Conference Cancelation

We regret to inform everyone that we are forced to cancel the 2015 Women in Business Conference.  The registration numbers are too low with too little time until the conference starts.  Thank you for your support and we hope to do this again another time.  Please feel free to contact us with your feedback at byuwib2015@gmail.com.

5 Fresh Job-Search Tips You Haven’t Yet Tried

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So you’ve finally made the important decision to change careers. You have a killer resume and an impressive set of skills to boot. But if you want to land your next dream job, you are going to have to find it first.

Chances are most of the competition you’re going up against have access to the same search engines and LinkedIn tools you have, so to connect with recruiters, you’ll need to use some lesser known job search tactics.

To help stand out in your search, here are five ways to find your next dream job you may not have thought to try before: (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Turn a rejection into an offer

Sounds like a head scratcher, doesn’t it? If a company went through the trouble of interviewing you through multiple rounds just to reject you, how could you turn this setback into a success?

The answer is by implementing a tactic of career guerilla warfare known as “Recruit the Recruiter.”

If a company has invested time, money and energy digging into your background and interviewing you multiple times, then you must have impressed them. Just because they found a “better fit” candidate, don’t let rejection cause you to think you were not an equally qualified candidate.

Instead, thank the recruiter for their time and ask what other positions are open at the company. This is especially effective when a company uses a contracted recruiter as they typically manage numerous clients at once and will know about other positions that haven’t been announced yet. You can use that as a chance to build a relationship with someone that can push your professional brand to companies on your behalf.

2. Check out career paths of previous employees

Sometimes it’s hard finding your dream job if you haven’t yet had the dream. If you are short on ideas of companies that are hiring for your skillset, leverage LinkedIn. Rather than simply searching through its database for “marketing jobs” or “accounting,” look up specific people who landed roles at your ideal employer.

For example, if you are looking for work as a government consultant, use LinkedIn’s “People who used to work at” feature to find people who used to work in your target role at top consultant firms like Booz-Allen Hamilton or EY, and then see what roles they moved to throughout their career. This not only gives you new leads on employers, but it also provides insight as to what types of candidate profiles impress your ideal employers.

For an added edge, try reaching out to those past employees for insight into the company culture, advice on landing an interview or even a warm introduction to their previous employer.

3. Attend industry events

Career Fairs can be rough! Candidates line up in front of booths to pitch themselves, recruiters herd around them like cattle… and there you are, hoping to at least making a memorable impression.

While career fairs are critical to attend for candidates open to a wide range of companies, employers love candidates who are passionate about their jobs. Show your ideal company you are serious about working for them by attending other industry events other than the standard recruitment events.

Is your desired company holding a public event to launch a new product? Are they sponsoring a local organizational event? Attending industry events beyond your typical career fair will not only cut down your competition, but you’ll also glean more insight into your desired company’s values, brand and culture… things you will need to nail in an in-person interview to make sure they see you as a “good fit.”

4. Join an association

Associations are a great way to leverage a team of outside resources for your job search. Associations typically have great tools like job boards, tradeshows, business articles, advanced training and other good resources to provide access to potential careers that you have never come across otherwise.

The best part is there is an association for virtually every industry you can imagine. Find the one for you and you will be able to stay abreast of the trending news, best practices, cutting edge tech and other developments going on in your industry. If you’re an industry expert, sign up to speak at a panel or seminars. This can be an impressive resume booster to a recruiter.

Perhaps the greatest advantage that associations offer, though, is a new network of professionals in your target industry. You will meet and grow relationships with leagues of talented individuals and help support each other with your career goals. (Of course, as with any great relationship, the more you give, the more you get back. Be sure to be a value in return!)

Remember, it’s not only who you know, but who knows you… and these types of connections are more likely than anyone else to send you an email one day announcing: “Hey, I came across the perfect position for you.”

5. Do what you love

If you find you’ve exhausted your job search routes and can’t think of other companies or open roles, consider products and services that you use and love. You know your favorite app on your phone or that commercial that has you cracking up each time? They both have amazing people that work to build them.

Companies love hiring people passionate about their brand and products, so having an authentic and intimate love for what these companies create can shine through in an interview. Think about some of the brands and products that you use religiously, and you may find that you chose them because you fit in with their company culture — and theirs with yours.

Employ these alternative strategies to your career search and you will almost certainly open up a plethora of new opportunities to lead to your dream job.

Brandon McCollough is the Founder of Generation-Next , a Leadership and Career Development organization dedicated to financial empowerment for millennials. He leads their Career Pro Team in providing clients with job placement and career development services.

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Frustrated With Your Company’s Outdated Ways? How to Suggest Fresh Ideas

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Did you hear about how the White House is still using floppy disks?

No, it’s not a joke (sadly enough). As reported in Business Insider earlier this month, the White House’s newest Chief Technology Officer, Megan Smith, faces several unique challenges when it comes to bringing the federal government’s technology in sync with 2015. Perhaps the most surprising task on her list is one we’re shocked to hear about: transitioning away from the use of floppy disks.

Floppy disks, for those of you who only recognize technology that came out in the past 24 hours, are plastic, square-shaped data storage devices with a hole in the center. They are easily corruptible and have limited storage space. If you went to college in the early 2000s, you may have had the unfortunate experience of losing an entire 20-page thesis to a floppy disk that suddenly became unreadable for no explicable reason.

While floppy disks have been obsolete for more than a decade, our federal government is still relying on them for storage.

Your company may not be quite as behind as the White House technology department, but chances are it has some outdated practices you’ve been itching to bring into the 21st century. And even if you’re only a mid-level employee, there are plenty of ways you can help modernize your company — and earn yourself a few brownie points to boot.

Here’s how to go about it without making your boss want to give you the boot. (Click here to tweet this list.)

Start small

Employers value intrapreneurs – workers who care enough about the company to put in extra work, come up with innovative new ideas and help their organization evolve rather than simply punching a clock and keeping a desk chair warm. But many companies, as much as they herald innovation, still have trouble fully embracing change, especially when the idea is initiated from anyone below the top of the corporate totem pole.

The way to get your ideas heard is to first demonstrate yourself as the sort of person who has good ideas. And the best way to do this is to start by suggesting small changes that will be easier for people to accept and building off those successes.

Before you embark on a quest to eliminate all unnecessary meetings, for instance, you might want to suggest minor tweaks to make existing meetings more efficient, such as circulating an agenda with action items beforehand and making sure everyone who’s been invited is crucial to the meeting’s success.

Not only will people begin to respect your input, but it’s a good way to test out just how open your organization is to new ideas.

Choose the right time

Throwing in a brand-new idea at the end of a long, tedious team meeting won’t do anything but make people groan and check their watches. Ambushing your boss in the middle of a hectic deadline to say, “This could be so much easier if we did X” won’t work well, either.

