By Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com
In today’s consumer-driven society, it’s often assumed that bigger is better (the popularity of the Hummer as a city car is a prime example). So of course, many Americans may believe that the bigger the paycheck, the happier they will be. However recent research suggests that this just isn’t so.
Are Rich People Happier?
The latest buzz in the field of economics points to a myriad of studies examining the link between happiness and wealth. These studies all seek to answer the question: Are richer people happier? Prevailing research suggests no.Obviously if you’re living in poverty, more money probably will increase your level of happiness. But if you are at a good job that supports your lifestyle, would leaving it for a 20 percent salary increase at another company mean a 20 percent increase in your happiness?
Not according to Richard Layard, director of the Centre on Economic Performance at the London School of Economics and author of Happiness: Lessons from a New Science. Layard cites research that implies that although the United States has experienced extensive economic growth since 1950, people today are no happier overall than they were in the 1950s. And this same theory holds true in other wealthy, developed nations, such as Japan and Britain.
It Isn’t Easy Being Wealthy
It makes sense. With added wealth often comes added stress and increased responsibility. There’s a reason surgeons and stockbrokers make a lot of money, because there is a lot riding on their performance and decisions. And usually the higher your rung on the corporate ladder, the longer your workday and the more stressful your position. So although we have become wealthier as a country, we have not necessarily become happier.Then there’s the slippery task of defining what “wealth” is. Like most things in life, wealth is a relative term. No matter how much money you make, if everyone around you makes a lot more, you won’t feel “wealthy.” So hanging hopes for true happiness on an extra zero on a paycheck could make obtaining happiness very elusive.
Time: America’s Most Valuable Non-Renewable Resource
When asked what is the most important thing in their lives, people usually list family and relationships as No. 1. Yet one look at most working Americans’ schedules and you’ll see the amount of time spent with family usually pales to the amount of time spent working and getting ready for or getting to work. So we spend the least amount of time with what we hold dearest. This inevitably increases our level of anxiety, thwarting our attempts to be happy.
The Road to Happiness
Thankfully, today’s flexible working options help ease the work/family balancing act -- a major cause of stress among employees. Work at home arrangements and flexible scheduling has greatly contributed to the happiness of working parents everywhere.But at the end of the day, if your job or your paycheck still leave you searching for your utopia, you need to look elsewhere for internal fulfillment. Inject some happiness in your life in other ways: take up a hobby, start your own business, or train for a marathon.
You may find being richer doesn’t make you happy; rather, being truly happy makes your life richer.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
best recruiting companies in Egypt
Maybe before we search for the best companies to work for in Egypt, it is logically also to search for the best recruiting companies in Egypt.
I would recommend to all job searchers the following recruitment companies that I have personally been in contact with and actually received decent job offers.
First company that r really professional in my point of view is Bayt (www.bayt.com) it is considered one of the top companies in the Middle East for recruitment.
Second one is job master (www.thejobmasters.com ) they r friendly professional and they have good contacts with some great companies in Egypt like Vodafone and others. I recommend them because I know there stuff personally and I c how they r working.
I would also like to point out one of the worst companies ever in the recruitment filed in Egypt, actually they r tow companies that I had personal experience with, the first worse one is la Cugina (www.lacugina.com.eg ), then el maaly Egypt in masaken sheraton, I even can’t imagine how these companies r still in business till now, my experience with the first one of them was where one of the female staff who calls u to make an interview appointment.
She called me to inform me that there is a job post in one of the companies; she was very consistent to take a time for the interview next week, without giving me any one useful information about the job post, only that it is a very good company; they pay high salary, and bedfa3o moratbat gamda awe.
That was here words, imagine here reaction when I insisted to get more info about the job post she got very angry and start raising her voice, I asked y is she shouting, she said u started shouting first!!!!!!!!!!!
Then she told me (ana asfa that I called u aslan) and she hanged out the phone.
This is the type of service that they provide. Imagine the type of company that would use such office for recruiting new employees!!!!!
So be ware when u r job hunting, try to pick the right recruiting company for u.
Please if u have a good or bad experience, and would like to give ur recommendations for any recruitment agency post ur feedback here.
I would recommend to all job searchers the following recruitment companies that I have personally been in contact with and actually received decent job offers.
First company that r really professional in my point of view is Bayt (www.bayt.com) it is considered one of the top companies in the Middle East for recruitment.
Second one is job master (www.thejobmasters.com ) they r friendly professional and they have good contacts with some great companies in Egypt like Vodafone and others. I recommend them because I know there stuff personally and I c how they r working.
I would also like to point out one of the worst companies ever in the recruitment filed in Egypt, actually they r tow companies that I had personal experience with, the first worse one is la Cugina (www.lacugina.com.eg ), then el maaly Egypt in masaken sheraton, I even can’t imagine how these companies r still in business till now, my experience with the first one of them was where one of the female staff who calls u to make an interview appointment.
