Are You the Oldest Worker On the Team? - Are You the Oldest Worker On the Team?

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/0z/ar5c5fj6nwqr08hqlm0z.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/0z/ar5c5fj6nwqr08hqlm0z.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>When Stephanie Elsy, 50, worked for a small organization where her boss and three co-workers were all younger than she, she had an epiphany.<br /><br />"I had an 'OMG' moment when I realized that my co-worker was 22 and I was 50," she says. "I could have had a child in my mid-20s who would be older than she was!"<br /><br />That was the first time Elsy really thought about the age differences between herself and her colleagues; it wasn't the last time, either. Today, she works as an accountant for Pop Labs, a digital media agency, where her boss (and owner of the company) is 38.<br /><br />Unsurprisingly, Elsy is not the only baby boomer in today's work force who faces the issue of working with younger people. For the first time in history, there are four different generations working side-by-side in the workplace. Each one has its own attitudes, perceptions and values, which sometimes make it challenging for older workers to adapt.<br /><br />Challenges older workers face<br /><br />What seems to be the No. 1 obstacle baby boomers face when working with younger co-workers? Experts agree that it's got a lot to do with self-esteem.<br /><br />"It's hard on the ego for baby boomers to have a younger boss," says Christine Hassler, a life coach, professional speaker and author. "Their parents taught them that seniority comes with age ... having to answer to a younger boss goes against the model they subscribed to. Not only are boomers often embarrassed and angry that they are answering to someone their child's age, they do not know how to relate to or connect with their boss and/or co-workers, which only makes them feel more separate."<br /><br />Another hindrance separating boomers from younger generations is their tendency to believe that they have all the answers, says Rolfe Carawan, founder and CEO of Carawan Global Communications and Consulting. They want to tell people how to do something rather than ask someone how.<br /><br />Beverly Mahone, 51, faced similar struggles when a woman 10 years her junior (and with no experience), was chosen for a news assignment manager position over Mahone, who had 20 years experience.<br /><br />"She relied heavily on me to help her. She called me 'ma'am' all the time," Mahone recounts. "I didn't appreciate her lack of experience and the fact that she was getting paid nearly twice my salary. She had no clear-cut system in place on how she wanted things run."<br /><br />Mahone, who now owns her own media consulting firm, eventually left the corporate world in part due to the fact that she disliked working for younger supervisors.<br /><br />Frank Ricketts, 57, says he thinks the biggest challenge with working alongside younger people is their sense of urgency. Currently the second-oldest employee at his company, Ricketts has been the vice president of Colour, a Canada-based advertising and PR agency, since 1993. His immediate boss -- the president -- joined the company five years ago and is 16 years younger than he.<br /><br />"We are not taking the time to sit and reflect on the solution to determine if it is the best [for our client]," he says. "Younger people are always looking at the next challenge before finishing the current one, resisting and sulking when their ideas are not gleefully accepted."<br /><br />Benefits to working with youth<br /><br />Despite all the challenges boomers face as a result of having a younger boss, it's important for them to learn how to deal with and accept it. As a result of more boomers staying in the work force while millions of Generation Y enter it, the chances of boomers having a younger boss are increasing.<br /><br />"Unless you are immortal, the reality of having to hand over the reins to the next generation is, in a word, inevitable," says Jason Seiden, a management consultant and author.<br /><br />Armed with this information, boomers must learn to appreciate, rather than negatively judge, younger generations.<br /><br />Susan Hawkins, 60, learned to embrace younger co-workers a long time ago. Her last three bosses have all been younger than she, by as many as 25 years. In her current position as a senior copywriter for The Shops at 24Seven, an e-commerce company, Hawkins is older than her department director, the CEO and the president.<br /><br />"Age doesn't seem to be an issue; I was hired because I'm good at what I do," she says. "I benefit from working with younger people ... they keep you young! They keep you tuned into today's world and the latest technology. I love the fact that I'm learning so much about how the Internet works, especially where business is concerned. There's really nothing I dislike about working for a younger boss."<br /><br />Sandi Grimm, 55, has been the marketing director for YouthFriends, a nonprofit organization, for more than nine years. Her boss, who started just two years ago, is 37. Grimm says she respects her younger boss and the different skill set she brings to the company.<br /><br />"It's fun to look at things from her perspective ... it keeps me open-minded. I also think she respects my experience and maturity," Grimm says.<br /><br />Here are 10 tips that will help you effectively deal with working in a younger work environment:<br />1. Recognize that an important factor in managing any relationship is understanding the other person's point of view. If your boss is from another generation, you may have differing opinions on many things, says Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers, a career management firm. Observe his behavior to better understand what influences his management style and how you can complement it.<br /><br />2. Don't assume traditional boss behaviors. If you get that weekend phone call, don't immediately assume it's a power trip, Seiden says. Younger workers don't all put the same kinds of boundaries on work and personal time as you might have. They can be segmented, but those segmentations don't always fit a traditional schedule.<br /><br />3. Never let 'em see you sweat. No matter how unhappy you are with your new, younger boss, don't show it because you could become expendable for another "younger" employee. If you're that unhappy, start making plans to make your exit, Mahone advises.<br /><br />4. Keep an open mind. Don't assume that because they are younger, they don't know what they are doing, Grimm says. We all have different skill sets. No one is good at everything.<br /><br />5. You have to want to learn new things and look at things differently. You'll want to do some hanging out with the kids to enjoy what they enjoy. Otherwise, they'll just see you as a fuddy-duddy and you'll be irritated by the boss and his newfangled ideas, Elsy says.<br /><br />6. Use your experience to temper any potential insecurity about having a younger boss. You've got perspective they don't yet have, which benefits both of you, says Sam Spear, owner of Gogh Advertising.<br /><br />7. Help a brother out. Your boss is more nervous about this relationship than you, Seiden says. Help your boss find his footing, and he is likely to return the favor by giving you the autonomy you want and by including you on decisions.<br /><br />8. Listen! Call it the hubris of youth or just the natural outcome of the self-esteem curriculum, but younger workers are deeply committed to collaboration and want to be included on decisions and strategies, Carawan says. If you want to bridge the gaps, show them you're willing to invest, improve and understand.<br /><br />9. Spend time with them one on one. Take some time to get to know your boss and find out what she thinks, Ricketts says. You'll usually come back richer for it.<br /><br />10. Be the employee your boss does not have to manage. Bosses spend a lot of time managing younger employees who are just beginning to learn prioritization and time management, Hassler says. Be the employee that your boss does not have to manage by taking initiative. If you are an employee whom your boss does not have to think about, he will begin to notice and appreciate your experience and wisdom.<br /><br />Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.<br /></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a> </div>

Are You the Oldest Worker On the Team? - Are You the Oldest Worker On the Team?

When Stephanie Elsy, 50, worked for a small organization where her boss and three co-workers were all younger than she, she had an epiphany....

Read more »

How to Get Credit for Your Ideas at Work

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/mg/ar5f74f77wrc3d6s87mg.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/mg/ar5f74f77wrc3d6s87mg.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>You are at a meeting to discuss ideas for implementing a new program in your company. After some discussion, you tentatively throw out an idea. It is ignored.<br /><br />Ten minutes later, one of your co-workers says "Hey, here's an idea ..." and restates your suggestion almost word for word. This time, "your" idea is met with a chorus of "Great idea!" from your colleagues.<br /><br />If this has ever happened to you, you are not alone.<br /><br />Sonia Herasymowych, Ph.D., a consultant on mental diversity, says one reason ideas are sometimes not acknowledged the first time they're stated is because of differences in thinking styles.<br /><br />Right-brained thinkers tend to be intuitive. They may jump to a conclusion and express it before their left-brained colleagues have arrived at the same conclusion. It is only after the discussion has logically led to the idea that it is likely to be embraced by the left-brained thinkers, Herasymowych says.<br /><br />Whether or not you get credit for your ideas depends not only on when they are communicated, but on how they are communicated. Here are some communication techniques to help you get credit for your ideas.<br /><br />1. Communicate with confidence<br />In her book "Talking From 9 to 5," Deborah Tannen reports that employees who get heard at meetings tend to be those who speak more directly, loudly and at greater length than their co-workers.<br /><br />Says Tannen, "Many people try to avoid seeming presumptuous by prefacing their statements with a disclaimer such as, 'I don't know if this will work, but ...' or 'You've probably already thought of this, but ...'" However, such disclaimers may result in the rest of the message being ignored.<br /><br />"Women are often conditioned not to brag about their accomplishments while men are trained to do exactly that," says Sandra Beckwith, author of "Why Can't a Man Be More Like a Woman?" "I advise women to mimic male confidence when presenting their ideas so they are more likely to be heard and get the appropriate credit."<br /><br />"Be assertive when putting an idea forth," says Pamela J. Holland, co-author of "Help! Was That a Career Limiting Move?" "If you float something out at a meeting, but do so without conviction -- even if it's brilliant -- there's a chance that it will be overlooked or maybe even jumped on by someone else who recognizes its value and quickly takes it on as their own."<br /><br />2. Tell your boss<br />Andrea Kay, author of "Life's a Bitch and Then You Change Careers," says, "Make a point to let your boss know about your achievements and worthy ideas. Don't assume he or she will notice. Bosses are too busy with their own problems. If you've got an idea on how to improve a process, project or relationship, increase sales or save the day, speak up.<br /><br />"If you can't get face time with your boss, write it down," Kay says. "If it's via e-mail, put in the subject line: 'How to save the Turner account' or 'How to save $50,000 on training costs.'"<br /><br />3. Get support from others<br />"If you have a great idea, market it internally and discuss it with multiple people, which allows you to take ownership of your ideas and prevents others from appropriating them as their own," recommends Peter Handal, president and CEO of Dale Carnegie Training.<br /><br />"However, give credit where it's due and if you share the idea with someone and they come up with another idea that enhances yours, prepare to market it as a joint idea," adds Handal.<br /><br />4. Set the record straight<br />If someone takes credit for your idea and you're in a competitive workplace, you may need to set the record straight. Beckwith advises, "Write a memo after the fact that makes it clear where the idea came from -- 'I'm glad to see that Bob liked my idea, which was to...'"<br /><br />In other workplaces, it may be better to let it go. Handal warns, "If you're working as part of a team, aggressively taking credit for your ideas can make you look like an insecure egomaniac."<br /><br />5. Get something better than credit<br />What if it's your boss who takes credit for something you've come up with?<br /><br />"If your boss takes the credit, they owe you one," says Ted Sun, Ph.D., executive coach and author of "Secrets of Biz Success."<br /><br />"Don't lose sight of the fact that your No. 1 most important job is to support your manager and make him or her look good," Holland says. "If that means letting this person take credit for what you've done, so be it. The rewards you reap behind the scenes in terms of your performance appraisal, career support, etc., should offset it, provided you work for a manager whom you trust and who shows respect and consideration for you in other ways."<br /><br />If your boss routinely takes credit for your ideas without rewarding you, it may be time to look for a new job. But Steven L. Katz, author of "Lion Taming: Working Successfully with Leaders, Bosses, and Other Tough Customers," has a different point of view.<br /><br />"When it comes to bosses, clients and others who you want to engage in your ideas, the critical test of the value of an idea is if they do make it their own," Katz says. "Better than credit, what you really want in an organization is influence!"<br /><br />By Tag Goulet co-founder of FabJob.com, a publisher of career guides offering step-by-step advice for breaking into a variety of dream careers. Visit www.FabJob.com to subscribe to the free career newsletter.<br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"><br />Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a> </div>