Identify a time when your audience will be the most agreeable, receptive and free from distractions before pitching your proposal. Maybe that’s right after lunch when your manager is feeling a little groggy and would rather chat about ideas than deal with all the paperwork awaiting him. Maybe it’s 4 p.m. on a Friday when you know the boss’s head is filled with pleasant thoughts about golfing and sailing over the weekend. Or maybe it’s when you take key coworkers out for lunch and toss around your idea in a more relaxed setting.

Know your colleagues’ routines and rhythms so you can approach them when they’re at their most likely to say “yes.”

Come prepared to prove your case

Higher-ups and decision-makers like cold, hard data. It makes it easier for them to see the ROI in an idea and to understand why new is better rather than just different.

If you’re proposing a switch to a new type of software, process or system, come armed with plenty of facts and figures that demonstrate why it’s more efficient, more effective or helps generate more revenue. Saying, “We should have a Twitter account because everyone else does” won’t convince anyone. Instead, try “Studies show an engaging Twitter account leads to 40 percent more customer conversions.”

Don’t be afraid to throw in a little peer pressure, too. If you can demonstrate that other companies in your industry are doing things the way you propose (especially direct competitors), it could help push the vote in your favor.

Be cool about it

You don’t want to be seen as an upstart, a know-it-all or one of those “entitled” Millennials corporate America is all up in arms about. Even if you know for a fact that “the way things have always been done” is outdated and ineffective, no one will listen to you if it feels like you’re being uppity about it.

Whatever your true thoughts about an antiquated system or process, restrain your desire to vent or make fun, and instead focus on presenting your new idea as something that will make the company better. Spend less time tearing down the old ways and more time building up why your solution will make life better for everyone.

Recruit backup

It’s easier to get change adopted — especially when you yourself aren’t yet in a position of power — if you can get an influencer or two on your side to help champion your cause. That could be a higher-up like a manager, a respected colleague whose star in on the rise, or a secretly powerful small player like the CEO’s personal assistant, who sees all and knows just how to push the CEO’s buttons.

In addition to getting backers on your side, work on winning over those colleagues who will be directly impacted by your idea. Explain how it will make their day-to-day job easier. Ask for their feedback to help strengthen your proposal. Show them why they should care.

If you’re sick of everyone mixing up the multiple versions of documents that are traded back and forth over the course of the day, show some of your team members how easy and efficient it is to use a real-time collaborative program like Google Docs. Once they’ve seen the difference for themselves, they’ll be happy to help you campaign for a better system.

Have you tried to introduce change into your company? What strategies did you use?

Kelly Gurnett is a freelance blogger, writer and editor who runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t matter and focus more on the things that do. Follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.

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Recruiters: Is Your New Hire a No-Show? Here’s What to Do

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New hires renege on job offers more frequently than anyone wants to admit.

When does the recruitment process end? When the new hire signs the job offer, their first day or first week of work? There’s no general consensus.

A candidate could accept a job offer, only to use it to get a raise from his current employer. Or he might change his mind and take a position elsewhere. Some people quit after a few weeks of starting because the job wasn’t what they hoped it would be.

How can you save your commission? What can you do to fill the gap in the workforce ASAP? First, recognize one truth: Applicants care about themselves, not the position you need to fill.

They have no emotional ties with you or the company. If a better opportunity comes along, they’ll take it. Realizing this will change your perspective for the better and prevent headaches later on.

How to deal with reneged job offers without losing your cool

Nostrils flaring, nerves popping, you call the applicant and berate them for not showing up.

A miscommunication might cause a new hire to think his start date isn’t until next week. Just call and ask what happened, then sort it out from there.

If they don’t respond to any of your attempts to communicate, it’s safe to say the candidate’s a no-show.

Manage the client’s (employer) expectations

This is everyone’s worst nightmare: They’re expecting someone to show up, then an hour passes and nada.

Whether you’re part of the company’s HR or a third-party recruiter, you need to keep the candidate’s would-be boss in the loop.

Be honest and tell them exactly what happened. Negotiate to restart the hiring process, contact existing candidates or hire internally. If you must, offer to help the company hire a temp while you work on finding a replacement.

Consider the legal complexities of signing bonuses and non-competes

Many states, such as Florida, for example, are employment-at-will states—meaning your employer can terminate your employment with or without cause at any time. An employment agreement, however, may change those terms. — Lindsey Wagner of Cathleen Scott & Associates.

It sounds harsh, but some recruiters exercise this option for tricky jobs to fill. Sometimes the candidate ends up doing poorly or hating the job, other times the candidate loves it and everybody’s happy.

If all else fails, restart the hiring process

Don’t burn bridges, even with a candidate who wasted your time. (Click here to tweet this advice.) Applicants know other candidates with similar skills and work experience so tapping their network will save you time from sourcing new candidates.

While you’re doing that, reach out to the other candidates in the pipeline for said position.

Prevention is better than cure, right? Here’s how to prevent this from happening in the first place.

1. Don’t rush it

Say you impose a three-day deadline to accept the offer. What do you think the candidate will do?

They’ll accept the offer then back out later if they find a better option, says Glen Loveland, HR Manager at China Central Television.

2. Run the numbers

Review the initial offer with them over the phone. You don’t have to review the whole contract point by point, just give an overview of the compensation package.

Giving an overview of the initial job offer via phone also helps you gauge the candidate’s enthusiasm — something you can’t do through email. If the candidate doesn’t sound excited, ask if he’s having second thoughts or if there’s anything he wants to negotiate further.

3. Determine how bad it is

Many candidates don’t take their resignations seriously until they start working at their new job. To test their resolve, ask what they’ll do if their employer offers them a 15 percent raise to stay.

Hesitating means the candidate’s allegiance could be bought. Whatever reasons they have for resigning — a bad boss, lack of advancement opportunities, no work/life balance — may not be enough.

Ask this question at every stage of the hiring process. You never know, something might change their mind in between interviews.

4. Ask about the candidate’s “suitors”

Ask candidates how many companies they’ve applied to, and if they’re reviewing other job offers. This will help you assess where you are in the candidate’s point of view, whether you’re the first choice or just a back-up.

Knowledge of the other company’s usual compensation package, advancement opportunities and work environment can help you outline the pros and cons of what you offer versus the competition.

Share your recruiting nightmares. Have you ever had a candidate back-out at the last minute? Did you ever get a feeling it would happen?

Charley Mendoza is a freelance blogger and copywriter. She helps businesses and HR professionals write research-backed and actionable content for their audience.

