A map is not functional until you know where you are on it. Consultants that objectively view their current reality always find a way to reduce confusion and misalignment. Agreement with yourself and your clients about what is true right now—in your company, in your project, in your life—is critical for making clear headway.

Get a Grip

There’s an old saying: “what you resist, you’re stuck with.” I’ve noticed this is particularly true with creative consultants and their work. If you’re not clear what your current job really is and you’ve skipped doing a complete and thorough inventory, you’re going to have a hard time making things happen for your client.

“Real generosity toward the future
consists in giving all
to what is presen”.
- Albert Camus

What is your job, right now! What is the main priority today? It is seldom as obvious as you might think. You can best answer that one question by answering these six:

1) What are your current tasks? These may be physical actions you need to take right now about your commitments and responsibilities: phone calls, e-mails, converstations, errands, brainstorming ideas, and so on. Typically a busy consultant can have as much as one or two hundred of these to do.

2) What are your current projects? These are the outcomes you have agreed with yourself to achieve, remeber you are an independent professional and must keep your word to yourself. There’s no one setting your agenda, in fact you are being paid to set it. Now, which of these outcomes requires more than one action to complete. Most consultants have between thirty and one hundred of these.

3) What, exactly, are your current areas of responsibility? Most consultants have ten or fifteen, like staff development, asset management, planning oversight, customer service, etc. But you’re NOT running, nor are you responsible for the WHOLE company. Leave that to the owner or CEO.

4) How are your consulting responsibilities and your personal affairs going to be changing over the next year? I’ve found that the truly effective, high pound consultants I’ve known and worked with, have taken the time to mesh their work with their lives. You are a one person conglomerate, but also, a living-breathing human being that has ‘outside’ considerations for a well-rounded life. If you don’t consider consulting an extentsion of a real life, a flesh and blood existence, but rather, something altogether seperate, placed in a box called: ‘consulting work’, then you’ll fail most of the time and be very unhappy nearly all of the time.

5) How is this life I lead going to change over the next five years. This is the big picture question, the vision of how things should be, not necessarily how they will be, into the near future. Why is this important? Because, in the quest for the answer to our question above, namely, what is your job right now, we can get a nearly crystal clear answer when we extend our vision into a larger field. By this I mean, you can see if your current job selection is aiding you in your long-term visionary goal.

“It takes about ten years
to get used
to how old you are”.
– Unknown

If you ocmplete a thorough inventory of the ocmmitments, issues, and projects that currently exist in your ocnsultancy and life on earth, espeically in these six areas, you will have a good definition of your work. This isn’t easy stuff, I know. I’ve spent over fifteen hours just identifying my work on two mundane levels: current actions and projects. But wihtout doing these things I don’t feel prepared, nor am I prepared to have conversation with my clients.

It’s all very useful work, however, should I need to re-calibrate my job description or deal with needed changes along the way. So many people have just a vague desription or ‘feeling’ about what they want to do or be in the future. But without a reality based reference point of where they are, right now, they are like the Flying Dutchman, doomed to drift.

So, know where you are on the map, so you can determine if you need to turn right or left.

“Discipline does not mean suppression
and control, nor is it adjustment
to a pattern or ideology. It
maeans the mind sees
“what is” and learns from
“what is”.
– J. Krishnamurti

The Employment-at-Will Doctrine. Another Euphemism as our Language Fades into Irrelevance

States that have adopted this standard as a way of attracting businesses, have managed to do so without an outcry by the vast majority of voters, employees. After all, why should there be an objection? It sounds so fair and evenhanded on the surface. If you, the employee, no longer want to remain in your position, you simply move on after giving appropriate notice. No reason need be given, though youll no doubt be asked and will probably offer the least offensive one you can muster.

So, doesnt it follow that your employer should have that same right? If he or she decides one day they no longer want you around, shouldnt they have the option of sending you out into that big world with all its opportunity? Of course there are limits imposed by law on the reasons they can sever the relationship. These concern race, religion and various factors that are not appropriate cause for dismissal. But outside of these considerations, you are completely subject to the whims of your employer. Maybe youve decided to leave your job on a whim. Once again, seems so fair, no wonder the subject gains little attention.

Now maybe you and your boss didnt get along very well. Youve been drilled to keep those matters to yourself when you interview with prospective employers. This process reinforces to all employers that as a group theyre simply wonderful. No one ever has a complaint against any of them.