How to Get Credit for Your Ideas at Work

You are at a meeting to discuss ideas for implementing a new program in your company. After some discussion, you tentatively throw out an id...

Read more »

What a 4-Year-Old Can Teach You About Managing Your Boss

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/bx/ar5f7895xtqmwhp5v5bx.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/bx/ar5f7895xtqmwhp5v5bx.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>I had a revelation last week: My 4-year-old daughter is gifted at managing up.<br /><br />Does she work? No -- but as I see it, right now, I'm the boss and she's an employee in our family firm. And I've noticed that she's become quite adept at getting what she wants from upper management.<br /><br />Please know, I'm no pushover. I stand my ground on the important issues like "No popsicles for breakfast" and "Socks are not optional when it's 2 degrees outside." But on the fuzzier stuff, I must concede that she's mastered the art of persuasion.<br /><br />So, it occurred to me that we could all learn from her expertise. Consider these three techniques as performed by my pint-sized employee:<br /><br />1. Learn how to say "no" disarmingly<br />When my daughter doesn't want to do something, she stares deeply in my eyes and with an "I'm so sorry to disappoint you" smile and calmly says, "No thank you." It throws me off every time.<br /><br />First, the thank-you is so polite, who can criticize that? Second, her body language and facial expressions are soft and nonconfrontational. It's hard to respond negatively to someone who is displaying no anger or tension of their own.<br /><br />Translation: Employees who learn to engage in conflict without confrontation are appreciated for their calm communications skills by management.<br /><br />2. When you want something, be a sweet but squeaky wheel<br />Once my daughter has decided she wants something, here's what she does: First, she asks for your time and tells you it's serious. She sits right down and holds your attention with her eyes. Then, she explains in detail what she wants and why it is so important that she have it. She is energetic and passionate in her description.<br /><br />If she doesn't get it, she asks why. And if she doesn't like the answer, she says no more and walks away.<br /><br />But that's not the end of it.<br /><br />Shortly thereafter, she returns, having thoughtfully pondered my denial and ready to further explain additional reasons for me to change my mind, as well as reasons why my own argument doesn't hold water. Additionally, if I say "no" yet again, she solemnly walks away, waits awhile, and then comes back again and asks for the same thing in a slightly different way, hoping her willingness to compromise will pay off.<br /><br />At this point, she watches me intently for signs that I am going to either A) cave in and let her win, or B) start to raise my voice and get angry. If it's the latter, she immediately calls it quits -- for the day.<br /><br />She knows just how far to rock the boat and has no problem waiting for a better time to try again. She doesn't hold a grudge, she stays happy and upbeat, as if nothing has happened. In her mind, it's a minor setback, as opposed to a crushing loss.<br /><br />This approach always makes me want to be able to say "yes" to her next request because I'm so impressed that she accepted the "no" without making a scene.<br /><br />Translation: Employees who patiently promote their cause and can accept an unfavorable decision gracefully are respected and valued by management.<br /><br />3. Use unexpected recognition as a way to score points<br />My daughter doesn't butter me up. She doesn't gush with compliments in an effort to get what she wants. But every so often, quite randomly, she will say or do something that makes me feel fabulous.<br /><br />One day, when I was especially frustrated and feeling overwhelmed by all that I had to do, she looked at me with a compassionate face and simply said, "It must be tough to be a mommy."<br /><br />Ironically, it's technically not even a compliment. She didn't have to lie and say she thought I was a great mommy. I wouldn't expect her to. I'm the rule enforcer -- who likes that? But, she acknowledged the difficulty of my role and that recognition felt wonderful. So much so, that I canceled an appointment and took her out for ice cream.<br /><br />Translation: Employees who convey their respect and appreciation for the level of responsibility and efforts of management are seen as good team players.<br /><br /><br />These are just a few of the ways that my 4-year-old manages her boss. Why not try them? With a little practice, you could be managing up with the finesse of a pre-schooler while reaping the rewards bestowed to wise employees.<br /><br />By JT O'Donnell nationally syndicated workplace columnist and author of the book "Careerealism: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career."<br /></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a> </div>

What a 4-Year-Old Can Teach You About Managing Your Boss

I had a revelation last week: My 4-year-old daughter is gifted at managing up. Does she work? No -- but as I see it, right now, I'm the ...

Read more »

How Work is Like Peanut Butter

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/p4/ar5d6n3658s7tvpk7dp4.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/p4/ar5d6n3658s7tvpk7dp4.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>Feel like you always fall out of love with your jobs? Does this sound familiar?<br /><br />"In the beginning, I couldn't wait to get to the office. I loved the company, my boss, my peers and my job. Then, the excitement started to go away and I realized that it was all in my mind. The job I fell in love with is just like every other job I've had: It's repetitive, tedious and long. I end up feeling like a failure because I can't find a job that makes me happy."<br /><br />If you can relate to this scenario, let me share a secret: Work is like peanut butter.<br /><br />Phase one: The introduction<br /><br />Think back to when you were first introduced to peanut butter. You were most likely a kid, who had tasted only healthy foods that were dull but good for you, like fruits, veggies, toast and crackers.<br /><br />One day, someone put a sandwich in front of you and said, "Try this." You took a bite and your taste buds went nuts for the sweet candylike treat that was easy to chew and full of yummy flavor. Your little brain probably said, "Is this a mistake? Do they know what I'm eating?" At which point, you immediately thought, "I better show them I like this," and you wolfed it down.<br /><br />The same thing happens when you go on an interview and like what you see and hear. Your brain gets really excited with the possibility of something new and delicious entering your life on a regular basis. You do whatever it takes to land the job, and then you celebrate like a 4-year-old when you get the offer letter. But let's return to our story.<br /><br />The grown-up who gave you the sandwich is so impressed with the way you devoured it, you're told you can have it again. You opt to have it every day. If you could, you'd eat it for breakfast, lunch AND dinner.<br /><br />Phase two: Boredom sets in<br /><br />One day, you realize that peanut butter is a bit boring. It doesn't have the same appeal it did when you first tasted it, but now, it's been added to the "healthy foods" list and you're told you HAVE to eat it. The very thing that you were craving just a few weeks earlier is now something you loathe. You're given some new variations -- jelly, Fluff, no-crust, on celery with raisins. The presentation is altered, but it doesn't change the fact that you are really tired of peanut butter.<br /><br />The same thing happens when you realize that your job is actually work; it's something you must do. You've agreed to do the job, so you need to show up and complete the work, whether you feel like it or not.<br /><br />You try to liven up the job by taking on different assignments or learning a new skill, but it still doesn't change the fact that you must do this job. Perhaps you call in sick for a mental health day or plan a vacation. Yet, you still have to return to the job at some point. So how do you fix your aversion to work? Let's see how the peanut butter story turns out.<br /><br />Phase three: Hatred is evident<br /><br />You became so sick of peanut butter that you announce, "I hate peanut butter." You are given some other foods to try. First, you get liverwurst. You gag and ask for carrots. The next day, you get tuna; you won't even try it. On the third day, you are offered egg salad. You immediately ask to go to your room and skip eating altogether.<br /><br />Phase four: Pleased to see you again<br /><br />On the fourth day, peanut butter is set down in front of you, and you are actually pleased. There is your trusted friend, the food you can count on to appease your hunger without making you nauseous. You eat it and think, "Ahh, peanut butter, you are not so bad." You go on to develop a strong bond with a food that you know is not ideal, but reliable. You accept it for what it is and what it can do for you. You are satisfied.<br /><br />Work is no different. You could go to your boss and let her know you are looking to feel more challenged but, if you can't be specific as to what you need and what you want to do, you'll most likely be given more work that you don't love.<br /><br />Meanwhile, your boss may get upset that you aren't grateful for the efforts to help you and could resent your attitude -- especially if you say you don't want the extra work anymore and will just stick with the job you said wasn't working for you in the first place. I guarantee she'll assume you are looking to leave and will no longer want to invest time and energy into your professional development.<br /><br />If you can work through the phase where you loathe the repetitive, unexciting nature of your job and recognize that the skills and experience you are acquiring are enabling you to do a good job without a lot of pressure or stress, perhaps you'll finally give your job a break and stop expecting so much from it. Your work is not always going to make you feel amazing and wonderful.<br /><br />In times when you aren't "feeling the love," try to appreciate your job for what it does give you: a steady paycheck, benefits, a place to learn and build your skill sets so you'll always be employable, or the opportunity to build professional friendships that could help in the future. You could end up feeling a lot better about work in general.<br /><br />Now that you understand how work is like peanut butter, why not take a peanut butter sandwich to your job tomorrow and be grateful for what they both provide -- sustenance.<br /><br />J.T. O'Donnell is a nationally syndicated workplace columnist and author of the book "Careerealism: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career."<br /></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a> </div>

How Work is Like Peanut Butter

Feel like you always fall out of love with your jobs? Does this sound familiar? "In the beginning, I couldn't wait to get to the of...