She called me to inform me that there is a job post in one of the companies; she was very consistent to take a time for the interview next week, without giving me any one useful information about the job post, only that it is a very good company; they pay high salary, and bedfa3o moratbat gamda awe.
That was here words, imagine here reaction when I insisted to get more info about the job post she got very angry and start raising her voice, I asked y is she shouting, she said u started shouting first!!!!!!!!!!!
Then she told me (ana asfa that I called u aslan) and she hanged out the phone.
This is the type of service that they provide. Imagine the type of company that would use such office for recruiting new employees!!!!!
So be ware when u r job hunting, try to pick the right recruiting company for u.
Please if u have a good or bad experience, and would like to give ur recommendations for any recruitment agency post ur feedback here.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
What r u interested in working in?
One day you're interested in philosophy, and the next day you think a career in journalism would be cool. The following day you lean towards a major in finance, and the day after that you swing way back to your fascination with archaeology. Eventually, you'll start the circle all over again, perhaps with four other interests. In short, you like everything so much -- or so it seems -- to the point that you're practically immobilized when it comes to choosing just one major or career to pursue.
You aren't alone. In fact, campus career counselors often meet with students, and even graduates, who are in your shoes. With all of the career possibilities you can explore, it's easy to do nothing, because you're trying to keep your options open. This may result in drifting from interest to interest without doing anything to explore each area or plot a career direction.
Getting your career bearings when you have too many interests isn't as difficult as you might think. Here's a four-step approach you can use:
Rule Out What You Clearly Don't Like: You may think you enjoy everything, but you really don't. We all have dislikes and even hates. So work on identifying what you don't like and what you don't see yourself pursuing as a major or career. If you're iffy about a particular major or career at this point, keep it under consideration. For now, rule out only those possibilities that are definitely not for you.
Prioritize What You Want to Explore Further: Once you've eliminated the don't likes from your list of possibilities, take the majors and careers remaining and prioritize them as best you can, given what you know about each one, which may be very little in some cases. Which three or four areas are you most interested in exploring further, and which can go on the back burner?
Start Exploring: This is a critical step, because in order to explore majors and careers, you have to start somewhere. I know that sounds simplistic, but you may have to remind yourself of this concept. By prioritizing what you should explore and then starting your exploration, you move closer to figuring out your career direction one small step at a time.
Consider, for example, working with a campus career counselor to get a better sense of your skills, personality, values, likes and dislikes. In addition, find out whether or not those traits match up well with the majors and careers you're researching.
You can learn about the major or career through reading, talking to people who are in that major or career and, if possible, participating in an experiential activity -- an internship or a co-op -- to get a hands on sense of what the major or career is all about.
Use What You've Learned to Reprioritize and Eliminate: Once you have a better picture of yourself and the majors and careers you've explored, you'll more than likely change your list of initial priorities. Perhaps you'll even drop some of those options from consideration. It's unlikely that you'll be able to narrow your options to just one major or career at this point, but that's normal and for the best in many ways. The idea behind this process is not necessarily to eliminate all but one major or career, but rather to reduce your initial list to one you can more easily manage.
As you might guess, this process is neither quick nor easy -- at least not if you do it right. But if you're willing to invest some time and energy, you'll slowly be able to replace your debilitating confusion with action-oriented exploration that gets you moving toward an informed decision about your major or future career.
You aren't alone. In fact, campus career counselors often meet with students, and even graduates, who are in your shoes. With all of the career possibilities you can explore, it's easy to do nothing, because you're trying to keep your options open. This may result in drifting from interest to interest without doing anything to explore each area or plot a career direction.
Getting your career bearings when you have too many interests isn't as difficult as you might think. Here's a four-step approach you can use:
Rule Out What You Clearly Don't Like: You may think you enjoy everything, but you really don't. We all have dislikes and even hates. So work on identifying what you don't like and what you don't see yourself pursuing as a major or career. If you're iffy about a particular major or career at this point, keep it under consideration. For now, rule out only those possibilities that are definitely not for you.
Prioritize What You Want to Explore Further: Once you've eliminated the don't likes from your list of possibilities, take the majors and careers remaining and prioritize them as best you can, given what you know about each one, which may be very little in some cases. Which three or four areas are you most interested in exploring further, and which can go on the back burner?
Start Exploring: This is a critical step, because in order to explore majors and careers, you have to start somewhere. I know that sounds simplistic, but you may have to remind yourself of this concept. By prioritizing what you should explore and then starting your exploration, you move closer to figuring out your career direction one small step at a time.
Consider, for example, working with a campus career counselor to get a better sense of your skills, personality, values, likes and dislikes. In addition, find out whether or not those traits match up well with the majors and careers you're researching.