But surely, even if you werent well liked by the boss, he or she will restrict their comments to potential employers to job title, dates of employment, maybe salary history. Now this shouldnt be too damaging. Of course, if its a good job youre going after, youll be competing with others who were on much better terms with their bosses. These individuals are probably going to get accolades that make your dates of employment and the like seem like a barrage of 4 letter words.

Bosses who are more daring and determined to make your life a bit harder, can offer negative feedback on your performance. It must be true and subject to verification. If the boss has it in for you, this can be accomplished very easily, as anyone who has ever seen a scapegoat taken down in an organization can attest. And of course, theres the clincher, a negative response to the question of whether the person is eligible for rehire. If the answer is no, dont bother pressing your suit for the second interview.

You may choose to criticize the organization every chance you get among friends and strangers, but that wont stem the tide of applicants whenever they advertise a position. Your future is in their hands, not vice versa. And even with the scale tipped so decisively in favor of the employer, there are state legislatures attempting to make it easier for them to divulge more about you without any recourse on your part.

So, does the Employment-at-Will Doctrine create the balance between employer and employee that it seems to on the surface? No. It does bring businesses to your state though, ensuring as it does a docile workforce. Docile and insecure, for when you can be dismissed for any reason, your family and you have no reason to feel secure.

How will Trucks look in the future look? Lets see some real examples of innovations and prototypes. The most important aspect is the energy source. The energetic crisis and the pollution are the two axles for the engineers of the future.

Westport Innovation, a company specializing in environmental technologies, recently implemented the High Pressure Direct Injection technology for diesel trucks. This technology consists of a liquefied natural gas powered truck to reduce the gas emissions and economizes the fuel. The trucks have 400 hp Cummins ISX engines with Exhaust Gas Recirculation. That results in a quiet, efficient and clean travel.

The company Daimler Chrysler in Germany is also working on the fuel use and no pollution engines. Blue Tec is the name of the new technology according to the Daimler Chrysler web site. This technology combines the engine design with the Selective Catalytic Reduction which is a system to reduce the nitrogen oxides emissions. Blue Tech is a diesel technology specially designed for the truck division of Mercedes Benz.

Some leave the fuel alternatives to others and go for the rest of the engine, especially the Department of Energy. The idea is to separate parts such as the pumps, the alternators, compressors and such from the engine. This way you can transform those parts from gas to full electric. A cooler engine compartment will extend the life of the engine. Also the independent electrical powered parts would work more precisely.

Big manufacturing companies are collaborating with the Department of Energy such as Caterpillar, Kenworth, Emerson and Engineered Machine Products. The prototype is installed on a Kenworth truck and the experts could eliminate more than 65 parts by more precise and reliable components.

Now on to driver control. In the recent Volvo Showcase, the company demonstrated its new ESP system which helps the driver do what he does best, drive. The system perceives the maneuvers of the drivers and corrects the movements of the truck by braking the wheels or brings down the power of the engine.

The ESP system includes three cameras installed on the driver’s cab and in the steering wheels. The cameras are in charge of watching for the drowsiness of the driver and the inconstant maneuvers and it produces a warning to the driver.

The steering systems are also targeted by the innovators. For example, SKF proposed an electromechanical steering system instead of the conventional hydraulic system. This invention consists in a sequence of signals that tell the actuator to steer the wheels. The action is confirmed or adjusted by sensors and informed back to the driver. The advantages of the electromechanical system are to eliminate the hydraulic fluids so there would be no more high pressure leaks and less noise in the driver’s cab.

These continuous changes and improvements in the truck industry still keep function as the number one focus. The replacement of the human driver by a mechanic one is still considerably far away. Fortunately, that’s something for the future.

Getting paid to read emails is one of the oldest concepts of making money online. Getting started with it is very easy, as the person who would like to enter into this earning opportunity requires having an email address alone with an Internet access. The concept is very simple. Many online advertisers send their advertisements through email to their members who would like to get paid for reading such emails as commissions. The member should click open the link and visit the website of the advertiser to earn money. If serious money has to be made, it is done through thousands of referrals introduced by the person under him. While doing so it is very important to choose only those companies that are legitimate in payment.

Making the paid email system work:

There are millions of products sold every day, every hour, as the products that are for sale should be known to everybody. Otherwise, it is not possible to sell them. This has made the concept of getting paid for reading emails emerge. When the members receive such promotional emails, they click the link to make them as if they have read them and get paid. This attitude has made many systems fail in the course of time. The advertiser wants people to have a look at his site not just to show they have been there but also to promote and earn revenue through their products and services. If revenue is not being generated from this kind of advertising the whole concept is lost and the system will ultimately fail. The following strategy will benefit both the advertiser and the person who is reading the emails to get paid.

