our firm? Research the firm beforehand and be prepared to describe how your skills and experience will help you contribute to its success.


3. Why do you want to work here? Whether it's the organization's values, reputation for integrity or history of success, cite the specific reasons why you want to work for the employer.


4. Why are you looking to leave your current position? Be ready with a diplomatic response that doesn't disparage other employers. Then, turn the focus back to what appeals to you about the position for which you're interviewing.


5. What is your most significant professional accomplishment? Cite an achievement that highlights your abilities and shows you value results.

Demonstrate a beyond-the-basics knowledge of your employer. Develop a broad understanding of the prospective employer by looking beyond its website and other standard marketing materials for information. Conduct an online search for articles and other public mentions of the firm. Industry publications, professional associations and your networking contacts may also be able to provide details about its culture, history, competitors and any recent challenges or controversies.

Your research will enable you to ask more insightful questions. And if your interviewer can tell you've acquired more than a superficial knowledge of the company, he or she will be more likely to respond with candor and depth.

Help the employer understand the value you bring. You can stand out from other candidates by giving answers that explicitly outline why you have the right qualifications for the job.

For example, if you know from your research that the firm plans to open additional offices, describe how you've been involved in managing expansion plans in your current position. Or, if the interviewer is looking for someone to review and re-negotiate vendor contracts, play up your experience in this area.

Be yourself. This is easier said than done, since an interview is not an entirely natural situation. Although you should never let your guard down and risk coming across as unprofessional, take care not to seem overly programmed. Remember that an interview is really a two-way conversation and should allow for some spontaneity.

Let your personality come through in your responses by conveying a sense of humor when appropriate, as well as your individual strengths and interests as they relate to your work. Interviewers want to get a sense of how you would fit into the office culture.

Regardless of your experience level or how many times you've been interviewed in your career, a successful interview always depends on thorough preparation. By observing these strategies, you should be able to remain calm and confident while persuading the hiring manager that you're the right candidate for the job.

How to Navigate FMLA Leave

Taking personal time off doesn't have to mean sacrificing your career

Jill Jacinto

Are you starting a family or taking care of a sick family member? There are career steps you need to address before you take your leave.

Before you leave, do this. Speak in "us" language, not in "me" language, and have solutions in mind before you sit down with your boss. Every company and employer handles family leave differently, so do your research and get up to speed on the typical practice of your office. Anticipate what your employer's fears are and be prepared to mitigate them from the outset. Your leave can have a potentially negative impact on your employer, so you have to help them ease into it. There's no set time frame, as every office operates differently.

Customarily, two weeks is the common norm for anyone leaving a position. Be fair and honest to your employer about your wants and needs -- before you officially leave. Remember, The Family and Medical Leave Act could be an option for you (aside from quitting altogether). If you are covered, you are entitled to an unpaid but job-protected leave for twelve weeks. This includes birth of a child, taking care of a sick family member, adoption of a child, personal health conditions or military service.

Another method to slowly ease yourself out of a job but keep positive ties to your company is to learn how to pitch working from home as a win for your employer. Consider all your options (working part-time, taking a year off or telecommuting) and then ask for your ideal schedule. With the push to create family-friendly work environments, employers are more flexible than ever as long as you demonstrate you can and will produce great work.
How to handle a resume gap. Not all employment gaps are due to layoffs or getting fired. You may have taken time off to take courses, have kids, freelance, or travel, and all of those things can make you a better candidate for the job. List the courses you've taken and explain how they will help in this new position. Talk about your freelancing experience and what you learned and accomplished during that time. Discuss the volunteer programs you've been a part of, like the PTA or Cub Scouts. Share your travels with your prospective employer. At the very least, they may find comfort in knowing you've "been there, done that" and won't be taking off to travel the world again!

Never let go of your network. While you might not be 100 percent in the industry right now, you should always stay in touch with your former colleagues and clients. Whether it's liking a post they shared on LinkedIn, attending networking events, reaching out to them via email or even meeting for coffee every few months. Maintaining your relationships will offer insight into how the industry is adapting and keep you abreast of the changes and developments. These tools and industry know-how can serve you well when you are ready to test the waters again.

Where your colleagues are concerned, it'll also keep you fresh in their minds. Those lunch dates and email exchanges will showcase the fact that you've still been actively involved in the industry -- even if it was from a backseat view. If a job opens up down the line, they'll be more open to recommending it to you. Use LinkedIn Pulse to read the most relevant industry news that your professional community is reading and sharing, so you're in the know when you return to work.