Read more »

The Résumé Black Hole - Does it really exist? How can I avoid it?

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/kz/ar5c82w763x85rvf0skz.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/kz/ar5c82w763x85rvf0skz.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>Many job seekers today will tell you that the most frustrating part of the job search is after they hit "send" and their résumés are sent out into application oblivion -- never to be seen again.<br /><br />It's the common perception of the résumé black hole -- a place where, instead of stars and planets, résumés and cover letters are just floating around, waiting to get sucked back to Earth and into a hiring manager's hands.<br /><br />Matthew McMahon, partner at McMahon Partners LLC, an executive search firm, says the ease of online job boards is a double-edged sword for candidates. While they can see what's available and apply to what interests them, the little time and monetary cost also causes them to apply to anything and everything.<br /><br />"The resulting volume ensures that some candidates might be lost in the shuffle. If a recruiter posts an attractive job, she might get a few hundred responses. There's a chance that the recruiter won't get through every response," McMahon says.<br /><br />So what happens to your application materials when you apply for a job online? Who sees your résumé? More importantly, who doesn't? Why can't someone acknowledge your application? And, most importantly, what can you do to ensure that your résumé doesn't fall into cyberspace?<br /><br />McMahon and Caitrin O'Sullivan, public relations coordinator at iCIMS, a leading software-as-a-service provider, answer all of your burning résumé black-hole questions.<br /><br />Does a black hole really exist?<br />McMahon: It depends entirely on the company. The main culprits, in my opinion, are volume and the abilities of the people who read your résumé. Usually the résumé goes to a gatekeeper of some sort, typically someone within HR. If the gatekeeper is experienced with the field for which she is recruiting, she'll have an idea what she is looking for. The danger in this process, however, exists when one person has to screen résumés for too many departments. There just isn't a way for that person to speak every language they need to. That person will usually rely solely on keywords and will miss things.<br /><br />For example, we had a client that had a fully automated applicant-tracking system (ATS). Candidates would submit a résumé to a posting and the ATS would import it automatically to the database. Internal recruiters would then mine the database against current openings using keyword searches. What that meant, ultimately, was that there was no guarantee that submitted résumés would be viewed by a human at any point.<br /><br />Where do résumés go after I hit send?<br />O'Sullivan: Large, enterprise-sized organizations may be receiving hundreds of applications per day, which virtually no one could manually acknowledge one by one with individualized e-mails. There is a plethora of applicant-tracking systems available today. The majority of these ATS come equipped with comprehensive candidate relationship management tools. These CRM tools enable automated messages to be sent to all candidates alerting them of their status within the review process and also acknowledging receipt of the application or résumé. This eliminates the "black-hole effect" of the job-seeking process. Assuming an organization is leveraging an ATS, a candidate's résumé and job application should automatically be stored in a central database with an individual candidate profile.<br /><br />Please describe an ATS system<br />O'Sullivan: An applicant-tracking system is a software application designed to help organizations recruit employees more efficiently. Its primary function is to automate and streamline the recruitment process. It can also be leveraged for such tasks as posting job openings to corporate Web sites and job boards, screening and ranking résumés, or generating mass communication, such as rejection notices or interview requests to candidates. ATS also provides the ability to track applicant statuses per job and enables users to streamline and automate application tracking with online employment applications, electronic candidate and recruiting forms, and configurable applicant flow reports and metrics.<br /><br />Résumés that are "accepted" through an ATS go into the same place as résumés that are rejected; it's just that different actions are taken on them. Résumés that do not meet requirements are denoted as part of the group that will receive rejection letters; applicants that are deemed an appropriate fit will be designated to a group that will receive an automated message alerting them of their status and scheduling an appointment, whether it is phone or first- or second- round interviews. Many organizations even go directly to these résumés that were at one point rejected to fill other positions that might be a better match.<br /><br />Why don't hiring managers and recruiters let applicants know their application was received?<br />O'Sullivan: If an organization, especially a medium or large one, were not leveraging an applicant-tracking system, it's difficult for job seekers to understand the magnitude of applications flooding recruiters/HR managers' desks, especially during a period of high unemployment. Just visually scanning through all of these résumés can take hours upon hours of manpower. To have to communicate with every one of those applicants on top of that would be a truly formidable task.<br /><br />What are five ways a job seeker can avoid the "black hole"?<br />1. Don't apply to jobs for which you are not qualified and don't send résumés to the same recruiter over and over again. "Recruiters are doing this for their livelihood. If they have your résumé and think that there is a chance that you'll get hired for one of their jobs, they'll respond -- usually right away," McMahon says.<br /><br />2. Customize your résumé. "Read the description and take your best guess at what the employer is seeking. Move relevant experience to the top of each section of your résumé. Use clear language that mirrors the language in the 'qualifications' section of the posting," McMahon says.<br /><br />3. Use your cover e-mail to address obvious disqualifiers. "Make it hard for the screener to disregard you. If you're in Florida and the job is in Alaska, mention that you went to school in Alaska and yearn to return," McMahon says. "Better yet, put the address of your aunt in Juneau on the résumé and mention that you are moving there in three weeks."<br /><br />4. Keywords, keywords, keywords. "We can't say this enough. You have to tailor your résumé to each job description. Using the same keywords and phrases used in a job description, and repeating them as frequently as possible in your résumé -- while remaining logical -- will make the ATS rank you as a higher and better match for this job," O'Sullivan says. "Many ATS weigh more heavily when those keywords appear at the top of your résumé, because it indicates you're currently or very recently enacting those key terms."<br /><br />5. Keep it simple. "Don't include graphics, logos or pictures. Also, don't try to get fancy with text boxes, headers or footers. While résumé-parsing tools are a great resource and save hours upon hours of manual data entry, they can't always parse text boxes, headers or footers with 100 percent accuracy," O'Sullivan says. "It's best to avoid the risk and leave out these features altogether. Furthermore, almost all ATS will strip down résumés into their most basic format, text only. So don't stress over font or color -- it ultimately doesn't matter."<br /><br />By Rachel Zupek writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBwriterRZ. </div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"> </span></strong></div>

The Résumé Black Hole - Does it really exist? How can I avoid it?

Many job seekers today will tell you that the most frustrating part of the job search is after they hit "send" and their résumés a...

Read more »

Maybe I'm gay?

Well, maybe I'm not but apparently my taste in music is gay. I don't go to a lot of concerts, but the last three in the last couple of years, Cher, Abba Re-Bjorn and now P!NK, all have huge gay followings. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, in fact, makes things interesting.<br /><br />The P!NK concert was fantastic! I give it an A+++++. The concert was sold out, with over 16,000 people attending. They originally had it at a smaller venue but moved it ten days before the concert because so many people wanted to attend and couldn't get tickets.<br /><br />P!NK rocked it, and I mean rocked it. I had read a review of her Funhouse tour in Europe and Australia (same tour here), that if you liked her before the concert you'd walk out afterwards loving her. That's what happened to my husband. He was kind of lukewarm about her, even though I loved her. After the concert, he loved her and I loved her even more. <br /><br />There's just something about her, not only is she a really good singer with an incredible voice, singing great songs and a great performer, but she's funny, nice yet spunky. You just can't help but like her. <br /><br />The audience was extremely enthusiastic. We stood up for most of it and danced to the music. Everyone was standing up. <br /><br />The crowd was very interesting. A lot of gay women and gay men. In front of us were two beautiful women, who were making out during the concert, in between songs. They were very attentive to each other and so pretty, it was, well, interesting? Certainly not boring. <br /><br />Next to me were two women who talked to my husband while I went to get us drinks. The one woman told him that she and her partner heard P!NK was in Seattle and bought tickets that day and flew in from being on vacation.<br /><br />A lot of gay guys too, some dressed up as girls. One guy cracked me up. I wish I had taken a picture of him. He had a big red beard, and was wearing a short, little plaid dress, a strange hat with a feather in it, knee high plaid socks and really tall platform shoes. Everything was in shades of pink. <br /><br />The opening act, the Ting Tings, was awesome too. My husband had never heard them before and he even said he really liked them. I have their songs on my iPod for working out. They're alternative rock and really fun. I loved them.<br /><br />It was a really fun concert. It's a must see.

Maybe I'm gay?

Well, maybe I'm not but apparently my taste in music is gay. I don't go to a lot of concerts, but the last three in the last couple ...