The main aim of the person, who is going through the emails, is that he wants to earn money out of it. While doing so, if the person happens to come across some advertisement which may be lucrative to him and which is very affordable to buy he can buy it, as it may be a good deal to him. It needs to be bought in any case by the person either now or afterwards. If this continues the advertiser will also choose this option of placing their ads in the sites for paying to read, since they have tasted success through this concept. It becomes a win-win situation for both. Everyone buys products. It neednt be from the same place. While reading promotional emails, in case of an opportunity of getting the product at a bargain price is found, it is wise to grab the opportunity. The person in turn can educate their referral members who are down the line with a customized email stating for whom they are working for and how they can too maximize the same way. It is not expected that everyone will take the advice and work accordingly, but if at least a minimum number of people take the advice, the system will survive for a longer term due to the results it produce.

In an interview, worrying about your perceived inadequacies, or what can be viewed as negative items on your history of employment, will get you nowhere. In fact, having a negative focus on things often comes through in the way you answer.

interview questions, and even in your body language. An applicant who shifts, plays with things like their shirt cuffs, or who loses track of the subject under discussion, is sabotaging their own chance at success.

Okay, so you have some weak points. Maybe there was a time two years ago, that you were out of work for eight months. Or the job that is open demands a certain skill level that you havent quite achieved yet. Neither of those things can knock you out of contention like a lack of confidence in yourself.

We have a simple, two-part solution: First, make the best out of your worst, and then make the companys priorities, your own.

Study the weak points in your resume and build on them. If youve had a period of unemployment, think about the experiences you had during that time, the businesses you visited, and what you learned about the current economy and job market. Show that you are attentive to detail, and enjoy learning from unexpected opportunities.

Express enthusiasm for the chance to expand on your present skills. Apply the same strategy to any other weak points you may have. Even a job that you left due to a personality conflict, can be given a positive light by emphasizing the experience you gained. Whatever you do, leave bitterness and pity at home. An employer wants someone with the desire to move onward and upward.

That brings us to the second item: presenting yourself in a way that makes you compatible with the companys needs, and highlights how you can benefit their present or future plans. Study the companys general business, and the department where you are applying, in particular. Find out why they are hiring someone (Did an employee quit? Retire? Are they expanding?) then emphasize the skills and experience that make you not only capable of filling the position, but of bringing new ideas and a positive attitude to it.

Find an “up” to every down point in your work history or resume. Then sell your skills and personality with an eye on the company agenda. The combination of competence and enthusiasm is often the formula for a successful interview.

This article is provided by http:www.101perfectinterviews.com, the best place for learning insider interviewing techniques.

Like preparing a great meal, interviewing requires preparation. Get good ingredients and give yourself time. Prepare the food on the plate to make the meal attractive. All of these go into a great meal. Taking the time to prepare for an interview will give you a huge leg up on your completion.

1. Schedule interviews at times that work for your metabolism. Are you a morning person? Why would you accept a 6PM interview? If you are a person who functions best in the afternoon, try not to accept early morning appointments. If you are a person who needs to be conscious of their blood sugar, try to schedule your appointments at times when you are at your peak. If forced to accept one of your less ideal times, have a quick bite prior to the interview to avoid “fading.” Avoid overeating.

2. Give yourself extra time to get to their offices. There are few things worse than getting to an interview late.

3. Arrive at the office building 7-10 minutes early. If it is summer, you want to wait in the lobby to cool off; no one likes shaking sweaty hands. If its winter, warm up; you don’t want someone’s early impressions of you formed by shaking a cold hand. Take a few minutes in the lobby to get focused on what you will say. Allow a few minutes to get through building security so that you actually arrive at your interview on time and ready to go.

4. Properly introduce yourself to everyone you meet by saying. “My name is __________ and I have a 1:30 interview with ________________.”

5. If you are asked if they can hang your coat, accept the offer; if offered a beverage, accept a beverage. You don’t have to drink coffee or tea. Soda, bottled water or water is fine. Thank whoever helps you. Declining the offer may be rude in some cultures.

6. Take your seat in order to face the greatest number of entry points into the room so tat you can see someone approaching you. Being startled is not a good way to start a meeting.

7. If you are given an application, complete it and complete it accurately and neatly. Do not attach your resume and write, “See attached resume.” An application is a legal document and failure to complete it accurately can be grounds for termination.