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2015 WIBC Sneak Peek: Tina

2015 Women in Business Conference 
Speaker Sneak Peek: Tina Ashby




 #IMgoingRU

For more information: wib2015.likeapro.me

To register:
https://byums.org/event?event_id=943 (Register as a "guest" when given the option)





Women in Business Conference 2015 will be for women professionals by fearless women professionals.  Come meet and listen to women business leaders across the nation speak about topics including:

• Fearless Leadership
• Women Fearlessly in Technology
• Fearless Non-Profit Management
• Women Fearlessly in Politics
• Fearlessly Returning to the Workforce
• Education without Fear

February 27th and 28th, 2015
Provo Marriott Hotel and Conference Center

Friday evening includes dinner, keynote speaker and networking opportunities
Saturday includes meals, keynote speakers, breakout sessions and networking.

Don’t Have Enough Experience? How to Land the Job Anyway

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If you’re the new kid on the block, moving your career forward will take time. You can’t magically acquire years of experience, and without a proven track record, coworkers and managers may be slow to trust you with more advanced responsibilities.

Although there are no shortcuts to advancing your career, there are ways to make the most of your time in the lower ranks.

Here are some ways to distinguish yourself as a valuable, experienced professional and inch closer to the position you really want. (Click here to tweet this list.)

Hone your skills

Specialized skills are becoming more and more important. About 69 percent of recruiters expect hiring to become more competitive in 2015 as the demand increases for a small pool of highly-skilled workers.

Understand what skills are needed for the position you want and gain them. Complete certifications and additional courses, attend workshops and seminars, or seek other training to learn what you need to know. A recent salary survey of health IT professionals by HealthITJobs.com found that employees with certifications typically make $10,000 or more than those without.

Find a niche and become an expert. While you may not be the most experienced employee, you may become the most experienced in a specialized area.

Speak up

Although hiding behind email is tempting, face to face communication is still important in the office. Do your part to improve the team’s collaboration and productivity by actively communicating throughout the work day. Young professionals who communicate effectively are valuable assets and will stand out among their peers who rely on technology.

Listening is a big part of effective communication, and is often neglected. When speaking with your manager or co-workers, actively listen to what they’re saying. Paying attention to conversations sounds simple, but it’s easy to get distracted by your own thoughts. Get into the habit of repeating what others say for clarification and then ask questions. Not only will you engage in more interesting conversations, but you’ll also hold yourself accountable for active listening.

Be a team player

Don’t just communicate with your coworkers, but work with them as a team. Individual skills are important, but if you can’t support the rest of the team, specialized knowledge means little.

Although you may be new, don’t be shy about sharing your thoughts, getting involved in meetings, and jumping into projects. Sitting on the sidelines won’t get you noticed.

As a part of a team, you’ll have to work with different personalities and working styles. Get to know your coworkers and how they work best. Some people may be difficult to work with, but use your best effort to put your differences aside and work as a team. Adjust how you work and communicate to effectively accomplish tasks with different team members.

As a new team member, establish yourself as strong team player. Volunteer to take on extra responsibilities, help overburdened team members and work extra hours when you can.

Becoming the team’s go-to person will help you gain valuable experience, learn more about the company and sharpen your skills.

Become an expert

Know your business. Stay on top of current events, trends, changes, new technology and anything else that will impact your company or industry. Find the top websites and blogs for your industry and sign up for their newsletters… and read them.

Another way to keep on top of news is to set up Google Alerts. Pick a few industry keywords and Google will send you email notifications any time it finds new results on the topic. Learn everything you can and discuss topics with your coworkers. Become a fountain of information.

Also, don’t limit discussions to inside the office. Become a valuable resource online as well. Follow the big players and key influencers in your field on social media to gain insight and information, and then share articles and information with colleagues to strengthen relationships and establish yourself as an expert.

Be positive

The old saying “attitude is everything” sounds cheesy, but attitude can be critical to your success.

Yet many young professionals are failing in this area — 33 percent of HR managers said that millennials have a bad attitude during the interview. If you do have a job, chances are you had a good attitude during the interview process. But attitude is just as important after you’ve been hired as it was before.

Accept challenges with a smile and always be ready and willing to help. When new opportunities do become available, managers are likely to think of friendly and cooperative employees when considering who to promote — not someone else with a negative attitude.

Tim Cannon is the vice president of product management and marketing at HealthITJobs.com , the largest free job search resource connecting busy health IT professionals with relevant opportunities in the health IT field with minimal effort. Connect with Tim and HealthITJobs.com on LinkedIn .

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The Art of Delegation: The Smarter Way to Get More Done

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Have you ever asked someone to help with something at work, but when they delivered the results you wondered if they were even speaking the same language?

Let me take a not-so-wild guess at how this scenario plays out for you: you like doing things yourself, but after working more than you should, you realize you just don’t have enough time in the day. As a result, you offer to give someone else in your department a chance to step up. Even if it’s against your better judgment, you delegate work to someone who may not have as much knowledge or experience as you to do the work the way you normally get it done.

Then, when this person comes back with a product that doesn’t meet what you were looking for, you chalk it up to that person not being ready to take on the job. As a result, you stop delegating until your workload overwhelms you again… and the cycle repeats itself.

The art of delegation

There’s good news and bad news about this cycle. The bad news is if you’re not getting what you need, the problem sits squarely on your shoulders — not theirs. The good news is you can break free from this cycle by always following these four steps when considering whether or not to delegate a task: (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Choose the right task to delegate

Let’s face it: not every task can be delegated. If your workload requires historical background knowledge or subjective interpretation, you may want to keep this project for yourself. However, you should consider delegating recurring tasks. While you’ll invest time up front, you’ll only reap the benefits after that. Consider it the gift that keeps on giving.

2. Choose the right person for the job

One of my career coaches once told me you your teams are the most productive when you play to their strengths — not harping on where they need development. In light of this, you must consider the skills of people available before delegating. If you know you have someone on the team who makes great decks, don’t give that person a detailed spreadsheet analysis task when you’re pressed for time.

A sign of a great leader is when you can create opportunity for your team to develop new skills — and knowing when to push is a skill itself.

3. Plan ahead

You know what’s annoying? When someone sits on a task for a week — right up until the day of the deadline — before asking for help. It puts your team in a difficult position as they won’t have sufficient time to come up to speed, and it makes you look like a jerk because you’re stressed with no patience because of an imminent deadline. Don’t be that person.

Of course, last minute things come up, but most of us could benefit from spending a little more time planning, including considering who could help us with a project, before we dive into execution mode.

4. Explain your expectations in detail

You know the keyword in that header? Detail. If you fail to paint a clear picture of your vision, no can’t get angry at a colleague for exercising a bit of creative license and defining their own.

5. Provide an example of the finished product

Impersonation is the highest form of flattery, so why not give your team the opportunity to flatter you? Show a real example of the work you want done so the person helping you can copy it. This is critical as details about conceptual projects often become lost in translation.

What do you do if you don’t have a finished product available to share? You hand over the next best thing: a rough draft, picture, or drawing to illustrate what you want the result to look like. This will go a long way to making sure your vision aligns on the expected output.