Post Interviewing Tips: How Not to Follow Up

Show enthusiasm, not mania

CareerBuilder

By Robert Half

You just interviewed for a position you really want, and you think it went really well. But before you sit back and relax, waiting for that phone to ring, there's one more step you should take: following up with the hiring manager. Getting in touch after an interview shows good business etiquette, reinforces your interest in the position and could mean the difference between getting a job offer and never hearing back from the employer again.

But if you do it incorrectly, you could hurt your chances of landing that job. Here are some post-interviewing tips on the do's and don'ts of following up:

Don't rush it.
Hiring managers neither expect nor want a follow-up five minutes after the interview. Texting a "thank-you note" from the parking lot can make you come across as demanding, impatient and overly eager.

Do: Give yourself time to process what took place during the interview so your follow-up is not only gracious, but also thoughtful about the position and the conversation you had with the hiring manager.

If you're sending a note via U.S. mail or email, try to get it out the day after the interview. If you're planning to place a follow-up call, wait two or three days. Just make sure you don't wait too long. You want your note or phone call to arrive at the company before the hiring committee has made up its mind about whom to hire.

Don't make typos.
Many hiring managers disregard applications that contain mistakes, and they likewise won't think much of a candidate who sends a follow-up note with grammatical mistakes or autocorrect fails.

Do: Check and double-check all of your correspondences with the people who interviewed you. Strong written communication abilities are a highly valued soft skill, and even one spelling error can make you look unprofessional. Remember that the purpose of a follow-up is to further convince potential employers to hire you; you don't want to sink your chances with a poorly written message.

Don't make it all about you.
The follow-up shouldn't be about how well the job would mesh with your lifestyle or boost your career. As much as interviewers want to know more about you, what they're really after is how you can benefit the company.

Do: In the note, show that you're continuing to think about ways you would add value to the company if you were hired. Thank the hiring manager for her time, and say that you enjoyed meeting her and learning more about the position. Refer to a few things discussed during the interview and perhaps add more commentary or details. And finally, reaffirm your interest in contributing to the growth of the company.

Don't be overly familiar.
You and the interviewer may have hit it off, but remember, this is still a business relationship. Don't let yourself get too informal or chatty, or you'll risk looking unprofessional.

Do: Be friendly in your follow-up, but maintain a professional demeanor. Start any written correspondence with "Dear so-and-so," and end with "Best regards" or "Kindest regards." Refrain from making jokes, and don't use emoticons or casual abbreviations.

Don't go overboard.
Whether the interview was a smashing success or a total bomb, avoid extreme emotion in your messages - it will only make you seem unstable and off-putting.

Do: Show enthusiasm, not mania. And while you want to communicate that you're persistent, don't pester. Two follow-ups are enough: one written message and perhaps a phone call a few days later. If you think you flubbed the interview, briefly explain that you weren't at the top of your game and that you'd be grateful for the chance to try again. If you have nothing else to lose and you really want the job, it can't hurt to ask graciously for a second interview.

There are no sure things in a job hunt. But by practicing these post-interviewing tips, you have the opportunity to make another great impression on a potential employer - and to help tip the scale in your favor.

4 things to watch out for in an employment contract

Business Insider  

By Emmie Martin, Business Insider

The pile of paperwork that comes with starting a new job may be overwhelming, but it’s imperative that you read the fine print.

When signing a new contract, phrases such as “non-solicit of employees” or “noncompete” may look like standard legal jargon, but these clauses can restrict where you work or who you can hire at your next position if you’re not aware. According to Brad Newman, chair of Paul Hastings’ International Employee Mobility and Trade Secret practice, and author of “Protecting Intellectual Property in the Age of Employee Mobility: Forms and Analysis,” clauses that restrict your options when you leave a position are the most important ones to look out for when signing a new contract. “If you don’t look at this on the way into your job, it’s oftentimes too late on the way out,” he says.

Clauses such as these, aimed at protecting companies’ intellectual property, are becoming increasingly common in employment contracts to ensure that when employees depart, they don’t take confidential information. “It’s never been easier from the technological standpoint to take data inadvertently or intentionally,” Newman says. However, if you sign a contract without reading these clauses carefully, you could be complying to something you don’t agree with.

Newman suggests every employee understand restrictive clauses before signing — and negotiating anything they aren’t on board with. “It’s very much like sports teams going after the best players,” he says. “If you’re that player right now, you can negotiate a very lucrative contract for yourself, provided you haven’t signed anything that prohibits you from doing it.”