8. If you are not sure about the month you started a job or your exact salary, write “approx” (for the word approximately) next to the item. If asked, indicate you are not absolutely certain of the exact month and don’t wish to deceive anyone. Obviously, if you can ascertain your salary or starting date prior to interviewing, do so; for some people, the date or salary may be so far in the past to make it impossible to determine.

9. Write legibly (or as legibly as you can). This may be the twelfth application you’ve completed, but it is the first of yours that they’ve seen. In many professions, sloppiness is seen as a flaw.

10. When you hear your name announced, stand, and smile, shake the hand of your interviewer and immediately size them up as a person. Are they smart (or not). Aggressive (or not). If you were meeting this person socially, I’m sure your instincts would be right. Unfortunately, because people think interviews are important, they think they have to feel the interviewer out. Doing that is a mistake. Hard and fast impressions of you will be formed during the next ten minutes that will be difficult to change. If you tend to be right in social situations about the people you meet, trust your instincts in professional ones, too.
Using these ten steps as a check list will get you started well than your competition. What you do after that is up to you. Good luck.
By: Muhammad Sadiq Javed – Sameers
http:www.constructionjobsnet.co.uk
Construction Jobs Network – The easiest way to find your next UK construction job.
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Negotiations happen in our daily lives. We might not be aware of it, but many situations require good negotiation skills, including the simple act of buying an item from a store, talking things over to save a relationship, and trade agreement between nations, among others.

It would be worthwhile to consider the factors that may spell success or failure in the negotiating table:

1. Everyone aspires for negotiations to turn out successful; otherwise, it is senseless to sit, talk, and explore (sometimes for hours) each others position to no avail. For this to be so, exert every effort to favor the other partys whims while still coming out satisfied or contented with the outcome of the negotiation. This should be your objective. Come to terms as easily as possible. Stipulate details in black and white with a tint of trust to seal the negotiation in favor of both parties.

2. Mutual respect for each others priorities must prevail. Never focus on your own objective alone. Think of how the other party would be satisfied with the outcome.

3. Get to the core of the discussion and work from that core outward, concentrating on the details.

4. It is not difficult to trace the presence of sincerity in a negotiation. As long as you have this in mind and you see the other partys sincerity as well, the progress of the negotiation will sail smoothly.

5. You may have a set of rules that are guiding you to get what you want. Modify if need be as long as it is practical and does not deviate to become a disadvantage on your part.

6. Negotiating is not a contest on who is better between the parties involved. There is no battle to win. Neither is it a stage to display ones wits. It should be a two-way process.

7. Be true to your word. What you say must be congruent to your action. Any deviation should be tackled beforehand to avoid the element of surprise, which usually leads to anxiety.

8. Keep your options as open and as diverse as possible. They may come in handy, especially when slight differences pop out.

9. Watch for reactions to proposals through body movements. They may help to make you and the other party come to terms more easily.

10. Be a good listener. Pre-empt what the other party may say, but only in your mind. You could be right, but you could also be wrong. It is better to sound affable than be sorry afterwards.

A thank you letter after you accept a job offer shows good taste, gratitude, and in general shows a new employer that they made a wise decision in hiring you. Most new hires do not write one, so if you are one of the smart few people who do, your relationship with your new employer will get off to a great start.

When you write this type of letter, the main goal you wish to accomplish is solidifying the new relationship. You can do this by re-stating the qualifications you have that will be beneficial to the company. Remind the hiring manager in this way of the reasons he had for hiring you. You are, in this way, congratulating him on his good sense, but doing so in a non-offensive, and non-egotistical manner. Be matter of fact, and to the point, because that is businesslike and you and he are there to conduct business. With luck you two will have a very long and mutually rewarding relationship.

If you are accepting a job in sales, marketing, promotions or a related field, then your letter should remind the hiring manager of accomplishments youve had in the past in sales or marketing. Tell the hiring manager that you are motivated and looking forward to working with your new team, adding sales to their gross and profits to their bottom line.

If you are accepting a job in retail management, your letter should re-emphasize to the reader your strong skills in customer service, your work ethic, willingness to be an active and cohesive part of the management team, and your ability to work well with the general public and your co-workers, leading by example and presenting a positive company image to the public.

A person working in education, as a teacher or administrator, should have a letter that emphasizes a willingness to work as part of the education team, teaching your subject to students and in the process, hopefully instilling in your charges a contagious enthusiasm for learning.

