Best Personal Development Tool Is Gratitude

If you are serious about improving yourself, what you need to know is that there are few different ways you can accomplish that. Of course, what you need to know is that it is imperative that you start somewhere. A lot of the time, people get overwhelmed by all the personal development tools that are out there. That leads to no improvement whatsoever.

A great tool for you, if you are serious about improving your personal development, is to think of the Concept of Gratitude. Gratitude is something that can be exceedingly helpful to you in your quest to better yourself, and here are four (4) ways you can put gratitude to work for you.

Step 1: Be Grateful Every Morning 

Think about what you are grateful for every morning. For most people, waking up is a chore. They wish they could sleep more often, and they do not cherish the idea of waking up and going to work. That is why you should make a real effort to get up in the morning giving thanks instead of complaining. Then, you start your day on a high note and you start helping good things to happen.

Now, it does not matter who you give thanks to. If you are religious, you may wish to thank God, but if you are not, it is as acceptable to just feel the gratitude in your heart.

Step 2: Journal Things You are Grateful For

Another way gratitude can help you is if you keep a journal about things you are thankful for. Keep the journal with you at all times so you can jot down notes if you need to. That way, whenever you are feeling down, or as if you do not have anything, you can open your gratitude journal and see all the things you like about your life. It doesn't have to be huge things you are thankful for, either. Even if you are thankful for jellybeans, that counts!

Step 3: Be Grateful for Your Family and Friends

Express your gratitude for those around you who make your life a better place. We all spend a lot of time complaining about the people who make us miserable, why not take that time and talk about people who make us happy!

Step 4: Seek for Ways to Show Gratitude

Look for ways to show your gratitude to people. You may not have much money, but you can write them a kind note. You can do them a favour, or babysit, or cook them a meal. Showing your gratefulness helps other people do the same to you. Everyone has a tough time in life, so it is a good thing when you can alleviate someone else's suffering.

Again, before you go to bed at night, think of times during the day where you were not grateful, but could have been. This teaches you how to act in the future.

Finally, as you can see now, gratitude can be a really important part of your life. Even if you start with just a little gratitude, it can grow into something that is beautiful in your life. If you want to see your life blossom, become someone who is more grateful.

Top 10 Best Job Interview Tips

Job interviews can be a mystery. But you can find success if you follow the right job interview strategies. This post elaborates on the best top 10 tips for your job interview. If you strategically follow these tips you would ace your next interview.

Tip 1: Study the Company

One of the best job interview strategies that most candidates ignore is to research the current events of the company. Knowing what the current events of the company are; is important so that you can ask pertinent questions. Doing so will show the interviewer that you have done your homework, and also have a genuine interest in the company. This strategy will definitely help your job interview and put you ahead of your competitors.

Tip 2: Know your Resume or CV

As a candidate, you should be very familiar with your CV or resume. In any job interview, anything on your CV or resume is at the interviewer's disposal. Implementing this job interview strategy will help build credibility with your interviewer. It is your responsibility to convince the interviewer that you can come in and do the job. Speaking intelligently about each of your previous positions will help do this, and is one of the best job interview tip to follow in order to be ahead of other job applicants.

Tip 3: Prepare an Interview Emergency Kit

Many candidates don't properly prepare for a job interview. Getting together a "job interview kit" is a great job interview plan to follow. Suggested items for the kit include:

·        extra copies of your resume or CV.

·        Original Certificates and copies of each.

·        directions to the office.

·        a bottle of water.

·        Eye drops, pens, and notepad.

But you should only bring the extra copies of your CV into the office with you, preferably in a portfolio.

Tip 4: Study Job Description

After landing an interview, you need to study the job description to truly understand what the interviewer is looking for. If the description calls for attentiveness to detail, you will want to tailor the discussion accordingly. Knowing this, you can navigate the interview and discuss examples from previous jobs that will exemplify this trait. Do this for all significant traits or qualities that you identify in the job description. This is one of the best job interview tips I have used, and know that it can bring you success.

Tip 5: Build Rapport

You know the saying, "There's never a second chance to make a first impression?" That holds very true in the case of job interviews. That is why building rapport is such an important job interview tip. Shake hands, make eye contact, and smile. Put those three (3) together when you first meet your interviewer and it will set a positive tone for the rest of the interview.