Look for these four key clauses before signing your next contract — and make sure you understand the implications of each:

1. Noncompete clause
Noncompete clauses prohibit employees from working for a competitor for a certain length of time or in a certain geographical area after leaving their current jobs. Companies include these to protect confidential projects or information, but they can end up hindering you from being able to move positions or leave a job you don’t like if you don’t read the specifications carefully. “The company wants it to be as long and broad as possible, and the employee wants it to be as short and narrow as possible,” Newman says. He recommends negotiating to tighten noncompete clauses in order to give yourself more potential for job mobility and prevent you from trying to sign a new contract, only to realize you’re barred from working in a related field for a year.

2. Non-solicit of employees
When you leave your employer, you may want to continue to work with the best people from your old company, Newman says. However, non-solicit agreements restrict employees from poaching former co-workers or clients from their previous job after transferring companies. These clauses ensure that businesses won’t lose all their top people to a competitor at once, but can hurt you if you try to hire a former co-worker or entice a friend to join you after starting your own business.

3. No-hire
Similar to non-solicit clauses, no-hire agreements prevent you from hiring people who have worked for competitors, such as if someone were to call you after you leave and try to get a job at your new company. These clauses became controversial after several software companies, including Apple and Google, allegedly used them to keep wages artificially low. Signing a contract with this clause in it can restrict your job mobility by automatically making certain companies unable to hire you.


4. Invention assignment agreement
Invention assignment agreements require new hires to disclose any inventions they created before starting their employment at a new company. These clauses protect companies from losing patents by preventing employees from taking projects they worked on to a rival, but can also allow them to claim ownership of your original work. “If you, the employee, is somebody who thinks you’re going to come up with an improvement or invention, you should disclose what you’ve already done beforehand so that there’s no issue of who owns what you’ve already done,” Newman says.

What’s keeping you away from a leadership role?

Susan Ricker 

Everybody has different career goals. When you’re young, you may be focused on simply finding a paycheck that covers your bills and living expenses. If you’re family-minded, you may seek out a job that either allows you work flexibility to spend time with them or a salary that amply provides for them. If you’re creative or ambitious, you may strive to go out on your own and begin your own company or become a freelancer. If you’re closer to retirement, you may look for a position with less responsibility and instead more of a support role. No matter what your career goal is, there’s likely a position that will help you reach that goal.

But interestingly, most workers’ career goals don’t include leadership positions. A new CareerBuilder survey asked more than 3,600 workers across salary levels, industries and company sizes about their career goals and aspirations for leadership positions. Approximately one third (34 percent) of workers strive for leadership positions, with only 7 percent aiming for senior or C-level management.

Taking a closer look at their responses, the survey shows that by an 11 percentage point margin, men (40 percent) are more likely than women (29 percent) to desire a leadership role. Additionally, African Americans (39 percent) and LGBT (44 percent) workers are more likely to aspire to a leadership role than the national average. Thirty-two percent of workers with disabilities aspire to leadership positions, as well as 35 percent of Hispanics – both near the national average.
Why are workers content to avoid climbing the corporate ladder? A majority (52 percent) say they are simply satisfied in their current roles, and a third (34 percent) don’t want to sacrifice work/life balance. Seventeen percent say they do not have the necessary education.

However, not everybody is voluntarily choosing to forego leadership roles and responsibilities.

The glass ceiling problem
The tech industry and other sectors in corporate America have come under criticism for a lack of female and minority executives, but to what extent do workers feel organizations hold these groups back? One in 5 workers (20 percent) feel his or her organization has a glass ceiling – an unseen barrier preventing women and minorities from reaching higher job levels.
However, when looking only at workers who aspire to management and senior management positions, the percentage increases to 24 percent and is even higher among females (33 percent), Hispanics (34 percent), African Americans (50 percent) and workers with disabilities (59 percent). The perception of a glass ceiling is not as prevalent among LGBT workers aspiring to leadership roles; 21 percent feel there is a barrier to leadership at their organization, slightly less than the national average.
A survey result that may point to part of the problem is that only 9 percent of nondiverse males think there is a glass ceiling for women and minorities at their organization.

Breaking through and creating opportunity
More and more companies are addressing this workplace disparity directly. Twenty-seven percent of employers have initiatives to support females pursuing leadership roles and 26 percent have initiatives to support minorities. Thirteen percent of employees at these companies think there is a glass ceiling.
“While most workers don’t want a top job, it is important for organizational leaders to promote a culture of meritocracy in which all workers, regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation, are able to reach senior-level roles based on their skills and past contributions alone,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. “The survey found that employees at companies that have initiatives to support aspiring female and minority leaders are far less likely to say a glass ceiling holds individuals back.”
If you’re struggling to reach the next level of your career or are working to break through a glass ceiling at your own workplace, consider these actions:

• Work with a mentor– In or outside of your organization, working with a mentor can help you make more strategic career moves, benefit from the experience and wisdom they’ve garnered and also gain insight when dealing with difficult management.
• Network – Being a visible member of the team and interacting with other industry professionals will strengthen your own image and establish your expertise. Whether you’re chatting with team members in the break room or attending industry events, the more people you have on your side, the more opportunities will present themselves.
• Be the change you wish to see – The best way to promote workplace equality and support women and minorities in their professional endeavors is to start with your own actions. Check your own biases and recognize what results your own actions are having. Are you contributing to hurtful gossip or choosing your own friends for projects first? Give everyone a fair chance and find ways to bring everyone on board new projects and initiatives. You’ll help the company and your co-workers succeed.

Underqualified? 7 tips to inspire employers to give you a chance

By Guest Contributor




By JT Ripton, guest contributor

If you’re fresh out of college or you’ve lost your job due to the post-recession restructuring, you’re in the same unenviable position: Both of you are competing for the same small pool of jobs, and both of you face the same obstacles. What can you do to make yourself stand out and convince those choosy employers that they should hire you over potentially better-qualified applicants?

Design your resume around your transferable skills

When you’re changing careers, you need to frame your existing skills and experiences in terms of the job you are trying to get. Most people have a bank of skills that are freely transferable between jobs: communication, interpersonal, teamwork and leadership. You may have other skills, such as computer programs you know, that would be valuable, but make sure that you frame them in the context of the new job. If you can’t find a way to make a particular skill fit, then don’t use it.

Demonstrate flexibility and willingness to learn

Most employers value flexibility and trainability as much as they value hard skills according to a CareerBuilder survey. The survey found that 77 percent of employers believe that soft skills (including trainability and flexibility) matter just as much as hard skills. This is great news for people changing careers or new college graduates. To demonstrate this to a prospective employer, be ready to give examples of times when you had to learn a new skill quickly.

Choose a T-format cover letter

The T-format cover letter is useful for people with scant experience or a spotty work history. It is divided into two columns, where the left column lists qualifications from the job posting, and the right lists the attributes which meet those qualifications. The T-format works well because it lets you showcase your talents in the context of the job posting and takes the focus off any gaps in your work history or the lack thereof.

Be likable

Even when you’re the most qualified applicant, competence alone will never win you the job. At the end of the day, hiring managers often hire the person they liked the best and who they’d like to hang out with. After all, they’re only human. If your bona fides are lacking, then the likeability factor is even more important. The best way to be likeable is to have a positive attitude. Act interested in everything about the job, from the company itself to the industry as a whole.

Know when it’s a lost cause

The new economy is smaller than the old one, and in such circumstances, it is tempting to just throw your resume at every job opening you see, even those for which you are completely unqualified. Yet, doing so makes no sense and is a waste of your time. For instance, if you’re an accountant, it would be silly for you to try to get a job as an x-ray technician. However, realize that job ads represent employer wish lists and not absolute must-haves. Consequently, if you meet a fair amount of the criteria listed in the ad, go ahead and apply.

Experience is experience, paid or not

Many people think that you shouldn’t add unpaid experience, such as school and volunteer work, to your resume, because only paid work counts. However, experience, paid or not, is still experience. As long as you can relate it to the job you are applying for, you should include it. For example, if you’re a tax major, and you interned at an accountant’s office during tax season last spring, it makes sense to include this information in your application to work at a tax preparation office.

Include keywords in your resume

Many employers are screening candidate resumes electronically. The screening software uses keywords and phrases from the ad and will only select resumes and cover letters that include those words and phrases. To make sure that you make the cut, scan each advertisement for keywords that match your skills and include them in your resume and cover letter.

5 Things Successful People Never Do

It's time to stop prioritizing perfection

Business Insider

By Jacquelyn Smith

There are a million things that contribute to your success: your attitude, your people skills, and your ability to lead, listen, and take responsibility, to name a few.

But an important one many don't know about is the ability to manage emotions and remain calm under pressure, says Travis Bradberry, president at TalentSmart and coauthor of "Emotional Intelligence 2.0," in a LinkedIn post.

In a more recent follow-up post, Bradberry says that managing your emotions is as much about what you don't do as it is about what you do.

He sifted through data from his company, TalentSmart - which tested more than a million people and found that the "upper echelons of top performance are filled with people who are high in emotional intelligence" - to uncover the kinds of things that successful do and don't do to keep themselves calm, content, and in control.

He found nine behaviors they consciously avoid. Here are a few of our favorites:

1. They don't live in the past.
"Emotionally intelligent people know that success lies in their ability to rise in the face of failure, and they can't do this when they're living in the past," he says. "Anything worth achieving is going to require you to take some risks, and you can't allow [past failures] to stop you from believing in your ability to succeed."