Read more »

10 Ways Your Resume Irks Hiring Managers

Fashion designer Coco Chanel had a personal rule: Before she left the house, the style icon always removed one piece of her ensemble to avoid the faux-pas of wearing too many accessories. Were Chanel alive today and working as a hiring manager, she would likely offer similar advice to job seekers: You don't have to include everything.<br /><br />Job seekers do themselves a disservice when they send out resumes with more information than they need. Most employers don't have the time or patience to sift through the irrelevant details. Here are 10 things your resume could do without:<br /><br />1. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.<br />"If you are careless enough to send out this most important document with a mistake... I immediately assume you'll never care enough about the work you send out representing my company," says Jose Bandujo, president of New York-based Bandujo Advertising. He recalls one candidate who misspelled Manhattan, despite having worked in the city for a decade and another whose great educational background didn't compensate for the fact that he couldn't spell "education."<br /><br />2. Opening objectives.<br />"These are generic... They do nothing to differentiate one candidate from another," says Donna Flagg, president of The Krysalis Group, a human resource and management consulting firm in New York.<br /><br />3. Personal attributes.<br />Listing personal information such as height, weight and age and providing photographs is a pet peeve for Heather Mayfield, vice president of training and operations for Snelling Staffing Services. "It is amazing that we still see this on the résumés of today, but they are out there."<br /><br />4. Interests and hobbies.<br />If these points of information don't pertain to the job in question, there's no need to include them. "Create a mystery and save these kinds of data points when you start the job," advises Roy Blitzer, author of "Hire Me, Inc.: Resumes and Cover Letters that Get Results."<br /><br />5. Details of every task you've ever performed in every job you've ever had.<br />"It's too much information. Managers and recruiters need to know at-a-glance what makes a candidate special," Flagg says. Focus on those details that pertain to the job for which you're applying.<br /><br />6. Excessive bragging.<br />Stating one's accomplishments can be helpful, but when it's overdone, the candidate can come across as narcissistic, a huge turnoff for employers, Flagg says.<br /><br />7. Outdated information.<br />Leave off the activities that you did in high school if graduation was a few years ago and omit jobs you held 10 or more years ago, as the information is probably irrelevant to the position you're trying for now.<br /><br />8. False information.<br />"Putting [that you have] a B.S. on a resume when you do not have one is 'BS,'" jokes Stephen Viscusi, author of "On the Job: How to Make it in the Real World of Work." Not only is lying on a resume unfair and dishonest, it's also not very intelligent. "Companies verify dates of employment -- often after you start. If you have lied, they fire you...Nobody wants to hire a liar. Nobody."<br /><br />9. Unexplained gaps in work history.<br />While job seekers should account for these gaps, they should be careful with their wording. "One of the weirdest things that I ever saw on a résumé... was a candidate who explained a 10-year lapse in work experience as being in jail during those years for killing her husband," recalls Linda Goodspeed, marketing recruiting manager at VistaPrint. In such a situation, she says, the best thing to write would be "left work for personal reasons," and the candidate would be able to explain the criminal record later.<br /><br />10. A lack of professionalism.<br />Colored paper, cutesy fonts, links to personal websites and childish e-mail addresses all scream unprofessional and are a turn off to hiring managers. One otherwise qualified applicant didn't get an interview at Bandujo's firm solely because of the name in her email address: "weird2themax." "I recognize the advertising industry is full of talented, interesting 'characters'," Bandujo says, "but did I really want one who thought she was weird to the max?" No, he decided, he did not.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a>

10 Ways Your Resume Irks Hiring Managers

Fashion designer Coco Chanel had a personal rule: Before she left the house, the style icon always removed one piece of her ensemble to avoi...

Read more »

Math and Science Degrees More Valuable Than Liberal Arts?

Some students spend their college years peering into a microscope or scrutinizing graphs and formulas. Others are more likely to analyze dense prose or write insightful essays. They may earn similar grades, but when it comes time to look for jobs, it often seems the students with a knack for numbers see the bigger payoff.<br /><br />College students graduating in 2004-05 with a math- or science-related degree are likely to earn significantly higher starting pay than their peers in liberal arts disciplines, according to a February survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.<br /><br />According to the survey, chemical engineering students graduating in 2005 reported snagging job offers with an average salary of about $53,700. Computer science grads reported average offers of around $51,000. Accounting grads got offers of about $43,000 and economics/finance majors' offers averaged roughly $40,700.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"> </span></strong><br />By contrast, liberal arts graduates reported average offers of about $29,100.<br /><br />This leaves scores of history, philosophy and English majors fuming: Why do math and science degrees seem to be more valuable?<br /><br />Supply and demand<br /><br />Alan Weiss, president of Summit Consulting Group, a firm specializing in management development, says the reason math and science graduates earn more out of college is a simple case of supply and demand: "They're much more immediately applicable in a much smaller supply."<br /><br />Students earning associate's and bachelor's degrees in liberal arts disciplines far outnumber students studying in mathematic or scientific fields, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics.<br /><br />Students earning associate's degrees in liberal arts outnumbered electrical engineering technology graduates by a ratio of almost 20-to-one. Of the 10 largest bachelor's degree programs in 2001-02, only two math- or science-heavy majors – biology and accounting – made the list.<br /><br />The scarcity of math and science students often translates into a greater demand for their skills in the job market. A study of the 10 majors promising the best job outlook turned up just two disciplines – business and marketing – that aren't necessarily quantitatively-based. Accounting, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, economics/finance, computer science, computer engineering, chemical engineering and information sciences and systems rounded out the list.<br /><br />Future earnings potential<br /><br />So is all hope lost for liberal arts graduates hoping to earn big money some day?<br /><br />Absolutely not, experts say. "As companies get bigger and less and less cohesive ... the written word becomes even more important," says Lisa Earle McLeod, columnist and author of Forget Perfect (Penguin/Putnam). "You don't have people in one place working together anymore, so being able to write concisely and directivity for people will become a more valued skill."<br /><br />One-third of employees at blue-chip companies can't write well, and businesses are spending big money to improve their workers' writing skills, according to a 2004 report by the National Commission on Writing. Employers spend up to $3.1 billion annually on remedial training, the report said.<br /><br />And although it may take superior writers at a company a while to distinguish themselves, their communication skills can eventually catapult them to top management positions – and top income brackets.<br /><br />"The jobs that really, really pay the best involve getting large bodies of people to do what you want them to do," McLeod says, pointing to TV producers and CEOs as examples. "And that's all communicating."<br /><br />Although people with quantitative skills earn more up front, Weiss says, their growth potential is more limited than for those with verbal savvy. "If you want to get rich at a company, you don't go into the financial department," he says. "You go into the sales department."<br /><br />He says top salespeople's high degree of assertiveness and persuasiveness – and their strong contribution to the company's bottom line – can launch them to higher salaries than even the top executives earn.<br /><br />Wanted: intellectually diverse employees<br /><br />Whether they're job seekers or people looking to promote their careers, gaining both quantitative and verbal skills can help everyone get ahead, experts note. "You have to diversify yourself so you're an object of interest for others," Weiss says.<br /><br />David Teten, CEO of Nitron Advisers, a New York-based independent research firm, says one-in-five people who apply for jobs at his company get rejected for their poor writing skills. But once the good communicators make the cut, he gives them brain-teaser questions to test their quantitative and creative thinking skills.<br /><br />He says that although the vast majority of U.S. jobs don't require higher math knowledge, numbers are still the language of business. Improving basic math skills can be as simple as figuring your own grocery bill or leaving the calculator in your purse at a restaurant, he says.<br /><br />"If you make a point of calculating the tip yourself instead of relying on the calculator, you'll build the skill of simple mental mathematics," he says.<br /><br />Scientists and math whizzes would be also well-served to take a course or two to develop communication skills, McLeod says.<br /><br />"Being the best scientist or engineer might make you the head of the department, but you have to be a good communicator to be put in charge of large groups of people."

Math and Science Degrees More Valuable Than Liberal Arts?

Some students spend their college years peering into a microscope or scrutinizing graphs and formulas. Others are more likely to analyze den...

Read more »

Youth Ministry: Starting Over

Youth Ministry in our diocese blew up a few years ago -- especially in the South. There were several events: the collapse of TEC, the inability to continue funding the diocesan youth coordinator, a floor fight at convention. I am sure I don't know the whole story. But this is what I know of how things have been since then: there are very few dynamic youth programs in Nevada and we have had huge difficulty getting participation at the diocesan level.<br /><br />So this year we are trying something new: we have created two youth networks -- one northern and one southern. Representatives from these two networks will constitute the Diocesan Youth Council. Having two geographical networks, we hope, will get more people involved and allow them to meet face to face more often.<br /><br />The Southern Youth Network met for the first time last Sunday. It was a good, creative, hopeful meeting -- looking forward, not backward. It's time to move on. There was talk of sponsoring New Beginnings for the younger youth, promoting the Provincial Youth Event in Salt Lake City next summer, and having a Southern Youth Network gathering for music.<br /><br />We need more Youth on the planning committee which will meet again on November 1. But the events will be for everyone in all the southern churches, not just for those who go to the planning meetings.<br /><br />The essentia l foundation for a vital youth ministry in Nevada, in my opinion, is children attending camps at Galilee. I suspect that the youth program we had before would have survived the controversies if the youth had previosly formed a solid base of relationship built at camp. Under Stuart Campbell's leadership, Galilee is back. Kids from all over Nevada, even in Arizona, are befriending each other at camp. In five years, I believe we will see the strongest youth program we have had in a long, long time -- if ever.<br /><br />What we are doing today is just a beginning. We need youth planning thier own program. It is essential that we set up the structures for youth leadership now. That is what we are beginning. My hope is that, in time, more congregations will form collaborative ministries such as the one at Trinity - St. Paul's. I hope more congregations will offer support to youth who are not the children of members, as St. Martin's in the Desert does now. I hope we will see genuine youth ministry specialists in our congregations. At the diocesesan level, I hope to see the day when we have New Beginnings in diverse places, Happening in diverse places, a Diocesan Youth Event in the years when there is no EYE or PYE. I hope to see more youth mission trips like the one we had this summer and a partnership trip to the Philippines.<br /><br />Youth ministry will not be back full force immediately. But we have begun. Youth ministry is not a problem to be solved with money. It is a mission opportunity to be embraced with our hearts and the investment of our lives.