Tip 6: Make Eye Contact

Making positive eye contact is one of the best job interview strategies to follow. Eye contact is one of the strongest forms of nonverbal communication. A person's qualities and personality can be detected simply based on eye contact. Making direct eye contact communicates confidence and high self-esteem, two (2) key qualities employers look for in candidates.

Thus, it is very important that you make eye contact when you first meet an interviewer and shake hands. And during the interview, it is necessary to make eye contact, not only when you talk, but also as you listen. Simply using this job interview approach will greatly help your chances of success in an interview.

Tip 7: Body Language

Just as eye contact speaks volumes about you, so does your body language. Proper body language conveys confidence and high self-esteem. During the interview, things like sitting up straight with your chest out and keeping a pleasant demeanour on your face will project confidence. The interviewer will be aware of this, and it will help you stand out in his/her mind.

Tip 8: Display your Skills with Concrete Examples

When it comes to discussing their skills, many candidates make the mistake of "telling" instead of "showing." One of the best job interview approaches is to use concrete examples to demonstrate your skills to the interviewer. For example, if one of your skills is successfully handling multiple tasks at once, providing an example of how you do that will help paint a picture for the interviewer. It also gives the interviewer something to "hold on to" once the interview is over, and this helps him/her to remember you when it comes to decision time.

Tip 9: Be Yourself

A common mistake that many candidates make is not being themselves. Some feel that they need to fit a certain mould and act accordingly. This will only end up hurting both parties in the end when your "true" personality comes out. You will be surprised how easy it is to detect insincerity during an interview. Thus, it is relevant to be professional, but also maintain your true essence. When you do this, your sincerity and genuineness will be picked up by the interviewer. This is one of the best job interview plans to implement, and it will go a long way in determining your success.

Tip 10: Follow Up Quickly

After the job interview, send a thank you note to the interviewer. These days, an email is fine, but traditionally a handwritten card is sent. Whatever method you choose, do it promptly after the interview. The correspondence should be sent the next day after the interview. Many hiring decisions are made quickly these days, so timeliness is very important.

In conclusion, interviews are part of the job search process and therefore, very important when you need that dream job. Now, you have read the top ten (10) of the best job interview strategies to follow. There are many aspects of a successful job interview, but if you implement these top 10 best job interview approaches listed above, your chances of success will skyrocket! 

The interview is the absolute most important part to getting hired and if you want to get hired, you cannot joke! The job market right now is the most competitive, it's been in years. Learn the most up to date interview techniques for today's ultra competitive job market and blow your competition in the dust! Therefore get your copy of Killer Interview Secrets Today!!! 

What Exactly is Personal Development?

Striving to make ourselves better, were thought of as "new age phenomenon", but actually it dates back to ancient history. There are multiple societies that spoke of developing oneself as the only true vocation in life and that philosophy (knowing more about oneself and the universe), was the best way to live a more fulfilling life.

As we look into the history of personal development, it may have been called by other names such as, "virtues", or "moral character", or within the Christian era, "ethics."

No matter where we find the roots of personal development, whether it is in ancient Greece, or more recently in the teachings of Benjamin Franklin, where he created possibly the first Self-Improvement Course. The traits that he spoke of are as follows…

1.       To Practice Self-Control and Exercise Discipline, then to use these traits as a means of improving the individual…

2.   Quiet Yourself and Listen: Become a better listener, and exercise silence…

3.       Maintain Order: Arranging our lives in an orderly fashion, and not procrastinate…

4.       Work Ethic: Putting forth your best effort daily…

5.       Money/Time: Understand how we spend our time and money…

6.       Work: Learn to work and play hard, striving to bring a smile to others…

7.   Do unto Others: Always treat others, the way you yourself would like to be treated.

8.   Small Steps: to look at life with moderation, and to avoid extremes…

9.    Cleanliness Both Inside and Outside: To be clean in body, mind and spirit…

10.   Peace: Live life at peace, enjoying the beauty that surrounds us…

11.   Serve Others: no matter your station in life, take the time to help others in need…

12.   Humbleness: realize that we are all equal in the face of the Almighty…

13.   Honesty: Strive always to speak the truth both yourself and those you come in contact with.

While this is simply a brief example, of what one of America's historic figures offered, personal development is not a destination but a path you should walk.

Personal development should become ingrained in every part of our lives, both physically, mentally, and spiritually. Life is a continual movement from birth to death, and along that path we should always strive to move ourselves forward, to become better people, and to never settle, but always strive for excellence.