When you live in the past, that is what happens - and it's nearly impossible to move forward.

2. They don't dwell on problems or hold grudges.
Bradberry says your emotional state is determined by where you focus your attention. "When you fixate on the problems that you're facing, you create and prolong negative emotions and stress, which hinders performance. When you focus on actions to better yourself and your circumstances, you create a sense of personal efficacy that produces positive emotions and improves performance."

People with high emotional intelligence focus on solutions, he says. And they rarely hold a grudge.

Why?

When you relive an event or conversation that angered you, "you [send] your body into fight-or-flight mode," Bradberry says. "When a threat is imminent, this reaction is essential to your survival, but when a threat is ancient history, holding onto that stress wreaks havoc on your body and can have devastating health consequences over time."

Emotionally intelligent people know that stress and negativity are detrimental to their success - so they avoid holding grudges at all costs, he says.

3. They don't prioritize perfection.
Successful people don't aim for perfection because they know it doesn't exist. "Human beings, by our very nature, are fallible," Bradberry says. "When perfection is your goal, you're always left with a nagging sense of failure, and you end up spending your time lamenting what you failed to accomplish and what you should have done differently instead of enjoying what you were able to achieve."

4. They don't surround themselves with negative people.
Negative people - or those who complain all the time - are toxic.

"They wallow in their problems and fail to focus on solutions," he says. "They want people to join their pity party so that they can feel better about themselves."

It's human nature to feel obligated to listen to complainers because we don't want to be seen as insensitive or impolite, Bradberry says. "But there's a fine line between lending a sympathetic ear and getting sucked into their negative emotional spiral."

He says you can avoid getting drawn in by setting limits and distancing yourself from those people. "Think of it this way: If a person were smoking, would you sit there all afternoon inhaling the secondhand smoke? You'd distance yourself, and you should do the same with complainers."

5. They don't say "yes" to everyone, all the time.
Research has found that the more difficulty you have saying "no," the more likely you are to experience stress, burnout, and depression, he says. "Saying no is indeed a major challenge for most people. [It] is a powerful word that you should not be afraid to wield."

When it's necessary to say "no" to a request, successful people don't beat around the bush. They are typically direct and avoid phrases like, "I don't think I can," Bradberry says.

"Saying 'no' to a new commitment honors your existing commitments and gives you the opportunity to successfully fulfill them."      

How To Dress Like A Leader In Any Work Environment

The 5 Levels of Business Attire

Business Insider

There was once a time when every professional, no matter his or her industry, put on a suit each morning.

But today, there are so many interpretations of formal and business casual that it can be easy to look sloppy or over-dressed if you're not aware of the environment.

Sylvie di Giusto, founder of Executive Image Consulting, works with executives looking to improve how they present themselves and professionals hoping to impress their clients and bosses. In her new book "The Image of Leadership," she breaks down the five levels of dress code that she uses with her clients.

We've represented them below, and included di Giusto's insight into how to make your clothes work for you in the office (click to expand):




If you're not sure which level is most appropriate for your work environment, the basic rule of thumb is "the more you deal with a client's money, the more traditional and conservative you should be dressed," di Giusto says.

That means that people in finance, law, and accounting, for example, should stick to traditional business attire, and those in creative industries, like entertainment and advertising, can dress flexibly within the casual levels.

If you're a member of the board or meeting with a member of the board, boardroom attire is most appropriate - regardless of the size of the company.                                        



    

Adjusting Your Management Style for Difficult People

Five types of trouble employees, and how to bring out the best in them

CareerBuilder

By Robert Half

Anyone who's been a supervisor for long knows that it's no easy task overseeing a diverse team of professionals. Even if you've hired well, you're faced with unique personalities that require you to apply varied management styles.

The big challenge is how to deal with difficult people - employees who otherwise meet job expectations but who also have a tendency to drive colleagues and supervisors crazy at times.
Here are some individuals common in any department and the management styles that work best with them:

The Wallflower
This employee is an introvert, preferring to work quietly and with minimal hoopla. You won't see this person pitching new ideas in a staff meeting or actively socializing at the office's monthly birthday celebration. In fact, you may not always notice the person is there at all, diligently completing projects.

The best strategy here is not trying to change The Wallflower but instead tapping into strengths. Rather than being frustrated that the person never offers ideas in a formal setting, ask for suggestions in writing or in small groups. Don't rule out this personality type, either, for leadership roles. Those who are more reserved tend to be great listeners, organized and thoughtful in their actions, making them effective at directing teams.