Combine all of these five steps and you should never face another case of delegation disappointment again.

Eric Butts is a Management Consultant, MBA and CPA. By day he solves complex business problems for some of the world’s most well-known brands, and by night he teaches others how to carve out successful careers in the business world. Follow him @EButtsCPA .

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Why You Should Never Say These 2 Phrases Again

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It’s officially the new year. Hopefully you’ve completed your annual review and have a shiny set of goals to accomplish in the next 12 months.

If you’re looking for something a little simpler, however, try this: strike some useless — even harmful — phrases from your vocabulary.

This suggestion comes from Joel Runyon, founder of the IMPOSSIBLE blog. In a recent post, he shared two specific phrases he’s eliminated from his speech — and that you should, too.

The two phrases you should ban from your vocabulary

“I’m bored” and “I can’t.”

When’s the last time you said either of these phrases? Did it make you feel better, or help you in any way? Probably not.

So we agree with Runyon: “I’m bored” and “I can’t” are two phrases Brazenites should never say. As he points out:

“We live in a 7 billion person, 193 level video game in stunning HD with countless adventures, challenges and quests to go on where you get a stunning amount of control over your character. If you’re bored, you need to… push yourself to live a better story.”

If you’re bored at work, consider a career change; if you’re bored in your free time, start a side hustle; if you’re bored of your surroundings, take a break to travel the world.

As for “I can’t,” Runyon says: “Most people forget that they can still learn things after 22 years old. Guess what – it might be harder, but you can.”

When it comes to careers, there are a multitude of resources for expanding your knowledge and skill set: find a mentor, take an online course, or attend a conference.

Really, the world is full of possibility. Make that clear to yourself by banning these two phrases in the new year — and beyond.

Are there any other phrases that you think should be banned from our vocabulary?

Susan Shain (@TravlJunkette) is a travel blogger who loves helping people discover adventure through international travel or alternative careers.

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Comparing Online MBA Programs: How to Find the Right Fit for You

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Choosing a traditional university seems straightforward; after eliminating major factors like size, location and culture, it doesn’t take long to narrow down your choices.

But how do you choose a school amongst the vast offerings online, especially when you’re seeking something specific like an MBA program? That’s when things can get tricky.

The benefits of an online MBA

If you’re considering an online MBA, you already know the advantages, including the flexibility of an online format so you can continue pursuing your career while working towards your degree. Although online students receive the same education as your on-campus classmates, you can tailor your coursework to your work schedule.

In addition, students aren’t limited by geography as you may be in a traditional classroom; if you want to earn a degree from a school across the country, you don’t have to move there to make it happen. Overall, online degrees are a solid choice for independent, self-reliant students — qualities that describe many MBA candidates.

Wondering how to narrow down your choices from the ever-growing list of online MBA programs? Here are six steps for finding the program for you. (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Know what you want

This first tip may seem obvious, but it’s the most important: if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, you’re going to have a hard time finding it. Do some soul-searching and decide why you are pursuing an MBA.

What do you want your specialty to be? What are your expectations? What’s your learning style? How flexible do you want it to be? How quickly do you want it to happen? Knowing the basics will help you quickly eliminate unsuitable schools.

2. Grill your network

You may not know the first place to begin searching for an online MBA program, but members of your network likely do.

Ask your undergrad professors, coworkers and professional contacts which programs are on their radar. They don’t necessarily have to be online programs, either — a high-quality school will offer comparable programs to both on-campus and distance-learning students.

3. Consider rankings and reviews

Just like undergraduate colleges and universities, graduate programs are ranked each year. Based on factors such as student satisfaction, faculty, and employment outcomes, these rankings can help you narrow down your search to the most well-respected institutions and programs.

At the same time, do some digging online (such as via forums, social media and message boards) to see how past and current students respond to the program.

4. Research the faculty

A quick web search will usually allow you to find out who’s teaching MBA-level classes at the schools you’re considering. Research a few of the most prominent professors to help you decide if they’re the type of people you would like to work with. Are they respected in their field? Have they been published anywhere? How have past students — traditional and online — reviewed their performance?

A good professor will offer first-rate learning experiences to all of their students, regardless of whether they teach face-to-face or online.

5. Explore the curriculum

Once you’ve narrowed down your choices to a few strong contenders, take a more in-depth look at the program’s curriculum, which is usually available online.

How does the online coursework compare with on-campus materials? They should be similar if not identical. Does the coursework seem interesting and manageable to you? What feels like the best fit?

6. Assess the technology

Technology is key to an online program where all learning is done virtually. Find out what kind of technology the schools you’re considering are using. Are they innovative and progressive, or do they seem old-fashioned? How user-friendly is the interface? What software will you be using?

Here’s a hint: a quick glance at the school’s website can often offer some indication of how technologically savvy the school’s online offerings will be.

Are you considering an online MBA program? Please share your ideas for searching for schools in the comments.

Ryan Hickey is the Managing Editor of Peterson’s & EssayEdge and is an expert in many aspects of college, graduate, and professional admissions. A graduate of Yale University, Ryan has worked in various admissions capacities for nearly a decade, including writing test-prep material for the SAT, AP exams, and TOEFL, editing essays and personal statements and consulting directly with applicants.

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Want to Make More Money? Learn One of These Languages

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If you’re a native English speaker, this is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, you (should) have an excellent grasp of the most spoken language in the world. On the other, you’re less likely to feel that you need additional languages to succeed personally and professionally.

Sure, you can sail by pretty comfortably knowing English, but if you want to steer the course of your career instead of being at the mercy of the winds, knowing a second language is essential.

Don’t be under any illusions: learning a language isn’t a short term plan. Mastering an additional language can take many years. However, if you’re serious about wanting to enjoy the view from the top of the career ladder, there are few better ways to get there.

Which language should you learn?

Everyone knows that having a second language makes you a more appealing job candidate, but which languages are the most likely to help you get a better job? The answer hinges on both where in the world you are and the industry you’re in.

These six major languages that could fatten your paycheck: (Click here to tweet this list.)

Mandarin

The world is slowly accepting that China will soon be one of the the world’s major superpowers. China has strict laws governing business and trade, and so the language is a highly sought-after trait in these industries. In addition to being helpful for business, the language is becoming increasingly useful for working in finance and economics.

French

While it’s fair to say the days of French being the lingua Franca are long gone, the language of love still has global significance, with international organizations such as the EU and UN using it extensively. French can be useful in a number of artistic industries, but a knowledge of the language in fashion will open many more doors.

Spanish

Spanish has more native speakers than English after travelling from its homeland to much of South, Central and even North America. Businesses keen to reach Spanish-speaking consumers will consider Spanish a nice bonus on a resume, and many other careers value a fluent communicator. The importance Obama placed on reaching the Hispanic electorate in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections is just one example of the growing importance of the language in politics.