We live in a fast-paced world, with deadlines to keep and bills to pay, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that we are physical as well as spiritual beings, and to truly be fulfilled we should not put one in front of the other, rather seek excellence for them both.

Personal development, which could be measured by setting and reaching goals, can be thought of as a measurement of our success in life. It does not matter whether we seek the summit Mount Everest, or simply to walk to a neighbouring hill, rather it is the setting of our sight upon that goal, then moving steadily forward to reach the infielders.

In conclusion, in personal development we should seek both short-term and long-term goals, with short-term goals being achievable, which offers fuel to our very essence, allowing us the strength and motivation to move forward with long-term goals.

What Bill Gates and the Modern Philanthropists Do Better

I have witnessed many changes in my long career in the way we approach global challenges – not all of them, sadly, positive. But the resurgence in recent years of philanthropy has been a major change for good.

We have entered a new age of philanthropy and the sick, the poor and the vulnerable of our world are benefiting. Progress is being made on some of our world’s most intractable problems and modern philanthropy has played a significant role in these successes. When, for example, as UN Secretary-General we launched the Global Fund as an international financing mechanism to tackle HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, the early involvement of the Gates Foundation was of critical importance.

It was not just the large additional resources which were provided which made the difference, but also their way of approaching the challenge. Modern philanthropists have brought a determined focus on outcomes and the courage to find and try innovative solutions to deliver results.

They also bring a deep understanding of the need to build the widest possible partnerships with governments, international agencies, civil society and the private sector. Despite fears from some NGOs and multilaterals about their involvement and influence, modern philanthropists rarely operate in isolation but recognise the importance of collaboration.

The new age of philanthropy is also marked by a change in where the successors to Carnegie, Rockefeller and Nobel live. As the economies of Asia, Latin America and Africa have grown, so has the determination of its business leaders to use their wealth for the greater good.

We have seen, for example, the emergence of a growing number of African foundations set up by those whose companies have thrived on the continent. They can bring, as is the case with Mo Ibrahim and the work of his Foundation on African governance and of Tony Elumelu on entrepreneurship, a particular insight into what’s important, a better understanding of the local and regional context, and the barriers that must be overcome.

This experience can also provide a credibility which makes it more difficult for those in authority to ignore and easier to attract the right partners. The work of my Foundation on African agriculture and on elections and reconciliation within the continent – and the wide partnerships we have forged – has benefited hugely from these partnerships.

The Ibrahim and Gates Foundations also underline how modern philanthropists are taking a much more high-profile role in advocacy for the causes in which they believe and the changes they want to see. Many wealthy individuals, of course, continue to keep their giving and efforts private, but this new breed of philanthropy-champions have successfully raised awareness, challenged conventional thinking and prompted decisive action on issues of huge importance.

As we look around our world and the complex challenges we face, it is clear we need not just more funding but the very best ideas that we can get, and absolute focus to make these ideas work in practice. I am delighted to see the next generation of philanthropists leading the way.

This article was written by Kofi Annan, Chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation.Credit: https://ch.linkedin.com/in/kofiannan

How to Create a Personal Development Plan

Learn how to create a personal development plan that can transform your life for success. As the saying goes "if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail". We will discuss how to create a plan for our personal development. It can help you get in touch with your internal feelings, determine exactly who you want to be, and how you want to live your life. 

 A personal development plan is often used by young people who are always pressured by their peers. However, adults like you can benefit greatly by creating your own personal development plan. This single step in drafting your plan can transform your life for good. Below I have expatiated 5 steps you can take to craft a personal development plan.

1. Make a List of What You Admire

It is imperative to first decide exactly what types of qualities you admire in people around you that you would like to internalize on your own. This may be qualities that are easy to measure such as staying physically fit or losing weight. It may also include taking on a better and healthier diet, or living a life full of integrity.

Choosing the right types of traits that you find in other people you admire should be on the top of the list. Again, decide which three qualities you would like to incorporate in your own life, in order to begin the process of transformation. The types of qualities you should focus on are the ones that are outside your personal comfort zone. Besides, they should not be unattainable, so as not to quickly discourage you from achieving that goal.

2. Learn to Set SMART Goals

In order to be successful, you will need to set goals. If the qualities you selected above are tangible, like physical fitness, you will need to understand exactly what the goal looks like. It may include participating in a marathon, simply walking the neighbourhood, or changing bad eating habits to healthier ones.