Youth Ministry: Starting Over

Youth Ministry in our diocese blew up a few years ago -- especially in the South. There were several events: the collapse of TEC, the inabil...

Read more »

Years of Experience But No Degree - Seven Ways to Beat the Job Search Pitfall

After years on the job, you feel you've definitely platueaued and think it's time for a change. There's one catch: you don't have a college degree. You graduated from the University of Life and have plenty of professional experience to show for it, but no formal degree. Are you still marketable?<br /><br />George C. found him in that very position last year. After several years as a designer and art director, he was laid off after budget cuts. He seemed to be the perfect fit for one particular employer, but the company required a degree for the position. Thus, he was passed over even though the hiring manager expressed regrets. A few months later and the hiring manager contacted him. The original, "degreed" candidate who was hired didn't work out and they wanted to extend the job to George on a trial basis. Today, he's a full-time employee with that company.<br /><br />If you find yourself with tons of job experience but hitting the "no degree" dead end, there are some things you can do to accentuate the positive.<br /><br />1. Let Your Experience Do the Talking<br />Make sure you highlight your professional accomplishments, technical skills, results and industry knowledge on your résumé. These all help to demonstrate your expertise in your field. Also, try calling attention to any leadership positions you've held, including those with community, volunteer or military organizations, suggests career counselor Susan Guarneri.<br /><br />2. Articulate Association Activity<br />Take advantage of career development offerings through your industry association and become active in the organization. "Go to local chapter meetings and join high visibility committees, such as membership, community outreach and publications," Guarneri advises. Not only will this give you additional skills and experience, it will help you make a name for yourself in your field, further enhancing your qualifications.<br /><br />3. Include Glowing References<br />Include references from respected colleagues or high ranking industry professionals. These letters of recommendation will speak volumes about your personal character and professional standing. Don't wait for the employer to contact you, but include them in your initial application.<br /><br />4. Show Alternative Learning<br />Guarneri stresses it's important to show that you are interested in professional development and continued learning. List any certification programs and professional seminars you have completed. These additional credentials demonstrate your intent to keep your knowledge and skills up-to-date.<br /><br />5. Apply Experience to a Degree<br />Search nearby colleges and universities for programs related to your line of work. Many colleges have programs that offer course credit with proof of proficiency in a particular area. It's a terrific way to gain college credit for real life work experience.<br /><br />6. Earn a Degree<br />Higher education caters to working professionals in a number of ways. "A lot of traditional academic outlets have online components," Guarneri says. Online courses allow you to work around your schedule. Also look into fast-track programs for adults which allow you to complete a degree at an accelerated pace, usually with less classroom time. There's also the College Level Examination Program assessment to test out of specific courses, while still earning credit for those classes.<br /><br />7. Show Education In Progress<br />If you are in the process of earning a degree, make sure you note that on your résumé, along with an estimated date of completion.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a>

Years of Experience But No Degree - Seven Ways to Beat the Job Search Pitfall

After years on the job, you feel you've definitely platueaued and think it's time for a change. There's one catch: you don't...

Read more »

Get Trained for Today's Five Fastest-Growing Industries

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/fp/ar5b3s3742dvcf2vndfp.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/fp/ar5b3s3742dvcf2vndfp.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>It sounds like an oxymoron: The fastest-growing industry in the fastest-declining economy since the Great Depression. But the downturn in finance, real estate and commodities belies growth elsewhere in the economy. Find out where the opportunity is in today's job market, and explore the training and education required for a high-demand career tomorrow.<br /><br />Health care<br /><br />The old faithful of industries, health care booms in good times and bad. As long as the human race continues to struggle with illness and disability, there will be demand for trained professionals. But the real driver of today's health care industry is an aging population: Baby boomers are entering retirement in droves, and demand for elderly services is sure to follow.<br /><br />The Department of Labor predicts that 3 million new jobs will be added to the health care payroll between 2006 and 2016. This makes the medical profession -- including occupations ranging from home health care aides to physicians to pharmacists -- the No. 1 fastest-growing industry in the U.S., recession be damned. Seven of the 20 fastest-growing occupations are in health care. Look for opportunity in these jobs:<br /><br /><br /><br />Medical records and health information technicians are well-positioned for success, given the $37 billion of federal economic stimulus money the Obama administration has set aside for the digitization of health records. Train for this career with an associate degree in medical records or health information technology.<br /><br />Education<br /><br />About one in four Americans is enrolled in school -- and that one student is not necessarily in K-12. Working adults are returning to the classroom in droves as the bar for career training rises. The education industry has expanded its scope to train the work force for a knowledge economy, improving standards at the K-12 level and adding new vocational, college and professional certification programs for mid-career adults.<br /><br />The hottest careers in education reflect this shift toward creating a skilled work force capable of competing in a global job market. Look for jobs in curriculum development, testing and even corporate training. For example:<br /><br />Instructional coordinators analyze and improve school curricula, implementing the latest research in teaching methods and educational psychology. A master's degree (M.Ed.) in curriculum development or a related education field is the first step to any instructional development career.<br /><br />Scientific research: biotech, clean-energy and environmental engineering<br /><br />President Obama has repeatedly hailed American ingenuity as the ticket out of the recession -- thus the federal funds earmarked for clean-energy and other scientific research. Look for growth in biotechnology, bioinformatics and pharmaceutical research in addition to environmental projects. The Department of Labor expects "significant job growth among computer specialists, scientists, and engineers -- particularly those in the life and medical sciences."<br /><br />Scientific research careers may be more accessible than you think. Researchers typically hold a bachelor's degree or higher, but lab technicians may enter the field with an associate degree in science or applied science. From this entry-level position, lab techs may advance into lead research roles by completing a bachelor's degree online.<br /><br />Environmental science and protection technicians research environmental conditions, such as air, soil and water pollution. This field is expected to grow more than 21 percent through 2016, with more than 80 percent of new jobs concentrated in environmental monitoring and regulatory compliance services.<br /><br />Hospitality<br /><br />The global economy is here to stay, and so is the hospitality industry that supports it. Business and recreational travelers support an array of accommodations, restaurants and catering services, transportation and entertainment jobs. The Department of Labor's pre-recession predictions forecast 14 percent growth in the hospitality sector, compared with 11 percent in all other industries combined. The economic downturn will have a temporary dampening effect on worldwide travel -- but given the interconnectedness of the world economy, the hospitality sector is sure to rebound quickly.<br /><br />In the meantime, prepare for a career in hospitality with a bachelor's degree program in hotel, restaurant or hospitality management.<br /><br />General hotel managers will fare the best in the job market, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the best opportunities in full-service chain hotels, casino hotels and luxury accommodations. For the best opportunities, distinguish your resume with a master's degree in business administration. Some online M.B.A. programs offer specialized degrees in hotel and tourism management.<br /><br />Financial services<br /><br />The least likely sector to appear on a list of fastest-growing industries, financial services boasts an enclave of booming opportunity: accounting and actuarial careers. Accounting already received a boost in the wake of Enron and other financial scandals, which led to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Seven years later, accountants and auditors can expect to enjoy another uptick in demand for their services, as federal oversight agencies tighten reporting standards. Meanwhile, actuaries will answer the call to provide more rigorous risk analysis.<br /><br />A bachelor's degree offers the standard entry into an accounting or actuarial profession. Business administration and accounting degrees are standard requirements for accounting jobs, while actuaries enter the field with either the specialized actuarial science bachelor's degree or a statistics or corporate finance degree.<br /><br />Actuaries, who use mathematical models to calculate and develop strategies for hedging risk, were already looking at 24 percent job growth before the recession hit. Given the events of 2008, their ranks could swell more than expected. In any case, actuarial skills will not go to waste in the new climate of caution and federal regulation.<br /><br />With crisis comes change -- for better or worse. Today's economic slowdown in real estate and financial services is setting the stage for new growth in other fields: environmental science, clean energy, health care innovation, educational technology, regulatory services and more. Choose a forward-looking career training path, and you'll stand ready to answer the new economy's call to action.<br /></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a> </div>

Get Trained for Today's Five Fastest-Growing Industries

It sounds like an oxymoron: The fastest-growing industry in the fastest-declining economy since the Great Depression. But the downturn in fi...