Arabic

The Middle East is one of the wealthiest regions in the world, which mean Arabic is useful for business and trade – particularly as the economy diversifies to become less reliant on gas and oil. The civil service, journalism and tourism are just a few other areas where Arabic could improve your job prospects.

German

While German doesn’t have the same global reach as languages such as English, Spanish or French, it’s the most spoken native language in the European Union. This means it’s one of the most useful languages for any business looking to trade with Europe. German is also the second most commonly used scientific language, so if you’re interested in a medical or research career, consider learning German.

Japanese

Japan was once ubiquitous with technology, and while many areas of the world are catching up with the land of the rising sun, the home of Sony and Honda is still a formidable force. This is especially true when it comes to robotics, which is estimated to be worth more than a million jobs and close to $70 billion in revenue by 2025.

A living language or a working language?

While learning a new language will help improve your job prospects, this doesn’t have to be the deciding factor for choosing a particular language. If you love taking vacations in France, then learning French will make your holidays even more enjoyable. If you’ve been interested in anime or Harajuku culture since you were a teenager, becoming fluent in Japanese will allow you explore these interests in incredible depth. Being happy at work is important, but so is being happy in your personal life, too.

Having an interest in language that goes beyond the 9-5 will make you more likely to eventually master it, and in turn, earn a higher wage.

Stephen Pritchard works for 7Brands , a one-stop translation agency with expertise in over 200 languages.

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The post Want to Make More Money? Learn One of These Languages appeared first on Brazen Life.

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How to Recruit the Perfect Job Candidate

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You’re so busy at work you barely have time to blink. Then — bam! — you’re told to fill a job vacancy right now.

You copy and paste a job posting and wing it out into the advertising ether, ending up with a foot-high stack of resumes taunting you from the corner of your desk. Maybe someone super-qualified is buried there. Maybe not.

You resign yourself to spending your lunch hour sorting through the pile and popping antacids in anticipation.

But what if you already have a pool of highly qualified people to pick from for the next time you need to hire someone?

The one thing almost no hiring manager does

Start by treating the people you interview like royalty.

They’re valued collaborators, not beggars with their hands out hoping for a job crumb. Yet we’ve all been treated like we ought to grovel and be oh so grateful simply for the chance to interview.

Our companies pay a price when we treat job applicants badly.

Instead, master the art of interviewing — including the inevitable letdown — to not only gain a great reputation, but also fill your awesome applicant pool.

The bizarre recruiting secret most don’t know

Believe it or not, some of your best recruiters are the people you interview but don’t hire.

Sounds crazy, I know.

Yet when you’ve treated them better than they dreamed of, they’ll refer great candidates even when you don’t hire them. Just reject people so well they’re determined to help you.

But be warned: learning the art of rejection will push you right out of your comfort zone.

Do you have the guts to get the glory?

How to move them from rejection to headhunting

The first step is to always call them back.

Don’t chicken out and send an email. Or worse, vanish.

If you get their voice mail, leave them a message asking them to call you back. Give them some options for days and times.

When you speak with them, do the following:

• After the greetings, kindly tell them right away they didn’t get the job. Don’t make them sweat through social chit chat waiting for the news.


• Thank them for their time and effort. This seems like a no-brainer, but hardly anyone does.


• Offer to give them constructive feedback on how they did. After they pick their jaw up off the floor, they usually agree.


• Tell them what they did well.


• Give them suggestions on how they could improve.

You’ll already have provided them a far better experience than usual.

But don’t stop there. Give them more:

• Seek their critique on how you did. Yes, you’ll feel vulnerable, but you’ll learn and improve.


• Ask them if it’s okay to contact them if a position comes up they’d be better suited for. But only if you’re sincere. If you know you’ll never hire them, skip this step.

By now you’ll seem like one of the best things since sliced bread to them.

You are.

People want to be treated with kindness, candor and respect. You gotta give them that, simply as part of being a decent human being.

You know what it feels like when someone treats you shabbily and then asks you for a favor. Like they put icing on manure and are trying to pass it off as a gourmet dessert.

But you’re better than that.

When to pop the question

At the end of the “Sorry, but I’m not hiring you” conversation, ask them, “If you know someone who’d be a great person to work here, would you tell them to get in touch with me?”

As long as you’ve made it an amazing experience, be prepared for their heartfelt “Yes!”

They’ve learned about you and your organization, so they’ll have a good idea how to match a qualified friend or colleague to you.

And you’ve shown you’re an excellent manager.

Be sure to tell them the people they refer should contact you directly. Don’t undo all your good work by forcing them into the hideous hiring black hole many companies have. You know the one: spend too much time filling out a series of online forms, click Send and receive a robotic canned reply.

Are you ready to revolutionize your recruiting?

Every person is part of a network. They’ll affect the reputation of you and your company when they tell others about their experience. (Click here to tweet this bit of truth.)

You’ll feel confident because you’ve unfailingly treated them with respect, honesty and consideration.

You turned what’s normally an impersonal rejection into a heartfelt conversation brimming with support and encouragement.

Your goal is to get the person you didn’t hire to walk away and say to someone else, “I didn’t get the job, but, man! It was great, and you’d love to work there!”

Then sit back and watch as the fantastic candidates arrive.

Try it.

When you do, congratulations! You’ll have earned your way into the ranks of exceptional hiring managers.

Lynn Hauka teaches busy managers how to reclaim their personal life while still getting excellent business results. Get the free PDF “5 Calendar Hacks To Be More Productive And Leave Work On Time” when you sign up for her email list at The Balanced Boss.

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Want to Become a Programmer? The Truth Behind 10 Common Myths

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Thanks to strong demand and high median annual wages, more and more people are pursuing careers as computer programmers.

At Coding Dojo, where I’m an instructor, we see lots of eager students who want to break into the industry. But many of them are discouraged by myths they hear about what it takes to become a coding whiz.

Today I want to debunk those myths, so anyone who wants to learn new skills or earn more money can move more swiftly toward a job in this industry. Here’s the truth behind 10 common myths about becoming a developer.

Myth #1: I need to be a prodigy to be a developer

Reality: People often think programmers are a special breed of humanity, born with scientific calculators for brains. On the contrary, developers are ordinary people who simply have a passion for programming. And like in any profession, talent only gets people so far, as work ethic and discipline truly determine success or failure.

If you’re curious to learn programming, don’t worry; it’s not as difficult as it may seem. At its core, programming is simply a form of communication between two entities — in this case, a developer and a computer. At a fundamental level, your task as a developer is to give instructions to a computer on how to build something, such as a website.

But of course you don’t simply say, “Computer, build me a website.” It’s more complex than that. In a nutshell, programming is like writing meticulous instruction manuals in a special language, which only computers and other programmers can interpret.