If the qualities include living a life with high integrity, you will need to detail exactly what that looks like to you. It may mean ending bad behaviours, making better habits, or asking for outside help to achieve the goal. Read more on goal setting here. 

3. Flesh It Out

Once the goals are firmly in place, it is time to flesh them out, to give them substance. It is time to expand the plan to add meat to the bones. It is impossible to skimp during this part of the process. Expanding the plan might include attaching some form of timelines or benchmarks where you need to reach a specific goal at a specific time. Be realistic, and flesh out the goals on a timeline that can be easily achieved.

4. Find the Support

It is much easier to obtain these types of goals in your personal development plan with support. You can solicit the help of a family member, friend, therapist, physician or an exercise buddy that simply wants to take the route with you. With enough support, it is easy to achieve nearly any type of goal as long as it has been set in a realistic time frame.

5. Celebrate your Success

Finally, a personal development plan should include a way to celebrate your success. You can do this by keeping a journal, or checking off a long list of necessary goals. You can also include taking stock of past experiences and activities so you can determine exactly how far you have come on the journey of success. Remember that failures are part of the process, and you will need to forgive yourself if you need to start the process all over again.

In a nutshell, learn to create your personal development plan with these five (5) simple steps and get on the way to become successful in life. It will take time but you will surely be transformed for good. 

You may also want to read these related articles.

1. What does personal development mean to you. 

2. How to set your career goals.

Personal Development, what does It mean to You?

Personal development is a very private matter and what it means to me may not necessarily be the same thing that it means to you. However, there is one aspect of personal development that is the same for each and every one of us - the need to improve.

To be able to improve something, you first need to identify what areas in your life could do with a helping hand. The ability to identify room for improvement lies in a good knowledge of yourself.

The best way to get to know yourself better is to grab a pen and paper and make a list of what you feel your strengths and weaknesses may be. On the reverse side of the paper write down what you feel other people think your strengths and weaknesses may be.

You may find it interesting that two sides of the paper do not exactly correspond. Others may identify a strength in you that you may view as a weakness and vice versa.

Now look at the weaknesses that you identified within yourself and pick one that is not listed on the opposite side of the paper. Think about why you feel that area is a weakness while others don't. Ask yourself whether you lack self-confidence or whether you portray a different picture to the rest of the world?

This could be the first step you can take to personal development. Once you feel you have improved in that area, repeat the exercise and see whether you get the same results.

You also need to pay attention to the strengths that you listed. If you feel you have a strength that other people don't see, why are you hiding it? Remember that strengths are not automatically better than weaknesses and there may be some room for improvement so that everyone will notice a specific strong trait.

Even the strengths that correspond on both sides could always use a bit of work. Most people believe that they need to address their weaknesses in order to become a better person. Starting by building upon and bettering one or more of your strengths can provide you with the foundation you need to address other issues in your weaknesses.

If you are finding it difficult to distinguish between your strengths and weaknesses it may be beneficial to seek some professional help. A life coach or mentor is a great place to start or you could opt for more structured and traditional therapy in the form of counselling.

Professional help is not the only route you can follow and you can also turn to family or friends whom you respect and admire. They already know who you are and can help you more than you think.

Don't be afraid to ask for help along your journey of self development. It is very rare that people achieve any type of personal development or self improvement on their own and the more people you include in your journey the more likely you will be to experience growth.

What to do today

Which area of your life do you want to improve upon, write it down and start to work on it and you will love the results at the end.

Let me know what personal development mean to you. 

Learn How to Differentiate Your Resume With a Winning Strategy

Are you looking for a winning Resume that will make you to stand out, then read this post on Differentiating your resume with a winning strategy. 

reCareered: Differentiate Your Resume With a Winning Strategy: Fishing and Response Resumes

Top 5 Reasons Why People Work

In the post, we will discuss the Top 5 reasons why people work and see whether these are also the reasons for us working.

Reason No. 1 – People Work For Money

People need money to pay for basics, such as food, clothes and a place to live (accommodation). They also need money for the other things that make life better.  Education, a car, travel, a cell phone, a DVD player, IPod, - all cost something. A lot of people therefore look for the job that will pay them the most money.

Reason No. 2 – People Work To Gain Identity
Identity is the way we see ourselves in our minds and the way we think others see us. For many men and women, a job gives them part of their identity. They can see themselves as people who get things done. Who are responsible, and who are capable enough to be paid for the work they do.