The Know-It-All
This person may be rude, impatient and frustrated that no one else has the same level of expertise. The Know-It-All may be one of the most challenging of difficult people because this employee always believes he or she is correct.

A firm management style is needed. Since this person will dominate staff meetings if given free reign, you need to step in and make sure others are allowed a chance to voice opinions or ideas. Also consider sending the Know-It-All to soft skills training and development to help refine interpersonal communication skills.

If the individual really does "know it all," think about whether he or she would make a good trainer. That way, the person's knowledge can be transferred to other employees.

The Panic Attack
When you think of this staff member, the phrase "grace under pressure" is the last thing that comes to mind. The person is fully capable of getting the job done and has a track record of meeting deadlines, but just the thought of that big project makes the individual nervous. Even you start to feel anxious being around The Panic Attack.

This personality type thrives on structure and predictability. The more organized you are, the less likely the employee will freak out at the onset of a new initiative. Providing a list of key steps to an assignment and citing all of the resources available to support the efforts can be calming. It can also be helpful to check in periodically on progress and provide feedback with reassurance all is on track.

The Laid-Back Pro
The opposite of The Panic Attack is The Laid-Back Pro. This person may be competent, but he or she often leaves others worried whether the job will get done on time. Can that lackadaisical employee really be committed to quality work?

The management style that's ideal in this case is a direct, but casual, one. Assuming the individual is meeting expectations and following company rules, resist the temptation to micromanage. Motivate through trust by giving clear instruction and then handing over authority. The Laid-Back Pro flourishes when given the freedom to tackle projects creatively.

The Competitor
Seemingly unimportant issues are big ones to The Competitor. This person views everything as a contest and sometimes steps on toes just to "win."

The solution to toning down the behavior? Give the person more work. The Competitor can't worry about games if there's a full plate of projects to tackle. Also consider ways you can use the competitive mind-set as an asset to your team. For example, you might charge this employee with the task of negotiating pricing with new vendors.

Dealing with difficult people is unfortunately part of leadership. In more extreme situations, you may need to have serious discussions about performance expectations and attitude. Think about whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks of having certain people on board. Most of the time, though, you should find that the right management style helps you get more out of the most challenging individuals.      

Do You Feel Like a LinkedIn Fraud?

You acquire new skills daily on the job. Exploit them and promote them.

Shannon McLay

During a recent mentoring session, a friend confessed to feeling a crisis of self-confidence where her professional skills were concerned. She had received a few inquiries from recruiters through LinkedIn based on her profile skills, yet she felt like a fraud. Although she had acquired a number of skills while working for her current employer, she didn't believe she could get hired by another firm because she didn't view herself as a "financial professional."

My friend felt this way because she did not earn a degree in finance, nor did she study finance while in school.

It was surprising for me to hear these concerns from my friend because I had worked with her professionally for years. In that time I always thought she was one of the most talented financial professionals I knew. It's sad to me to think she has put herself in a professional box because she didn't have a formal education in finance. However, I know she is not the only one out there who feels like a LinkedIn charlatan.

As someone who did get a degree in finance, and has worked in the field for 14 years, I can assure you, you do not always need a degree to be deemed a financial services professional.

I spent years studying accounting and management, yet I frequently laugh to myself about how very little of it I actually use in my professional career. The truth is, most of the finance training you need to do your job, is taught to you while you are working on the job.

There are certainly jobs in the field where the employer may require a degree in accounting, finance, economics or math. However, there are a number of entry-level corporate finance or banking jobs that will not have those restrictions. I even worked with a number of hedge funds who actually preferred a degree outside of finance because they wanted their team to "think outside the box" and come up with ideas that other funds were not using.

Finance is such a diverse field with so many nuances to each job there is no way a college professor, or even an entire major of study, can impart that knowledge to students. In fact, I believe the greatest tools you will have in your arsenal for success in a finance career are excellent writing skills, good communication skills, and strong people skills. From my experience, I gained all of these not in my business school classes, but in my liberal arts classes like English, Psychology and Public Speaking.

If you have these skills, typically your bosses and mentors can teach you the ins and outs of a balance sheet, regulatory reporting, or using an internal system to report profits and losses. For some finance fields, additional testing and training is required that you could never take while in school. When I worked as a financial advisor, I had to take the Series 7 and Series 63 exams to learn more about investments and federal and state regulations.

I see too many young and talented financial professionals leave the field because they assume they are not qualified to remain, or do not have the background to grow and gain even more skills.

They tend to not value the many years of on-the-job training that they have received, when those skills are far more valuable than any finance degree.