Your letter may also be a place to elaborate on goals you may have during your tenure with the organization. A salesman may mention his desire to increase sales by a certain percentage. A project manager may mention his or her desire to participate in a particular project that is important to the companys success. A teacher may mention school organizations that he or she wishes to sponsor.

While your resume made your first impression, and you during the interview obviously made a positive second impression to have been offered the job, your thank you letter after youve got the job will reinforce those impressions, taking away any buyers remorse or cold feet the hiring authority might have later. It will service to convince them that they made a good decision in bringing you on board as a part of their team.

Most small business owners are very busy people who dont have a lot of extra time on their hands. They will happily outsource some of their daily time-consuming tasks to a telecommuter. One of these time consuming tasks is setting appointments. Appointment setting is a perfect occupation for a telecommuter. The employer doesnt necessarily need a full-time employee to set his appointments, but at the same time needs someone that is available the majority of business hours in case his clients call in, or to make calls at different times of the day.

A telecommuter is the perfect candidate for this position. As a telecommuting appointment setter you can work with your employers schedule. If he needs a few calls made in the morning and then wants you to be available for callbacks in the afternoon, you are there to help. Best of all, you are not limited to just one employer or client. You can easily work as an appointment setter for several business owners at the same time. This will allow you to make a fulltime income while allowing each employer to only pay you for a few hours per day or week.

Setting appointments is something you can easily do from home. All you need is a phone and some way to organize yourself. A computer with Microsoft Outlook, or an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of your clients schedules would work well. You could even do this with a good paper calendar at first.

You should have good telephone and written skills to work as an appointment setter. Previous experience as an administrative assistant or secretary is not necessary, but is definitely a plus when it comes to the skills you need and when you are approaching prospective employers or clients. You should also be fairly organized to be able to keep up with multiple appointments for multiple clients each day.

As an appointment setter you will be spending a lot of time both on the phone and on email. You will be checking in with your clients (the small business owners) on a daily basis and then spend the rest of your time contacting their clients, setting up and later confirming appointments. Of course you will also keep your own clients or employers informed of any changes or cancellations throughout the day.

If this is something you are interested in doing, heres how to start. Determine your hourly rate. You should take the going rate for a task like this in an office setting into consideration and then up it from there. Your employer does not have to provide you with an office, a computer, telephone or any other equipment. You are also most likely going to be an independent contractor, which means he does not have to pay for any of your benefits or taxes. You will be responsible for all this, keep that in mind when determining your rate.

Now its time to approach small business owners in your area with what you have to offer and start building a client base. Once you have a few happy clients, word of mouth advertising should start to bring you even more business.

Telecommuters are individuals who spend part, if not all, of their working hours at another location other than the workplace. For most people it is their home. In order to do this one must have a variety of “telecommunication technologies” such as a telephone, Internet, various computer programs and a fax machine at one’s disposal.

Telecommuters need to have excellent skills when it comes to the laborious task of telephone interviews. The first most important phone interview tip is to always be prepared in case you are contacted for an interview, no matter what time of day it is. Many employers do not give telecommuters the heads up in advance about when they will be calling to speak with them.

Another important phone interview tip is to get ready for your interview in much the same way you would for a regular “in person” interview. Anticipate what questions you might be asked and have appropriate answers in your mind (or written on paper) before the interview even begins. Be ready and willing to answer questions about your educational background, work experience and skills. Also be prepared to tell the prospective recruiter or employer what you could do for him or her.

Prepare a list of questions you wish to ask the interviewer. Always ask at least a few questions as it shows that you are paying attention and that you are very interested in the position in question. Keep in mind that phone interviews are sometimes more difficult to gage because you have to rely completely on the spoken word. Neither the interview nor interviewee is able to pick up on body language or any nuances of behavior but instead must go by the words and questions they are presented with and the pitch and intonation of words. Tread carefully and maintain a balanced, professional and courteous tone of voice at all times.

It is essential in a phone interview for a telecommuter to speak as a person in the know. Don’t indulge in too many “ums”, “okays”, “I don’t knows” or “uhs” as these words don’t carry with them an air of knowledge or confidence. Always have your resume nearby so you can consult it during your phone interview. After all the interviewer is looking at your resume, why shouldn’t you be as well?

Other important tips include turning your call-waiting feature off so there are no interruptions; making sure you are alone in the room and there is no noise anywhere nearby to disturb the interview and having a notepad and paper handy to jot down any relevant information that you glean from the interview.