Reason No. 3 – People Work To Feel Good About Themselves

Everyone wants to feel important in some way. Being part of a busy, fast-moving world makes some people feel important. Wanting to feel important may make them work harder and longer than others. It also causes people to work at jobs that seem special to them.

Reason No. 4 – People Work To Be Useful
By working, people feel that they are doing their share. They may work to take of themselves or their families, or they may work to help others in the community. 

Reason No. 5 – people work  to be with others
Most people like to spend time with others. They don’t like being alone for long periods. Work gives them a chance to be with and talk to people.

Do any of the above reasons apply to you? As you can see, work fulfills many important needs and even many individuals who became wealthy overnight still work.

The business and career bookshop is a shop where you can select a book on career planning that will help you to choose the right job that is best for you.

Of course, we all have days when we would rather stay in bed longer or go to the beach. No job satisfies all needs. The right job, however, can be satisfying in a very special way. That is why it is important to think carefully about your wants and needs. This will help you to know which career or job to choose and plan for.

I would appreciate your comments and if the above reasons are also your reasons for working, I will like to hear from you.

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Career, What is it?

We will discuss about a career, job, occupation, career development, career education and career guidance.  

Career

Career is a series of jobs that is related that we do in our working lifetime. One’s career can span from one level to another, example an office assistant to Administrative Assistant to Assistant Manager to General Manager to Executive Director.  It can also be defined as an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life and with opportunities for progress.  

A career can also include all the roles you undertake through out your life – education, training, paid and unpaid employment. In other words it is a sum total of paid and unpaid work, learning and life roles you undertake through out your life.  

Job

A job is a paid position requiring a group of specific attributes and skills that enable a person to perform tasks in an organisation either part-time or full-time for a short or long duration.  

Occupation

An occupation is defined as a group of similar jobs found in different industries or organisations. A career therefore is the sequence and variety of occupations (both paid and unpaid) which one undertakes throughout a lifetime. More largely, “career” includes life roles, leisure activities, learning and work.  

Career Development

Career Development is the process of managing life, learning and work over the lifespan.  

Career Guidance

Career Guidance is an inclusive term that has been used to describe a range of interventions including career education and counselling, that help people to move from a general understanding of life and work to a specific understanding of the realistic life learning and work options that are open to them. Career guidance is often thought to incorporate career information, career education and career counselling.  

Career Education

Career education is the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes through a planned program of learning experiences that will assist students to make informed decisions about their study and/or work options and enable effective participation in working life. Career education encompasses:  

- Learning about the world of work, its changing nature, the general expectations of employers, and the demands of the workplace developing self-awareness in relation to interests, abilities, competencies and values; and  

- Developing awareness and understanding of occupational information and career pathways developing skills in decision-making which can be applied to career choices acquiring the skills necessary to implement the career decisions made. (MCEETYA Career Education Taskforce, 1998).  

In nutshell, we have learnt the definitions of what a career is, job is, occupation is and the various related areas like career development, career guidance and career education.

Are you JOBLESS? - Then read this!!!

Unemployment is the state of being without any job or work that earns you wages or salaries. Unemployment is one of the leading problems facing today’s young people in the 21^st century. I have been through it before and it is not easy at all.

I will like to elaborate on five (5) techniques on how to handle unemployment while you are still looking for employment.  

Technique No.1 – As a youth, try your best to read more about who you are and what you want to do. Find a library in your community or nearby college and go and read about your career choice in order to expand your horizon on that particular subject. You can also check for more information on the internet. 

Technique No. 2 – Write down your reasons for why you want to do that particular job or work, it helps in planning your career path, while still looking for a job; 

Technique No. 3 – Ask people around you what is happening at their workplace, ask them about their job description, that is the kind of job you want to do; it helps to prepare your mind on what to expect when you are employed.

Technique No. 4 – Talk to the self-employed “vocationally-skilled” youth around you, this enables you to get alternatives, that is whether you will want to go into a “white-collar employment” or use your vocational skills (e.g. sewing, writing, designing, etc.) to start your own business.

Technique No. 5 – Search the internet for job opportunities online; now there are a lot of companies who want people to work for them from home. You can also get access to money making websites where you just sign up and follow the directions  given and will start earning money. 

In conclusion, it is good to look for other alternatives when you are unemployed and looking for a job.