If you know how to communicate with others, you can learn to program.

Myth #2: It’s too late for me to become a developer

Reality: The truth is it’s never too late to become a computer programmer. Lots of coding bootcamps work with students of all ages and from a wide variety of backgrounds. Many enroll with little programming experience. As long as they put in the required work, they’re able to find great success, both in the classroom and in the workforce after graduation.

Even though you may be starting your career in programming later than you would have wished, you’ll find that you have everything you need to succeed with the right preparation and work ethic.

Myth #3: I need a Computer Science degree to become a developer

Reality: Have you noticed all the coding bootcamps popping up around the world? These bootcamps wouldn’t stay in business long if they weren’t succeeding as viable alternatives to conventional schools. (Disclaimer: I work for one.) Every month, graduates of these bootcamps — who often begin the camps with limited experience in programming — land jobs as developers.

And if you throw in the increasing popularity of free online learning platforms like Codecademy, it’s evident that learning to program is not an opportunity exclusive to formal institutions.

Programming is like almost any profession: if you’re good at it, people will pay you for your skills, regardless of how you got there. (Click here to tweet this sage advice.)

Myth #4: I need serious math skills to become a developer

Reality: To become a developer, you don’t need to know how to approximate a definite integral using a parabolic variable. You don’t even need to know what this means. All you need is basic algebra, logic, strong problem-solving skills, and most of all, patience.

This doesn’t mean developers never use advanced math. If the project at hand requires complex mathematical computation, then you will definitely need to brush up on your math skills. However, there are many plugins and libraries available to run calculations for you. All you have to do is implement the plugin or library into your code, so being extremely proficient at math is not necessarily required to become a developer.

Myth #5: I need to learn the “best” programming language to become a developer

Reality: A common question beginners ask is, “What is the best language to learn?” It’s a good question, but also a misguided one. No computer language is “better” than another, in the same way that French is not “better” than Spanish. Just as the benefit of a spoken language depends on what country you are visiting, the benefit of a computer language depends on what you need to do.

A better question to ask is, “Which programming language should I learn first?” If you want to be a great developer, you’ll need to master multiple languages.

The best approach is to start with the fundamentals. If you want to be a web developer, start with HTML and CSS, which are the foundational languages of the web. If you’re more interested in general computer programming, focus on languages that have a lot of online documentation and tutorials to supplement your learning, and don’t worry about the “best” language. As your learning progresses, the strengths and weaknesses of each language will reveal themselves.

Once you graduate a bootcamp, or complete other required coursework and projects, it’s time to start interviewing for a job as a web developer. Here are a few more myths for this phase of your career transition.

Myth #6: Graduation is just the beginning

So you enrolled in a reputable coding bootcamp, showed up every day, drank enough Red Bull to kill a real bull and graduated with a solid understanding of OOP, MySQL, Heroku, and 20 other terms that are not, it turns out, foreign swear words. It’s smooth sailing from here on out, right?

Wrong. Too many coding bootcamp alumni assume that graduation marks the end of their journey when, in truth, it marks the beginning.

Myth #7: A development job will come to me

Web developers are in strong demand, and most coding bootcamps have resources to help you gain employment. But that doesn’t mean you can sit back and wait for the employment offers to come flooding in from the job fairy. While you’re waiting, other graduates are actively marketing themselves, snatching up jobs that you might be more qualified for — had you bothered to apply.

Instead, you need to be highly proactive with your job search. If you didn’t establish a good relationship with your bootcamp’s career center, reach out to them now and then follow up every 2-3 weeks to stay on their map. Motivated coding bootcamp alumni apply to multiple companies a day; start with companies in your extended network and then utilize resources like job search sites. This process will require research, outreach, and a strong cover letter (which you will need to customize for each company).

Finally, create a GitHub profile before you graduate and do some learning repos to show you’re up to snuff.

Myth #8: I’m done learning

By the end of your coding bootcamp experience, you will have learned a lot of skills. However, that doesn’t mean your learning is complete. Just as you forgot half the French you learned in high school because you stopped using it after graduation, you’re going to forget programming languages you learned but don’t use on a daily basis.

To prevent this from happening, work on personal projects that force you to use languages and software you never work with on the job.

Myth #9: I no longer need my classmates

The students you went through coding bootcamp with are your greatest professional resources. Even that weird bearded guy who left Cheetos dust on every keyboard he touched is going to be a senior developer one day…. so make sure you stay in touch.

Whether it’s a simple “how ya been?” email every few months or starting a monthly poker night for your cohort, you need to keep those relationships strong. Many coding bootcamp alumni (such as Coding Dojo’s own AJ Agrawal, co-founder of Alumnify) have created successful ventures with fellow students; if you didn’t do this while you were a student, it’s not too late to start. Just reach out, keep those relationships strong, and let the power of your network do the rest.

Myth #10: I’ll nail interviews without preparing

Even with proper training, it’s still up to you to keep those interview skills strong. Think of interviewing as a muscle — if you don’t use it, it atrophies. Be sure you practice answering questions before every interview, even if it’s in front of the mirror.

Even more important is to practice the common tests that interviewers give. Some companies use technical interviews while others might give you a coding challenge that you’re expected to solve overnight. There are many good resources to help you prepare for these, but a particularly good one is Cracking The Coding Interview.

Last but not least, don’t forget the basics. Keep your resume updated with your skills and knowledge, and list your Coding Bootcamp under your education section. Do your research so that you know what the company does and can ask intelligent questions. Make sure you dress appropriately. And don’t forget to send a brief thank you email after your interview is complete.

The road to becoming a programmer is not an easy one, and a career in computer programming is not for everyone. However, as you consider your next steps, know that many people — none of them more “destined” to be a programmer than you — have found success and happiness through computer programming.

As long as you keep that in mind and remain aware of the truth behind the myths, you’ll be in a good place to pursue your passion and future career.

Michael Choi is founder and chief instructor of Coding Dojo , which offers a 12-week immersive web development boot camp for high school/college students looking to pad transcripts/resumes, professionals looking to reinvent their careers or entrepreneurs looking to start a web-based business.

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3 People You Absolutely Need in Your Corner to Succeed in Your Career

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Ready for big results in 2015? Then you’ll need a mentor, a coach and a sponsor in your corner.

But who are these people? How can they help? And why do we need them in our corner?

Coaching, mentoring and sponsorship are terms we hear a lot, sometimes even interchangeably. First, let’s delineate their roles:

Mentor

A mentor focuses on your growth as an individual. Mentors act as role models and are most often in your same profession, and the relationship is mutually beneficial to both the mentor and the mentee. Tara Campbell of Powerhouse Growers explains, “The relationship gives the mentor and mentee permission to challenge and provoke action. They inspire us, drive us to dig deeper, and train us on the importance of education, research, and most of all being intentional.”