Read more »

Cover Letters Close Gaps in Employment

Remember the first day of the new school year? Your first assignment was always writing about what you did over the summer break. This usually involved the activities or camps you participated in, trips you went on, and books you read.<br /><br />Explaining a gap in employment is often like this, only not as easy. After a hiatus, it's not easy re-entering the workforce, and it's even less easy explaining one and landing a job. There are many reasons why individuals have gaps in their employment histories. Whether you have been unemployed for several months, are returning to the workforce after raising children, or took a break to go back to school, reintroducing yourself to potential employers is a lot easier with a strong, well-crafted cover letter.<br /><br />If you are returning to the workforce after a significant absence, it's important to address this fact early in your cover letter. Remember, however, that your employment gap does not define you. Rather, it is your skills, qualifications and experience that will truly make you the right or wrong candidate for the job. The secret is to address your time away from the workforce briefly and succinctly, and then move on to discussing your skills - both old and new - that truly matter.<br /><br />The first thing you should do is research the company and develop a list of expertise and experience matching their mission and culture. Remember that these skills do not always come from a professional environment. Make a list of your accomplishments throughout your career as well as from your time away from work. Include newly acquired skills or others you have strengthened. Perhaps you have taken time off to raise your children - your time management skills may be sharper or have worked on projects through volunteer work. Maybe you have spent time traveling and have learned a new language or improved your negotiation skills. If you think about it, you will probably discover ways to turn personal talents into business skills.<br /><br />Now that you have identified your strengths, it's time to write your letter. Briefly describe the reason for your employment gap, but do not go into great detail. The secret is to present the facts, then move to accentuating the positive aspects of your experience. Here are a couple examples:<br /><br />"My resume shows that I was out of the workforce for two years. I returned to school full-time to pursue an M.B.A. With my new credentials and recent graduate school experience, I have strengthened my business know-how and skills required for this position."<br /><br />"As you can see on the enclosed resume, I have a masters degree in education and more than seven years of teaching experience. While I was on leave from teaching over the past five years to raise my son, I recently began working as a substitute teacher in several local school districts and am anxious to resume a full-time teaching position."<br /><br />"Due to corporate downsizing, I have been out of the financial market for 10 months. However, during that time I have remained active in professional associations and pursued advanced education, completing six hours toward my M.B.A."<br /><br />All of these examples state the facts, but then demonstrate that the individuals were determined enough to educate themselves and remain active in their respective fields. Simplicity is key in keeping your explanation clear and concise.<br /><br />Once you have stated your reasons for being away from the workforce, sell yourself just like you would in any other cover letter. Use the second paragraph in your letter to describe the skills you possess, past positions you held and professional accomplishments, and experience you have gained outside the workforce that relate to the open position. For example, if you held a position in public relations and have continued to hone your writing skills through freelance or volunteer assignments, be sure to highlight this:<br /><br />"I have remained active in the field of media relations, serving as the chairperson of the public relations committee for the Boys and Girls Club. In this role, I successfully promoted many large-scale fundraising events and secured high-profile media coverage that resulted in an overall increase in public donations to the organization."<br /><br />The bottom line is that neither you nor a potential employer should view your time away from the professional workforce as a detriment. The main thing to remember when writing your cover letter is to keep it simple, to the point, and to emphasize your strengths. Keep your tone positive and enthusiastic. If you present your employment history honestly and spend the bulk of your letter outlining your skills and accomplishments, your cover letter can be the first step toward a great new job!<br /><br />Search more than 100,000 Jobs by <a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM">CLICKING HERE!</a>

Cover Letters Close Gaps in Employment

Remember the first day of the new school year? Your first assignment was always writing about what you did over the summer break. This usual...

Read more »

Seven Things to Know Before Writing Your First Résumé

There are many rites of passage in every young person's life. Getting your driver's license, graduation day and turning 21 are just a few. But another rite of passage can be even more important to your future -- writing your first résumé.<br /><br />While it's not as exciting as learning to drive, creating your first résumé is a vital step in launching your career. The process may seem daunting. You have to put all of your best qualities on paper, make yourself look more attractive than the next person and completely sell yourself, all on one sheet of paper. "You have only a few seconds to snag the employer's attention," writes Seattle-based career coach Robin Ryan in Winning Résumés, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003). "You must sell the employer within 15 seconds of looking at your résumé, or you'll lose the job." Here are seven tips to help you catch an employer's attention.<br /><br />1. Start with the basics.<br />It sounds obvious, but your résumé must include your name, address, phone number and e-mail address. Be mindful of the address you include. College students, in particular, tend to move often, so include a permanent address, such as your parent's address. Take care with your e-mail address too. "Make your user ID related to your name, not any nickname attributions," Ryan says. If you want to appear professional to an employer, a user ID like "sexylegs2000" will not work. If your personal e-mail address is not appropriate, set up a new account just for job searches.<br /><br />2. Include an objective and summary of skills.<br />These sections come right after your personal information and, for a first-time job seeker, should be concise.<br /><br />For example:<br />Objective: Editing Position<br />Summary of Skills: Excellent writer proficient in copy editing and familiar with AP style. Extremely organized, with ample experience meeting deadlines and working in high-pressure situations.<br /><br />Your "summary of skills" should highlight experiences and qualifications that the employer is seeking. Remember, Ryan says, "a résumé is not about what you want. It's about what you offer an employer."<br /><br />3. Choose the right résumé style.<br />There are three basic types of résumés: chronological, functional and combination. Chronological résumés focus on work experience, and list professional experience in order from most to least recent. Functional résumés concentrate more on skills. A combination style works well for first-time job seekers. You can point out professional experience, but also draw more attention to your skills, since your work experience is probably limited. Ryan suggests that first-time résumé writers divide their résumé into these categories: work experience, academic experience and community service/extracurricular experience.<br /><br />4. Brainstorm your experience and skills.<br />While you may be struggling to think of pertinent work experience, Ryan says that you have more than you realize. For example, if you have worked in a retail operation, your skills and qualifications include customer service skills, dependability, accountability, the ability to work as a part of a team and experience in managing money. Were you a full-time summer babysitter? This means you coordinated schedules, handled finances, and were extremely responsible. Many skills learned in part-time positions are quite relevant to the corporate world. Don't underestimate the skills you have gained.<br /><br />5. Your academic and volunteer experience is relevant.<br />Don't think that your schooling means nothing to an employer. Your computer skills will be particularly attractive and should be highlighted. You can also demonstrate your aptitude and strengths by project-specific examples of class work you have done. For example, if you were a journalism major in college, tell the employer about major articles you wrote and the legwork you did to complete those projects. Also consider your volunteer and extracurricular experience. If you held an officer position in a club or fraternity/sorority, were an athlete, volunteered or took a leadership role in any other extracurricular organization, you have valuable experience to list.<br /><br />6. Know the cardinal rules of résumé writing.<br />First, use strong action verbs and leave out the word "I." Words like created, developed, organized, motivated, and produced all say much more than "did." Next, remember that your résumé should be one page only -- no exceptions. And, finally, never send a résumé without proper proofreading.<br /><br />7. Never, ever lie.<br />So you were just two courses short of your college degree and think the company won't figure out that you didn't actually get it? Think again. If you lie on your résumé, you will be caught. Don't misrepresent your past -- it will come back to haunt you.<br /><br /><br />By Kate Lorenz article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Other writers contributed to this article.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a>

Seven Things to Know Before Writing Your First Résumé

There are many rites of passage in every young person's life. Getting your driver's license, graduation day and turning 21 are just ...

Read more »

Cover Letter Dos and Don'ts

Most people are familiar with the importance of a well-constructed resume, and put a fair amount of time into creating one. But just as important is the cover letter that accompanies and introduces your resume.<br /><br />In an extremely competitive job market, neglecting your cover letter is a big mistake. Why? A cover letter is your first opportunity to tell a prospective employer about yourself, and to do so in your own words. Like a written interview, a cover letter gives you the opportunity to point out applicable experience and qualities that make you right for the job. And just like any other important job searching tool, there are definite dos and don'ts to follow to make sure your cover letter is an asset, not a hindrance.<br /><br />Do personalize your letter.<br />Nobody likes to receive impersonal mail. Cover letters that begin with phrases like "To Whom it May Concern," sound like random junk or bulk mail, rather than an important correspondence. You expect the company to take the time to read through your material, so you too need to take some time to research the correct addressee. Call the company, look on its Web site or talk to others to find the correct contact.<br /><br />Don't send a generic cover letter to many different companies.<br />Hiring managers can spot a mass mailing a mile away. What gets their attention are letters that address the company -- and its needs -- specifically. Research the company prior to writing the letter. Check out recent news and read through the company's Web site, and then incorporate what you learned into your letter. Doing so will demonstrate to employers that you are informed, motivated and willing to go the extra mile.<br /><br />Do address the specific position advertised.<br />Companies that post openings are making your life easier by telling you the qualities they are seeking. Show the company that you paid attention. If a company advertises that it is looking for sales experience, make sure you address your sales experience. One way to do this is by making a table for yourself before writing your letter. List the company's stated needs in one column, and your corresponding experience and qualifications in another column. You can then use that information to write a letter that tells them exactly what they want to know.<br /><br />Don't make the reader work too hard to see that you are right for the position.<br />Include specific examples about your past successes and experience. If you are looking for a marketing position, give the reader detailed information about a marketing campaign you successfully executed. Don't just tell the reader that you are motivated. Give an example that shows your motivation. You need to lay all of your pertinent information out in a way that lets the person making the hiring decision easily see how your experience and qualities fit the company's needs.<br /><br />Do get to the point.<br />Hiring managers receive letters and resumes from dozens and even hundreds of applicants, and often just don't have the time to read lengthy, wordy letters. Be direct. In the first paragraph, include the title of the position you are interested in and then move on to your specific qualifications immediately.<br /><br />Don't end your letter passively.<br />Nobody gets a job by sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring. Similarly, not many people get a call once a resume or cover letter is sent. Since you are the one looking for work, you need to take the initiative and follow up. Instead of ending the letter with "I look forward to hearing from you," close with "I will call you next week to discuss a time for us to meet." Once you've included this call to action, however, make sure you follow your own promise.<br /><br />Do write and edit your letter with great care.<br />Nothing says "I don't really want this job" like a cover letter with typos, incorrect information, or spelling errors. Make sure the company's name is spelled correctly. Check to see if the contact is a male or female. And, while it sounds almost too obvious to mention, be sure to sign your letter. Careless -- and easily correctable -- mistakes tell the company that you did not take this simple task seriously.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a>

Cover Letter Dos and Don'ts

Most people are familiar with the importance of a well-constructed resume, and put a fair amount of time into creating one. But just as impo...

Read more »

Could we be any more different?

My choice, 9/15/2009, and he's going with me.<br /><br /><object height="315" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9PQ9Eysvaes&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9PQ9Eysvaes&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="315"></embed></object><br /><br />His choice, 9/24/2009, and I have to go with him. I just hope I can stay awake. God help me.<br /><br /><object height="285" width="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/B138dl-ClSk&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/B138dl-ClSk&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="340" height="285"></embed></object>

Could we be any more different?