If you can honestly include a skill on LinkedIn, then you need to have faith in yourself that you are capable of not only performing that skill well, but also that others would want to hire you for this skill. Do not let a lack of self-confidence prohibit you from honestly building out a LinkedIn profile that will get the attention of financial services recruiters.

I spent most of my mentoring session encouraging my friend to embrace the skills she has acquired and accept reality. While she did not plan on a career in finance, she is actually capable of having a very successful career in this field. After accepting this feedback, she agreed to speak with more recruiters going forward, and in fact she just recently received a job offer and promotion from another company based on the skills she listed on LinkedIn.

So don't miss out on great opportunities by selling yourself short professionally. Remember, you don't always need a finance degree to be a finance professional. On-the-job training is often more valuable than any classroom lesson.      

5 Productivity Tools Administrators Will Love

Use technology to make your life easier 

By Justin Lingenfelter 

In the digital age, it can be taxing keeping track of employees, contractors, schedules, projects, what have you. If you want any growth or scalability, you'll want to wrangle that in as soon as possible; otherwise, you'll have a huge headache to deal with before you know it.

There are numerous productivity mobile apps, web apps, and software apps available on the market. Below are a few of my personal favorites.

Yammer (https://www.yammer.com/)

What it does: Yammer is an enterprise social network. And it truly feels like a certain large social network that's dedicated to your team/company. It's got all the benefits of that large social network -- feeds, private or public groups, polls. But it's also got the ability to give a colleague or team "praise".

Who uses it: DHL, Shell, Nationwide, 7-Eleven

What it costs: $3/user/month for basic Yammer; more for other Microsoft-related benefits.

Why I love it: As an Apple and Google diehard, it was difficult to buy into Yammer, given that it's owned by Microsoft. But after just a few days, it brought our almost entirely virtual team (that was merged together by two other virtual teams) together more than a weekly GoToMeeting ever could. It's got feeds, groups, chat, private chat, the ability to add files (!), and more. Like that big social network but better and not full of your annoying relatives

What it doesn't do: Outside of the chat feature, there isn't much real-time communication. The files area allows for some collaboration but it still feels a bit like email in that you have to wait for the person to see it, add comments, edit, etc. Its biggest benefit is having a running feed of posts and updates.

Sococo (https://www.sococo.com/)

What it does: Sococo is relatively new to me. It's a legitimate virtual office. And a bangin' one at that. I set up Yammer before our team found this in hopes of creating a virtual office. Then Sococo took it to the next level. You get a visual of an office, the ability to join other offices, video chat, voice chat, chat chat, locking "offices" for private meetings, and more. If they had an affiliate program, I'd be all over it!

Who uses it: Aptitude, G4S, Intuit

What it costs: Free – $199+ (When I initially saw the price, I was definitely put off. Whereas Yammer's pricing is so cheap it's dumb not to get, Sococo's service is so amazing that it makes the pricing seem irrelevant.)

Why I love it: It completed my vision of a virtual office. We are able to see who is online and when, are able to connect in real time, and have various sized meetings. They put a lot of focus into office floorplan design as well as the psychological effects/benefits of doors, windows, and scenery.

What it doesn't do: Unfortunately, it doesn't yet have any of the feed/post capabilities that Yammer currently has. Fortunately, I've been assured (after many voice chats with them) they have these types of features in the pipeline. It won't be long until Sococo completely obliterates Yammer from this list. Did I mention I'd be an affiliate of theirs?

Project Management: TeamworkPM, Basecamp, Asana, Etc

What it does: You're probably already familiar with at least one of these. They've been around the block a few times, had some revisioning, and are all pretty well used in the small business/startup world. They all have the same goal – efficient management of projects.

Who uses it: NASA, adidas, PayPal, Dropbox, Pinterest, etc. A lot of well-known brands...

What it costs: Prices vary from free to up to thousands, though most small companies can get what they need at $200 tops and often at far lower than that.

Why I love it: There isn't ONE that I love. They all have different bells and whistles. They all claim the best efficiency. And I've used most of them. The things that you have to think about are:

1) Is any group on your team used to one of them already (If nobody has used anything before but your developers use TeamworkPM, maybe that's the best bet)?

2) What is the best option for your team's workflow (do you really need a Gantt chart?)?

3) Which pricing best suits your company's financial status (find out how much money your company has to throw around)?

What it doesn't have: This is a general list... They all have something. They all don't have something. Like I said before, look at the benefits and costs of each before deciding which to go with. But get one. Because you can only keep track of projects and tasks mentally for so long before it's time to start looking for another job!