The mentee often drives the conversation. The mentor focuses primarily on listening rather than offering specific feedback. Mentoring can be informal or formal and be an ongoing relationship or be for a set amount of time. Mentors take a more holistic approach than a coach and are more concerned with your development as a person than specific results.

Coach

A coach’s primary concern is your performance. They want to help you achieve greater results and achieve your potential. The coach often leads the conversation and offers specific and concrete feedback. Compared to a mentor, a coach will often work with you until you achieve a specific result or complete a specific project. There are often regular, frequent meetings. Coaches provide accountability.

An accountability group and a structure for success are often the critical component between a good idea and implementing long-lasting change. (Click here to tweet this quote.) A coach is the person who can help you move out of overwhelm or through fear to take action today on the dreams you’ve been putting off until “someday.” Their niche can range from a personal trainer to an executive or accountability coach.

Sponsor

A sponsor is your advocate. They work in your industry or profession and typically have more experience, and they are willing to mention your name, highlight your work, and introduce you to others. Their promotional work often occurs when you aren’t present. This is the person who will walk your resume into the HR department and tell them to hire you. They could also be a person in your company who says, “I don’t have time to take on that project, but contact Krista, she does great work.

You may or may not know who is acting as your sponsor. The sponsor often promotes you to others based on your results rather than your personal relationship. This may seem stereotypical, but a sponsor is like the older man who is promoting the younger colleague on the golf course.

Thankfully, sponsor-type relationships aren’t just for the good old boys network anymore. The downside is you will need to be proactive about finding a sponsor, but unlike a mentor or a coach, it is unusual to ask someone to sponsor you. Sponsorship is earned.

The roles of a mentor, a coach and a sponsor will often overlap, but the high performance sweet-spot is having all three on your side.

Why You Need a Mentor, Coach and Sponsor in Your Corner

It feels like the start to a bad joke: a mentor, a coach and a sponsor all walk into a bar… But this isn’t a joke. These people can be the difference between plodding along in your career and lightening-quick advancement.

Here’s why you need them in your corner:

1. The world of work is changing

On average, people stay 4.4 years at a job. As Forbes reports, job hopping is the new normal. The mentoring, coaching or sponsoring relationships that would have occurred naturally over time aren’t developing as much. Not only are you changing jobs, so are your coworkers, bosses and the people who may have become your mentors or sponsors. You need to take deliberate action to find these people.

2. The skill sets we need are rapidly changing

A coach can help you develop the skills needed for your new job. A mentor can help you think about how changing jobs can foster your growth as an individual or how asking for different responsibilities at your current job can make you happier. A sponsor will promote you to their connections throughout your profession even as you both change jobs and companies.

3. You’ll excel (and so will your company)

Studies show that most successful people have had a mentor. Think pay raises. Sponsorship is a key factor in the rate of promotions. And a recent Forbes article showed that greater revenue is generated by organizations with strong coaching cultures.

Having a mentor, a coach and a sponsor will propel you to personal and professional success. Are you ready to find them?

Lorena Knapp is an accountability coach by day and an EMS helicopter pilot by night. Her signature program, BLAST, will have move you out of fear and overwhelm so you can take action on your “somedays” and start crafting your ideal life today.

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2015 WIBC Sneak Peek: Carine Clark

2015 Women in Business Conference 
Speaker Sneak Peek: Carine Clark



 #IMgoingRU
For more information: wib2015.likeapro.me
To register: https://byums.org/event?event_id=943 (Register as a "guest" when given the option)


Women in Business Conference 2015 will be for women professionals by fearless women professionals.  Come meet and listen to women business leaders across the nation speak about topics including:

• Fearless Leadership
• Women Fearlessly in Technology
• Fearless Non-Profit Management
• Women Fearlessly in Politics
• Fearlessly Returning to the Workforce
• Education without Fear

February 27th and 28th, 2015
Provo Marriott Hotel and Conference Center

Friday evening includes dinner, keynote speaker and networking opportunities
Saturday includes meals, keynote speakers, breakout sessions and networking.

2015 WIBC Sneak Peek: Dr. Susan R. Madsen

2015 Women in Business Conference 
Speaker Sneak Peek: Dr. Susan R. Madsen



 #IMgoingRU
For more information: wib2015.likeapro.me
To register: https://byums.org/event?event_id=943 (Register as a "guest" when given the option)


Women in Business Conference 2015 will be for women professionals by fearless women professionals.  Come meet and listen to women business leaders across the nation speak about topics including:

• Fearless Leadership
• Women Fearlessly in Technology
• Fearless Non-Profit Management
• Women Fearlessly in Politics
• Fearlessly Returning to the Workforce
• Education without Fear

February 27th and 28th, 2015
Provo Marriott Hotel and Conference Center

Friday evening includes dinner, keynote speaker and networking opportunities
Saturday includes meals, keynote speakers, breakout sessions and networking.

Attention Students, deadline tomorrow

Tomorrow is the deadline for the student drawing for a complimentary admission and one on one time with a speaker and board member of your choice.

Click here to submit your entry

Good Luck!

Learn from the Best: 4 Simple Tips to Attract Top Recruits

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Determining the best way to find top candidates is a constant headache for recruiters. Is it social media? Career fairs? Poaching from other companies?

Here’s an idea: Maybe, instead of focusing on recruiting candidates, you should figure out how to make them come to you. And how can you do that? By making your company an awesome place to work.

Glassdoor recently released their list of the “Best Places to Work 2015.” These companies don’t have to worry about recruiting the top candidates; the top candidates come to them. (Sorting through them is a different problem — albeit one that many recruiters would like to have.)

So… what can we learn from Glassdoor’s list?

In the list, employees share why they love their companies. While reviewing it, we noticed several items that came up again and again. Of course, competitive pay and smart coworkers were huge factors — but so were several other things.

Here are four features that employees of these top companies raved about:

• Unique company culture: A welcoming and fun company culture is one of the easiest ways to increase the attractiveness of your company. Today’s recruits are seeking somewhere they can feel at home — and a culture they can be proud of.

• Great perks and benefits: Though a solid benefits package is a must, company perks are becoming essential for attracting the best of the best. Not to mention, they’re a great way to keep your employees happy and healthy.

• Ample opportunities for growth and development: Top candidates are eager to keep learning and progressing — after all, that drive is what makes them so great. Encourage your company to offer workshops and trainings so employees can continue their professional development.

• Commitment to work-life balance: The idea of work-life balance has grown increasingly important over the years. Make sure your recruits know you’re committed to their well-being by acknowledging they have a life outside of work through flexible schedules or remote working opportunities.

Focus on improving these four areas of your company, and who knows? In a few years, you could end up on a “best places to work” list — and have the top candidates knocking down your door.

Do you like looking at lists of “best places to work”? What other insights can you glean from lists like this?