My choice, 9/15/2009, and he's going with me. His choice, 9/24/2009, and I have to go with him. I just hope I can stay awake. God help me.

Read more »

New Boss? 5 Ways to Adjust

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/bz/ar5c6l96w1jdjfybk2bz.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/bz/ar5c6l96w1jdjfybk2bz.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>These days, there is a lot of upheaval in the workplace. Be it layoffs, reorganization or people taking other positions, there's a good chance you may be reporting to a different person than you were just a few months ago. The relationship with your supervisor can have a great impact on your career, so starting off on the right foot with a new boss is critical. Following are a few tips for doing so:<br /><br />1. Help out where you can.<br />Starting a new position is challenging for everyone, even your boss. Remember what it was like when you were a new employee, including the times you could have used someone's help. Discuss any pending projects and who is currently responsible for those initiatives. Also provide visibility into any upcoming deadlines.<br /><br />2. Remain flexible.<br />Your new boss will have his or her own ideas of how to run the office and accomplish team goals, and you should be ready for the possibility that some of those ideas may conflict with your own. But keep an open mind; different doesn't mean worse. Be willing to try new approaches.<br /><br />3. Aim to be a go-to person.<br />Your new supervisor will face many challenges in the first few months, so he or she will be looking for employees who can help pick up the slack. Let your manager know what you've accomplished in the past and what skills you possess, and offer to be a resource on future projects. Be sure to mention talents that might fall outside your job description, such as your familiarity with a new software program. The more you can contribute, the more valuable you'll be considered by your employer. Just don't go overboard, or others, including the new manager, may perceive you as currying favor.<br /><br />4. Remember that patience is a virtue.<br />You likely took a few months to feel comfortable when you started your job, so it's safe to assume the same will be true for your manager. For instance, if your boss wants you to provide twice-weekly updates, it's probably not because he or she doesn't trust that you're getting your work done. Instead, your supervisor likely wants to make sure he or she doesn't let anything slip through the cracks.<br /><br />5. Pay attention.<br />Get a feel for how your boss works. Does your manager want to be in the loop on each and every project, or does your boss have a more hands-off approach? What is his or her preferred method of communication? When is it best for approach your supervisor with non-pressing requests? These questions may not be answered immediately, but by paying attention to your boss's tendencies and preferences, you'll form a productive relationship more quickly.<br /><br />Remember, not only are you getting used to your new manager, but he or she is also getting used to you and, in many cases, a new work environment. So, don't be surprised if both of you have your fair share of growing pains. Being empathetic to your supervisor's experience will go a long way in developing a strong working relationship with him or her.<br /><br />Robert Half International Inc. is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 360 offices worldwide. For more information about our professional services, please visit www.rhi.com. </div><div> </div><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a> </div>

New Boss? 5 Ways to Adjust

These days, there is a lot of upheaval in the workplace. Be it layoffs, reorganization or people taking other positions, there's a good ...

Read more »

Sacrificing Love for Work

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/38/ar5c4n96f1w5n93vpw38.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/38/ar5c4n96f1w5n93vpw38.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>On the most recent season of "The Bachelorette," contestant Ed Swiderski told bachelorette Jillian Harris that he wasn't being fair to his employer in Chicago and that he had to leave her and go home. Jillian made Ed promise that when he did find "the one," he wouldn't choose work over love.<br /><br />Ed ultimately took her request to heart. A few weeks later, he returned to the show, telling Jillian he realized he didn't want to be without her. She took him back and the pair ended up getting engaged.<br /><br />Ed was faced with a decision that many workers experience: Go for a shot at love and lose your job -- or stay employed and kiss your career goodbye?<br /><br />The choice between a successful career and love is not always clear cut. Personal goals, current job satisfaction, financial needs and personal beliefs can all play in role in the decision. But, it doesn't have to be as hard as some people make it.<br /><br />"People keep getting stuck in all-or-nothing thinking. They think it is either work or a relationship, but life is more than both. Workers need to change their thinking to look for alternatives," says Kim Leatherdale, a relationship therapist. "Although no one worker is irreplaceable, a good relationship can be. People get focused on relationships or work and forget they can have both if they choose to."<br /><br />Susan Cucuzza, an HR consultant with Live Forward, faced this issue when she first met her now-husband. While they dated, his job required him to travel Monday through Friday, which made their relationship very difficult.<br /><br />"I think I 'broke up' with him about five times while we dated," Cucuzza recalls. "We both lived in Cleveland and he traveled to Detroit. He worked 16 to 18 hour days, so by the time he called me, it was midnight and he was exhausted. I realized that if I loved this man and wanted to marry him, I needed to move to Detroit."<br /><br />Fortunately for Cucuzza, she was able to transfer offices with her company, which meant she did not have to sacrifice her career. But, if she wouldn't have had that option, she says she would have made the same choice.<br /><br />"I would have quit because I did not want to sacrifice a relationship that I had waited 34 years for," she says. "Life is too short. Relationships can last a lifetime and a career does not. From the time you start working, assess your top values in life, and do not compromise them."<br /><br />Love and careers go hand in hand<br /><br />Whether or not to put love or a career in front of the other is personal preference and each has its own benefits and consequences. But, Leatherdale says that relationships and careers often feed off each other. For example, some workers might be so focused on advancing his or her career that they end up stealing time from their relationship. But, a good relationship can actually be a boon to work, she says, providing support, steadiness and insight.<br /><br />Cathy Wilke, a life coach, agrees, saying that a good romantic relationship outside of work feeds our work life and everything else we do.<br /><br />"A loving, supportive relationship -- if you are lucky enough to have one -- is akin to emotional bedrock. Being loved and supported emotionally enables us to thrive," Wilke says. "While having a great career is also very important to happiness, the career without the relationship often leaves one feeling like something is missing from life. We are social animals and work can only fulfill so much of that need."<br /><br />Balancing act<br /><br />The key to this whole dilemma is not making the choice between a career and a relationship, but finding a way to better balance the two.<br /><br />"Too many people confuse static balance with what we really live: a dynamic life. Sometimes we spend more time with one thing or another, where the finesse has to occur in knowing when to switch focus," Leatherdale says. "If you have a major work project which will take extra time, tell your partner and make a decision of how long you will allow yourself to be overextended. While you are involved with the project, take small moments to do something loving in order to remain intimate. This can be simply a small note before you leave in the morning or calling when you have a few moments during the day."<br /><br />Here are five tips from the experts on how to successfully balance work with your relationship:<br /><br />1. Treat your partner like a partner<br /><br />Talk with them, keep them abreast of what is going on and let them know when you need a little extra focus at work, Leatherdale says. And, remember love. "If you truly care about your partner, you will take time regularly to make sure you aren't taking them for granted."<br /><br />2. Coffee talk<br /><br />"Choose one weekday morning to get up early and have coffee together before going to the office," Wilke says. "This is great thing to do because rather than getting each other's sloppy seconds; you're fresh and can spend some quality time together before work takes over."<br /><br />3. Put things into perspective<br /><br />Leatherdale says to ask yourself, "On a scale of one to 10, how much will this particular job matter in 10 years?" and "On a scale of one to 10, how much will this relationship matter to me in 10 years?" "Be real in your answers; you may surprise yourself," she says.<br /><br />4. Date night<br /><br />"Schedule one night each week for a date with your partner," Wilke says. "It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just something you both agree upon. If you can keep a standing date each week, even better."<br /><br />5. Work-free zones<br /><br />"If work must be done from home, like e-mail checking, set a specific time to do it," Wilke says. For example, no working after a certain hour or only dedicating a few hours of one weekend day to work so that the other day is a work-free zone. "When you're in the work-free zone, no thinking or talking about work!"<br /><br />By Rachel Zupek writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CBwriterRZ.<br /></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"> </span></strong></div>

Sacrificing Love for Work

On the most recent season of "The Bachelorette," contestant Ed Swiderski told bachelorette Jillian Harris that he wasn't being...

Read more »

Day 18: Really, it's been 18 days?!