WeekPlan (http://weekplan.net)

What it does: I discovered WeekPlan just this week. While I pride myself in my ability to find the most efficient processes possible, I can't do it for myself. It's like the professional organizer with a messy house... WeekPlan is based on Stephen R. Covey's bestselling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, leveraging what's important vs. what's urgent.

Who uses it: Everybody. Like me, and you, and your mom.

What it costs: FREE to $7/mo+

Why I love it: It allows me to define areas of my life in which I then define goals based on if they're urgent or important. I then set aside time each day for urgent tasks and important tasks. No matter how much your boss wishes you were a robot, you're only one person. Your productivity is based on a lot of variables and a variety of studies will support that.

What it doesn't do: I'm not sure yet. It's still new to me but I like it. You can customize lists, add a "parking lot" for off the cuff ideas, and more. It seems to be really flexible so this is TBD.

Google Calendar (https://www.google.com/calendar/)

What it does: This is the simplest one on the list. We mostly use it for staff meetings and availability; which has been a Godsend.

What it costs: It's part of your Google account and FREE. Unless you have Google Apps, like us. But the pricing is still worth it given the ease of use it gives your enterprise.

Why I love it: It's simple. Google Calendar allows us to easily add appointments, availability, and invitations. The best part is that it can sync across multiple platforms, operating systems, browsers, mobile operating systems, and integrate with practically any web-app. Its flexibility and price (free!) make it one of the best tools available to groups.

What it doesn't do: I don't know. You can set reminders for anything. Like brushing your teeth. It's a calendar, so as long as you don't expect too much more than that, there isn't anything it can't do. Seriously, dude. It's a calendar.

How to recover from a mistake at work

Source:Robert Half
 

Everyone makes mistakes, and managers are no exception. Unfortunately, because of your status and responsibilities, your missteps may garner more attention and have more consequences than if a junior employee did something similar. It’s important to know how to recover from a mistake quickly and move on. Below are a few examples of managerial errors and some tips for making a comeback.

You’re a micromanager
A good boss knows the difference between managing and micromanaging. Employees want supervisors to trust them to make decisions and work independently. When you watch over your employees’ every move like a vulture, they feel as if you’re just waiting for them to slip up. Such an environment isn’t conducive to high morale or job satisfaction.
If your own boss has told you to stop micromanaging, what do you do next? It may be difficult, but the first step in recovering from this mistake and regaining workers’ trust is to acknowledge your shortcomings. Tell your direct reports you’ve been squandering their time and talents with your micromanagement and that things will be different from now on.
Follow through on your word. Give them decision-making power and, as the “Frozen” song advises, let it go. More important, ask them to hold you accountable in case you slip back into old habits.

You didn’t give good instructions
When employees don’t get enough direction or the right information, they can take a project down a different path than you expected. Nobody wants to start a project over from scratch because they were given vague or confusing guidelines. Misdirection can even make employees feel like they were set up for failure.
If you’re guilty of giving bad directions, you owe your team an apology. Express regret for not explaining the assignment better, and then make sure they’re clear on exactly what they need to do going forward. In the future, avoid situations like this by giving clear and detailed instructions, asking for questions and comments, and checking in periodically to make sure nobody is heading into the weeds.

You really stepped in it
The press loves writing about executive blunders. Whether it’s an unfortunate slip of the tongue, getting caught in a lie or losing millions of company dollars, a public mistake is embarrassing and gut wrenching — and you think you’ll never get over it. While some executives are fired or asked to resign over a misstep or poor judgment, most survive the fallout.
But how to recover from a mistake, especially when it damaged the company’s reputation (not to mention your own) and/or cost money to fix? For one, there’s no need to fall on the sword, although one in three managers surveyed for a Robert Half survey said they’ve accepted blame for something that wasn’t their fault.
However, if you were the one who erred, here’s how to get back on your feet and put the mistake behind you. It won’t be easy, but it is necessary.

1. Say you’re sorry. Apologize to your boss, shareholders, the board, people who work for you, the public — anyone who felt the repercussions of your mistake. Don’t dodge or get defensive. Accept full responsibility for your actions.

2. Fix the problem. Can you undo the damage or salvage the situation? If not, do whatever you can to mitigate the impact of your mistake. If you’ve made a bad hire, for example, take the onus for firing the person and recruiting a replacement.

3. Live and learn. The worst mistake is not the one you just made, but failing to learn from it. We are the sum of our experiences. Furthermore, don’t let this one get you down and make you afraid to take risks in the future.
No one wants to fumble on the job, but it happens. Use the incident as a growth opportunity for yourself, your team and your organization. Knowing how to recover from a mistake means the difference between regaining people’s trust and losing their respect — or even your job.