You can learn about the major or career through reading, talking to people who are in that major or career and, if possible, participating in an experiential activity -- an internship or a co-op -- to get a hands on sense of what the major or career is all about.
Use What You've Learned to Reprioritize and Eliminate: Once you have a better picture of yourself and the majors and careers you've explored, you'll more than likely change your list of initial priorities. Perhaps you'll even drop some of those options from consideration. It's unlikely that you'll be able to narrow your options to just one major or career at this point, but that's normal and for the best in many ways. The idea behind this process is not necessarily to eliminate all but one major or career, but rather to reduce your initial list to one you can more easily manage.
As you might guess, this process is neither quick nor easy -- at least not if you do it right. But if you're willing to invest some time and energy, you'll slowly be able to replace your debilitating confusion with action-oriented exploration that gets you moving toward an informed decision about your major or future career.
The 10 Worst Mistakes Career Changers Make - by Barbara Reinhold
Changing careers is never easy. Half the world thinks you've lost your mind, headhunters say you'll never work again and your mother-in-law steps up the old, "I told you so" routine. But for many burned-out, bored or multi talented folks who are sitting on skills they're not getting a chance to use, changing fields is the only way to keep from losing their marbles. Regardless of your career change strategy, never make these 10 mistakes1. Don't look for a job in another field without some intense introspection.Nothing is worse than leaping before you look. Make sure you're not escaping to a field that fits you just as poorly as your last. Check out these self-assessment articles. Get thorough information about the fields you're considering by networking, reading and doing online research. Having informational interviews with alumni from your college, colleagues, friends or family is a fun way to get the scoop on different fields. 2. Don't look for "hot" fields unless they're a good fit for you. You wouldn't try to squeeze into your skinny cousin's suit, so why try a field because it works for him? People who are trying to help you will come along and do the equivalent of whispering "plastics" in your ear. Instead of jumping at their suggestions, take time to consider your options. Decide what you really want to do. When you enter a field just because it's hot, burnout isn't far behind. 3. Don't go into a field because your friend is doing well in it.Get thorough information about the fields you're considering by networking, reading and doing online research. Having informational interviews with alumni from your college, colleagues, friends or family is a fun way to get the scoop on different fields. 4. Don't stick to possibilities you already know about. Stretch your perception of what might work for you. Read some job profiles and explore career fields you learn about from self-assessment exercises.5. Don't let money be the deciding factor.There's not enough money in the world to make you happy if your job doesn't suit you. Workplace dissatisfaction and stress is the number-one health problem for working adults. This is particularly true for career changers, who often earn less until they get their sea legs in a different field. 6. Don't keep your dissatisfaction to yourself or try to make the switch alone.This is the time to talk to people (probably not your boss just yet). Friends, family and colleagues need to know what's going on so they can help you tap into those 90-plus percent of jobs that aren't advertised until somebody has them all sewn up. 7. Don't go back to school to get retreaded unless you've done some test drives in the new field.You're never too old for an internship, a volunteer experience or trying your hand at a contract assignment in a new field. There are lots of ways to get experience that won't cost you anything except your time. A new degree may or may not make the world sit up and take notice. Be very sure where you want to go before you put yourself through the pain and debt of another degree program. 8. Be careful when using placement agencies or search firms.Do some research to be sure to find a good match. Ask those who work in the field you're trying to get into or other successful career changers for suggestions. Try to find a firm that knows how to be creative when placing career changers -- not one that solely focuses on moving people up the ladder in the same field. 9. Don't go to a career counsellor or a career transitions agency expecting they can tell you which field to enter.Career advisors are facilitators, and they'll follow your lead. They can help ferret out your long-buried dreams and talents, but you'll have to do the research and the decision making by yourself. Anyone who promises to tell you what to do is dangerous. 10. Don't expect to switch overnight.A thorough career change usually will take a minimum of six months to pull off, and the time frequently stretches to a year or more. Changing fields is one of the most invigorating things you can do. It's like experiencing youth all over again, except with the wisdom of whatever age you are now.
Why Are So Many Employees Angry?
According to recent survey, workplace anger is most often directed at an employee's supervisor or the organization in general. "Feelings of anger at the individual level are a signal that a wrong has been committed or that goals are being blocked," Gibson says. I spoke with twelve employees from a variety of businesses about their anger at work. Each felt that one or more of the following caused the anger:
Employee was promised a raise, promotion or important project, and it did not happen.
Employee was told to do something he felt was wrong or incorrect.
Employee could not live up to a supervisor's expectations, because the expectations were too high or continuously changing.
Supervisor was a micro manager and criticized employee frequently.
Employee felt better qualified and skilled than his supervisor.