I can't believe it's been 18 days since I made a personal goal to reach 150 by October 31 for the Weight Watchers Lose for Good campaign (food for the needy). Instead of losing weight, I've actually gained weight. I was 162 this morning (up from 158).<br /><br />I remain calm. I'm not freaked out like the normal Diana gets when she gains a few pounds. Yes, I'm talking about myself in the third person, weird isn't it?<br /><br />I feel back in control. Counting Points and all that stuff that I know works. I worked out for only one hour this morning. Thirty minutes on the StairMaster and thirty minutes with weights.<br /><br />I pulled something on the inside of my elbows with the 25-dumbbells I used on Friday. I was forced to use the 25-pounders because some goofball was rubbing his foot on the only set of 20-pound dumbbells. My elbows hurt like heck and doing hammer curls are impossible and bicep curls aren't much better, so I did lower body workout today (my least favorite workout).<br /><br />Shortening my workout from ninety minutes to sixty minutes felt strange, like I wasn't done yet. It was like I was cheating. I'm sure to people that hate exercising I sound like some kind of freak, but I've been doing this for eighteen months. I enjoy a good workout. Some days I don't, but most days I look forward to it.<br /><br />The real reason I like working out is how it makes me feel afterwards. I walk taller, stand up straighter, feel stronger, and not just physically but mentally too. I'm not sure cutting back on my workouts is a good idea. I'm going to try it for a few days and if still makes me feel weird, I'm going back to an hour and a half.<br /><br />18 days down, 45 to go until October 31. Maybe I can still pull this off (without killing myself!).<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc33cc;"><strong>P!nk<br /></strong>Gotta love a pop star that speaks her mind. Quoted from P!nk on Twitter:<br /><br />"My heart goes out to taylor swift. She is a sweet and talented girl and deserved her moment. She should know we all love her.<br /><br />Kanye west is the biggest piece of shit on earth. Quote me."<br /><br />I get to see P!nk tomorrow night, live in concert, her kickoff U.S. concert in Seattle, and I'm super excited. Her opening act is the Ting Tings, and I love them too.<br /><br />I told a guy I work with that I was going to see P!nk and the Ting Tings in concert, and he said, "sounds kinda gay...pink and the Ting Tings?". Cracked me up because the first time I heard of the Ting Tings was from this <a href="http://tonysdietlog.blogspot.com/" target="blank"><span style="color:#cc33cc;">guy</span></a><span style="color:#cc33cc;">.</span><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"><strong>Hiking</strong><br />Saturday we went hiking at Crystal Mountain. The same place we went snowshoeing last winter. It's not as pretty as Mt. Rainier, but it was still fun.<br /><br />I had a 25-pound pack on my back and that just about killed me because it was a freaking 83 degrees. I'm a firm believer in carrying the </span><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/getaways/216076_essentials17.html" blank="target"><span style="color:#009900;">10 essentials of hiking</span></a><span style="color:#009900;">, even if it's just a day trip and you're on a well-marked trail. My husband thinks I'm a little nuts about this, but every person that has been lost on a day hike didn't plan on getting lost.<br /><br />I really don't like hiking in hot weather, and I was a sweaty mess about 15 minutes into the hike, which was practically straight uphill (Crystal is a ski resort). I insisted on a lot of rest stops. How on earth I ever walked around weighing an additional 80 pounds is beyond me. </span><br /><br /><p align="center"><em><span style="color:#009900;">This was kind of cool because we took a picture in this exact same spot last winter when we were snowshoeing. You can see the little window is way above my head. Then in the snowshoeing picture you can see it's below my head. Just gives you an idea of how much snow was there last winter.</span></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuIxxyveqfuf8EQoKSA86qqcrJXacsQpg68det6Td-csgboOz-ZYmnBVPEI6tvokoQULe9qSRheE48TDl5h6GkQzRHZ6QswfSuJ8xY9LzznZ4oucHa0CWPSJBuAFkwVRaG59lIYwYyXjt/s1600-h/Sept+2009+Crystal+005.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380968706209457698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuIxxyveqfuf8EQoKSA86qqcrJXacsQpg68det6Td-csgboOz-ZYmnBVPEI6tvokoQULe9qSRheE48TDl5h6GkQzRHZ6QswfSuJ8xY9LzznZ4oucHa0CWPSJBuAFkwVRaG59lIYwYyXjt/s400/Sept+2009+Crystal+005.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a> <span style="color:#009900;">March 2009<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLM02bIGfIHuvx4fM2W8h6GT2RkjZmFnTiTtujTnNXxENOdRbYE-_KEILgTej54-rg1uQm-7N7yni1vQsqwAGdbveBgzJisZDR0ucNtuq412fai76QXscvfR9ZFQ8e9RKMQX3W3ijs9B-m/s1600-h/SnowHouseWinter.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380969414983412338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLM02bIGfIHuvx4fM2W8h6GT2RkjZmFnTiTtujTnNXxENOdRbYE-_KEILgTej54-rg1uQm-7N7yni1vQsqwAGdbveBgzJisZDR0ucNtuq412fai76QXscvfR9ZFQ8e9RKMQX3W3ijs9B-m/s400/SnowHouseWinter.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a><span style="color:#009900;"> </span><em><span style="color:#009900;">A view from the woods.</span><br /></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzJI-iPzBYw4eGzheC_cxab4qX8FRu16p1zgG-iT9OQVsNP1xBktEnpXkI3wMUSAjMHkp48uxg4chxLr8VGF1oXf6CFoTaF9o0r14kk6xWNXaffMoZ1Lqnu6nTQA9ggMvzeSVBNJgCNxs/s1600-h/Sept+2009+Crystal+092.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380950990440261650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzJI-iPzBYw4eGzheC_cxab4qX8FRu16p1zgG-iT9OQVsNP1xBktEnpXkI3wMUSAjMHkp48uxg4chxLr8VGF1oXf6CFoTaF9o0r14kk6xWNXaffMoZ1Lqnu6nTQA9ggMvzeSVBNJgCNxs/s400/Sept+2009+Crystal+092.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a> <em><span style="color:#009900;">First time I've seen huckleberries</span></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kPvvi3H5oiRJ4ILx6xu58xPZsSM-BciQqLaa1wsnENvnQyGfFisBj-lFz-JvYmxYL5iyWIYwQFu6npaWrLOuwFInRCBklW2X3kfCgE56iqM4qa6nngNcOGjvN49bn9TPV1YK5wMo5ig9/s1600-h/Sept+2009+Crystal+089.JPG"></a><span style="color:#009900;">.</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrld-H3SGgcAB0jmY0viyAifVcCRozzFu-mR8SZ6LBEU8Wk1SHTgEVCTDZUG68Z0Z9ozSGqMUWiJrrpMbeQrvzzulFUWBFvUwx_aacpjMpuLP2nLK9LURODkOqJl8HG_kw8bsrTlabfwc0/s1600-h/Sept+2009+Crystal+077.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380950577954797250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrld-H3SGgcAB0jmY0viyAifVcCRozzFu-mR8SZ6LBEU8Wk1SHTgEVCTDZUG68Z0Z9ozSGqMUWiJrrpMbeQrvzzulFUWBFvUwx_aacpjMpuLP2nLK9LURODkOqJl8HG_kw8bsrTlabfwc0/s400/Sept+2009+Crystal+077.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhj5NP8OTK_VTFvpEW2B1dlwpYJBjBDnM8K8BLtdBhETsAzk902lc3CukGuQ49NCB7O9i-4EhZMBJS9ZH1iysHl-ZdON7tFWFr6cdunGZuZtWnqH9uJFufASYzlmBma07yHq5sygA_BSMd/s1600-h/Sept+2009+Crystal+072.JPG"></a><span style="color:#009900;">Looking up, this was the hardest part of the hike with the sun beating down on me.</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSqdBMtL4Yp0G8M4xSAuOp7tfW96mkxwCvoH-kT36MsSgUtwAXL5l0m31jUGWZ-blv6N28cb2Lj_dd_-cs0IwB-8jxAT9Y57GZbxeo_RAMpv2SGh_vooqlA0gbpLJ5vYwV8wVfYZoJRzz/s1600-h/ClimingUp.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380980797393760514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSqdBMtL4Yp0G8M4xSAuOp7tfW96mkxwCvoH-kT36MsSgUtwAXL5l0m31jUGWZ-blv6N28cb2Lj_dd_-cs0IwB-8jxAT9Y57GZbxeo_RAMpv2SGh_vooqlA0gbpLJ5vYwV8wVfYZoJRzz/s400/ClimingUp.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a><em> <span style="color:#009900;">The best part was looking down and enjoying a fresh peach. It was the b</span></em><em><span style="color:#009900;">est peach I'd ever eaten in my life. :)</span></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9Z25A0hHXOoOa_8p0Ull4t2zg4NaFHwM2p5t-NEBYipwILihc800dLuJR3WG10qFg7ftTbmdb4LAtSM9G1r0vuWTbCKYD59aAwaPK_O2MriYSaBNUVSyBGyVCnUIjHKttdaiS7087EKm/s1600-h/Sept+2009+Crystal+037.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380950061774465506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9Z25A0hHXOoOa_8p0Ull4t2zg4NaFHwM2p5t-NEBYipwILihc800dLuJR3WG10qFg7ftTbmdb4LAtSM9G1r0vuWTbCKYD59aAwaPK_O2MriYSaBNUVSyBGyVCnUIjHKttdaiS7087EKm/s400/Sept+2009+Crystal+037.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a> <em><span style="color:#009900;">Just me, all hot and sweaty. I prefer my mountains with snow!</span></em> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbt-7jiPm9A9CqRc0R7Zzj7bEYoLZtgaWpl0gSRFgZ_SuiFkgHVBACTNYl0uoqFwn6P05C38atu4U48qemlkgBoLvW6dwNzJZu-8qQfTmvPFcBfy1u53Zek4PnwQG-VboYoRIj3BrAueLw/s1600-h/Sept+2009+Crystal+023.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380949524498574146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbt-7jiPm9A9CqRc0R7Zzj7bEYoLZtgaWpl0gSRFgZ_SuiFkgHVBACTNYl0uoqFwn6P05C38atu4U48qemlkgBoLvW6dwNzJZu-8qQfTmvPFcBfy1u53Zek4PnwQG-VboYoRIj3BrAueLw/s400/Sept+2009+Crystal+023.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a></p><div align="center"><em><span style="color:#009900;">Red Elderberries</span></em></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIX8hpfAcCgEGz2mGPN-Fosnzjm3wK1PIK8siKIiyI-j0Y7VRRuO_sq3gjuzD0zcCtE945TuqATJJaLNlCw06SZUnkHAYpm2-cbzikePQm2T9cAyIdFf2fvhXdVhzmPlfgqSyZevBnKXuR/s1600-h/RedBerry.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380980650267925506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIX8hpfAcCgEGz2mGPN-Fosnzjm3wK1PIK8siKIiyI-j0Y7VRRuO_sq3gjuzD0zcCtE945TuqATJJaLNlCw06SZUnkHAYpm2-cbzikePQm2T9cAyIdFf2fvhXdVhzmPlfgqSyZevBnKXuR/s400/RedBerry.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a>

Day 18: Really, it's been 18 days?!

I can't believe it's been 18 days since I made a personal goal to reach 150 by October 31 for the Weight Watchers Lose for Good camp...

Read more »