Susan Shain (@TravlJunkette) is a travel blogger who loves helping people discover adventure through international travel or alternative careers.


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How Entrepreneurs Can Design Their Lives and Businesses for Success

You can design your own life and business for the kind of success that you desire. Some of her top tips are recounted below.

How Entrepreneurs Can Design Their Lives and Businesses for Success

#IMgoingRU
For more information: wib2015.likeapro.me
To register: https://byums.org/event?event_id=943


Women in Business Conference 2015 will be for women professionals by fearless women professionals.  Come meet and listen to women business leaders across the nation speak about topics including:

• Fearless Leadership
• Women Fearlessly in Technology
• Fearless Non-Profit Management
• Women Fearlessly in Politics
• Fearlessly Returning to the Workforce
• Education without Fear
• February 27th and 28th, 2015
• Provo Marriott Hotel and Conference Center

Friday evening includes dinner, keynote speaker and networking opportunities
Saturday includes meals, keynote speakers, breakout sessions and networking.

10 Easy Hacks to Become More Productive at Work

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Do you quietly admire people who work more than you and succeed — and are happy, vigorous and never complain? You may think that they have magical skills, but they don’t.

Productivity can be learned. All you need to do is to find the productivity methods that work for you and make them a habit. (Click here to tweet this quote.) You’ve probably already tried a few popular solutions, so here are 10 less obvious hacks that may help you to become a productivity beast.

1. Sweat a little before work

Get up early and dedicate half an hour to an hour to your beloved workout. No matter what you prefer — running, swimming, lifting weights or something else — morning effort gives your brain a nice shot of oxygen and glucose. Don’t let your mind be undernourished.

2. Take a cold shower

A cold shower in the morning may sound like a horror, but it gives you extra vital powers. A cold shower forces you to take deeper breaths and your blood to flow like wild river. It also gives you an additional oxygen injection, makes you more energetic and is guaranteed to boost your concentration.

3. Gobble strawberries

Yum! Aside from the simple fact that almost everyone loves strawberries, they also provide you with towering level of antioxidants. When you start forgetting things and becoming more susceptible to stress, a simple dose of strawberries may save your life.

4. Change your morning Facebook habit (or whatever you do) to crosswords

For a long time, I thought reading anything before breakfast and coffee skyrocketed my productivity because it trains my brain. Beep! Wrong. Scrolling Facebook, Lifehack or reading a newspaper is like sliding over the surface of information.

Try something that engages your mind, like crosswords, puzzles or Sudoku. You’ll see a noticeable change in how your brain works after this kind of engaged warm up.

5. Always make note of your productivity ideas

When you think about your plan for a project you’ve been working on, you probably see little holes and weaknesses in your perfect plan. The worst thing you can do is to change your strategy on the spot.

What you can do is plan to avoid those problems in the future. Form the habit of writing down every idea of how you can improve your workflow in the future.

6. Design your workplace yourself

Current design trends of minimalism and puritan austerity have a negative impact on productivity. The results of British scientists, Craigh Knight and Alex Haslam, speaks for itself: employees working in self-decorated workplaces are about 32 percent more productive than those working in minimalistic offices.

7. Work standing up

Writer Ernest Hemingway used to work standing up. Thanks to this little trick, he could write for hours, staying concentrated and clear-minded. When you sit, your body is resting, so you become susceptible to distractions and procrastination.

Standing requires healthy muscle tone and improves blood circulation, so you stay stimulated and don’t get distracted.

8. Avoid too much “good job”

Terrence Fletcher, the spooky music teacher from movie Whiplash, said: “There are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job.” Be careful about congratulating yourself too often.

If you’re too tolerant of what you do, you may miss the moment when you lower your standards. Treat your achievements more like next steps to something bigger than like a final victory.

9. Don’t listen to overly engaging music

When you listen to your beloved Mozart’s second piano concert in B-flat major, you won’t’ be able to focus on work because you’ll focus on your favorite parts of the music. It’s similar when you listen to music that’s new for you. Fresh, interesting sounds capture your attention. If you have to listen to music, listen to pieces that allow you to work.

10. Replace the office with the cafe

Working in the office can sometimes be like sitting in front of a blank page and saying “Now I have to figure out some glorious ideas.” Please, don’t do this. According to The Journal of Consumer Research, occasionally leaving your comfort zone and going to a somewhat noisy place (like a cafe) can unblock your creativity, allowing you to think more clearly and focus on work for a longer time.

Being productive doesn’t have to mean sacrifice and maintaining strict discipline. As you can see, most of those tips are pleasant (maybe with the exception of the cold shower) and are easy to put into practice. They’ll help you be more satisfied with your work and your achievements.

Have you tried any of these tips before? Did they work for you? Or maybe you know some other weird or unusual productivity methods? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment.

Jan Godlewski is a creative writer at TimeCamp . Jan writes about productivity hacks, self growth, time tracking and project management.

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The post 10 Easy Hacks to Become More Productive at Work appeared first on Brazen Life.

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2015 WIBC Speaker Sneak Peek: Carine Clark

2015 Women in Business Conference 
Speaker Sneak Peek: Carine Clark



#IMgoingRU
For more information: wib2015.likeapro.me
To register: https://byums.org/event?event_id=943 (Register as a "guest" when given the option)


Women in Business Conference 2015 will be for women professionals by fearless women professionals.  Come meet and listen to women business leaders across the nation speak about topics including:

• Fearless Leadership
• Women Fearlessly in Technology
• Fearless Non-Profit Management
• Women Fearlessly in Politics
• Fearlessly Returning to the Workforce
• Education without Fear

February 27th and 28th, 2015
Provo Marriott Hotel and Conference Center

Friday evening includes dinner, keynote speaker and networking opportunities
Saturday includes meals, keynote speakers, breakout sessions and networking.

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Helps the Global Economy

January 27, 2015 By Susan Gunelius

“Entrepreneurs are the foundation for innovation, economic growth, and job creation.” That quote was published last year by Ingrid Vanderveldt of the United Nations Foundation’s Global Entrepreneur Council. However, the gender gap still exists in business and in life.


According to the 2014 World Economic Forum Gender Gap report..."

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Helps the Global Economy


#IMgoingRU
For more information: wib2015.likeapro.me
To register: https://byums.org/event?event_id=943


Women in Business Conference 2015 will be for women professionals by fearless women professionals.  Come meet and listen to women business leaders across the nation speak about topics including:

• Fearless Leadership
• Women Fearlessly in Technology
• Fearless Non-Profit Management
• Women Fearlessly in Politics
• Fearlessly Returning to the Workforce
• Education without Fear
• February 27th and 28th, 2015
• Provo Marriott Hotel and Conference Center

Friday evening includes dinner, keynote speaker and networking opportunities
Saturday includes meals, keynote speakers, breakout sessions and networking.