Another employee doing the same job made more money. Sometimes the anger may stem from outside sources. Many times, employees are dealing with stressful events in their own lives, and the resulting anger can carry over to the workplace. Divorce, a death in the family, financial pressure, and serious illnesses can all cause an individual to become overwhelmed and irritated. Rarely are we taught to deal with loss and stressful situations, so we tend to bury those feelings, which can turn to anger or rage over time. Steps to Control Anger Constructively We all become irritated or angry every now and then. What can we do to control that anger and be more constructive? Gibson, who cowrote "Managing Anger in the Workplace" as a follow-up to the survey, offers the following strategies for controlling anger:
Avoid anger as much as possible. This doesn't mean suppress your feelings, but rather improve your outlook on yourself and life so there are fewer situations in which you would become angry.
Think about your anger and determine if it really makes sense given the situation.
Control your physical response to anger by doing constructive things, such as exercising, getting enough sleep and avoiding alcohol. The healthier you are, the more likely you are to respond appropriately to situations.
Let go of unmanageable anger. Many situations will be out of your control, so it is important to let go of this type of anger. Ask yourself, "Can I resolve whatever it is that's causing this anger?" If you can't, then you need to let it go.
If you feel anger and are having a difficult time dealing with it, see if your company has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). EAP providers typically allow employees to see therapists in these circumstances. You don't have to live in a state of bitterness, anger or rage. If you deal effectively with your anger, you will increase your chances of being promoted at some point -- and of being an effective leader when the time comes.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
How to decide if this is the best job for me or not !?
Every now and then I ask my self when I see an old college friends who are really satisfied and successful with their jobs and companies how did these people get where they are today? Through a combination of luck, confidence and lots of self-awareness. As you contemplate where your own career might take you after college, it's impossible to know what opportunities fate may throw your way. What you can do, however, is identify your interests, talents and values, and then explore occupations that might make good use of them. If you follow the three-step process below, you won't just be sitting back waiting for careers and jobs to land in your lap. You'll be working toward discovering what makes you happy.
Step One
Figure out what makes you tick by asking yourself:
What sparks and holds my interest?
What do I do well?
What kind of personality do I have?
What's really important to me?
think of times when you've enjoyed and excelled at a job, training, class or aspect of your personal life.
Step Two
Learn about your career options. Rarely do you have the opportunity to take a class in college that shows you what the work world is like. You have to take the initiative to explore it yourself. See if your college's career office has a library of books describing different kinds of work, the typical qualifications needed and the salary ranges for various occupations. Your college's career counselors should be able to help. Also, talk to people through informational interviews, and try out careers by shadowing and taking internships or part-time jobs.
Step Three
Sort out your priorities. After you've spent time on steps one and two, some of your strong preferences may start to emerge. You might learn you don't want to be in a corporate environment. That rules out investment banking. Or you might find that your interest in art wouldn't sustain a career, so you cross those types of jobs off your list. Whatever it is that you learn about yourself, you're making important discoveries that will help you choose a good career when the time comes.
Most importantly, keep it all in perspective: You don't have to live forever with any career decision you make now. Most people change careers several times during their lives, so the first job you choose right after college probably won't be your career 40 or 50 years from now -- unless you want it to be. So don't put too much pressure on yourself to make the perfect decision, and always keep your eyes open.
I brought to you this article while I was reading in a recruiting website that is called www. Monster.com try to visit this site you will find some really useful job related information that could assist in deciding the best options for choosing a better job or company.
Step One
Figure out what makes you tick by asking yourself:
What sparks and holds my interest?
What do I do well?
What kind of personality do I have?
What's really important to me?
think of times when you've enjoyed and excelled at a job, training, class or aspect of your personal life.
Step Two
Learn about your career options. Rarely do you have the opportunity to take a class in college that shows you what the work world is like. You have to take the initiative to explore it yourself. See if your college's career office has a library of books describing different kinds of work, the typical qualifications needed and the salary ranges for various occupations. Your college's career counselors should be able to help. Also, talk to people through informational interviews, and try out careers by shadowing and taking internships or part-time jobs.
Step Three
Sort out your priorities. After you've spent time on steps one and two, some of your strong preferences may start to emerge. You might learn you don't want to be in a corporate environment. That rules out investment banking. Or you might find that your interest in art wouldn't sustain a career, so you cross those types of jobs off your list. Whatever it is that you learn about yourself, you're making important discoveries that will help you choose a good career when the time comes.
Most importantly, keep it all in perspective: You don't have to live forever with any career decision you make now. Most people change careers several times during their lives, so the first job you choose right after college probably won't be your career 40 or 50 years from now -- unless you want it to be. So don't put too much pressure on yourself to make the perfect decision, and always keep your eyes open.
I brought to you this article while I was reading in a recruiting website that is called www. Monster.com try to visit this site you will find some really useful job related information that could assist in deciding the best options for choosing a better job or company.
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