Create the Life You Want During a Mid-Career Crisis

Create the Life You Want During a Mid-Career CrisisCreate the Life You Want During a Mid-Career CrisisAt a point in their working lives, many people experience a mid-career crisis, staying in jobs that they no longer find satisfying or rewarding. This typically occurs between 10 and 25 years in the same sector. Although it can be a stressful time, some methods of handling a career crisis can act as a catalyst to get you making moves toward a career you love, resulting in overall happiness and personal growth. Determine What Is Wrong or Missing You do leid need to switch business sectors entirely if you can figure out what is wrong. Maybe the only thing you need is to switch positions. Certain career-crisis triggers are common ask yourself some hard questions so that you can identify the issues as either a temporary slump or the sign of a deeper problem Are you finding yourself dreading going to work every day? This is a common problem, but if it lasts longer than a few weeks, it can be a sign you need a change. It can also be a sign of job-related fatigue or depression and should be discussed with your general practitioner.Do you think you would be happier almost anywhere other than your current position? Consider the realities of a change, not just the dream, before deciding.In your position, are you given the creative freedom that allows you to feel pride in your work? Personal satisfaction is extremely important to the happiness you experience at work. Sometimes a little autonomy can help you find a better place within the same industry. Do you think you can take a different approach toward your work that might make you see it differently? Perhaps all you need is a change of perspective.Might you simply not be working in a job suited to your skillset? A dead giveaway is when others tell you that you seem unhappy. It could be the company, but more likely, it is the work itself. Find a New Direction With Thinking Exercises Personal thought time and day dreaming help you explore your options, but guided thinking exercises direct your thoughts in more concrete, helpful directions. It wont help to just read through all of the exercises. The thinking time and recording your thoughts help you achieve your result in making your dreams a reality. Write down your 10 favorite activities. These can be hobbies, past professions, or anything you enjoy doing. No fulfilling career is suitable unless you get to do some of your favorite activities at least weekly. Some people find they want to help others. Others want to play with toy cars. No matter what you write, there is a working position directly related to it.Write down the top five goalsyou want to accomplish in your career. Think money, impact, contribution, and more. Your selected career must enable you to achieve these goals. If it doesnt, youre in the wrong career and could use a change. List everything youd like to do in your lifetime. These lists can run several hundred items. Your chosen career should be one that you can attain with realistic effort, allowing you as much creativity and fulfillment as possible. Changing large parts of your life during a career crisis can be tough, but sometimes you need a little push to get you moving in the right direction.

How To Build Your Personal Brand

How To Build Your Personal BrandHow To Build Your Personal BrandCreating a great personal brand could be exactly what you need to get your foot in the door. What is a personal brand? Creating your own personal brand is a way to market yourself and your career. Think of how a company comes up with a logo, personenname, and slogan for their product. These are all part of their brand, techniques created to make you remember who they are. You want to do that for yourself to help further your career along.How are you different?When you get into your brand, you want to show off what makes you different from everyone else. Once you figure out what that is, you need to showcase it. This is what will help you get the job over the next candidate. If you arent quite sure what makes you different, there are a few things you can reflect on. Take a look at your strengths and passions. What type of work are you most willing and happy to do? If you were to leave your current job, what would the com pany miss from you?Build your presence online.You are probably already online, with social media and the like. Its now time to utilize these tools to your advantage. You should secure a personal website that is setup to showcase your career achievements. Your resume should be included, as well as a brief introduction to yourself. There should be a link to your portfolio, if necessary for your industry. There should also be a link to other social media sites that you are on, including LinkedIn. You dont have to start off elaborately. You can create a small, two or three page website in a matter of hours.Get your name out there.Start participating in online discussions that are relevant to your industry. An easy way to do this is through the groups on LinkedIn. Give out relevant and correct advice and experience. Talk about what you are currently doing in your career and how you are seeking to improve yourself. Go to networking events and do the same. To take it a step further, if y ou can get a time slot speaking at a networking event, do it. If you are not good with public speaking, take the time to practice in front of friends and family. The more public speaking you do, the better you will become with time.Find connections.During your time you spend networking, you should be building up a list of connections that may be able to help you later down the road. You want to foster these connections as much as possible. Pick a couple of these connections that you believe will be the most beneficial, and spend some time building them up and becoming part of their inner circle. Keep track of their writing and make comments on it, follow them on social media, and ask to do guests blog-posts for them. In time, they can help you take your brand to the next level.Create goals.There is no point creating your personal brand if you dont know what you want to get out of it. This should be your very first step in the process. Once you know what you want, then you can tailo r your brand to create an leumund that will get you there. Do you want to find a higher paying job? Do you want to switch career paths? Is there a dream company you want to work for? Once youve decided this, you need to set a timeline. How long are you giving yourself to reach this goal? You can decide on a few months, a year, or even a couple of years. Creating a plan of action will help you achieve the things you want to get done.Start a blog.As said before, you should set up your own personal website. That is where you can collect all of your information in one place. A blog is a different story. This is where you can get your voice out there and go into more detail when it comes to your brand. Talk about topics that are relevant to your career field and that you are knowledgeable about. Remember to do your research- this is writing that will represent you. You should also know who your audience is. Just like Toys R Us has an audience of children and adults with children, you sho uld have a clear idea of who you want to read your blog.

How to get paid for taking calls about a new job

How to get paid for taking calls about a new jobHow to get paid for taking calls about a new jobIts a hot employment market, and recruiters arent getting their calls and emails returned. So weve created a way for you to get paid for taking 15-minute calls from recruiters, market researchers, and consulting opportunities. Its a good way to make a little extra money for your family in this extraordinarily strong economy. Its also easy to get started.Your profile is your place to list the areas in which youre an expert. Whether thats growing revenues, setting up digital operations, or building out a marketing plan, the Ask me About section gives your fellow Members an idea of your expertise and the types of conversations to which youre open.Then set Call Me $25 and emaille Me $15 to the on position. Premium members set their own rates. Thought weve limited it to $1,000,000 for 15 minutes, because, hey, even Warren Buffet doesnt charge that much.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladder s magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe expectation weve set is for 15-minute calls and two paragraph email replies. Fifteen minutes is plenty of time for a professional to communicate their well-thought-out request or conversation. Sticking to the salient points will also help you to process the information and reach a decision about next steps.When you receive a request for call or request for email, you can choose to accept or not. Should you choose to accept, the expectations are to handle the interaction as you would any other professional engagement - professionally and respectfully. But there is no commitment on your part to take the next step, to agree to meet with the recruiter, hiring manager, researcher, or marketer, or to take any additional step whatsoever outside of the communication itself.Weve limited this feature to Members and Recruiters, so only members of Ladders $100K+ Club can reach out to you.Sche duling four of these calls in an hour is an easy way to make an extra $100 (or, I guess, $3,999,997) its a good way to keep your interview practice up, and its a good way to turn this golden economy into gold in your pocket or purse.So to make cash, stay in practice, stay in the game, and get the word out about you, let Ladders 10 million members know your expertise today.Im rooting for youMarc Cenedella, Founder

Age Discrimination Older Applicants vs. Young Pretty People

Age Discrimination Older Applicants vs. Young Pretty People Age Discrimination Older Applicants vs. Young Pretty People The client specifically asked for young pretty people, Tejal Wagadia, a technical recruiter based in Phoenix, Arizona, told Jobscan. They said, I dont care how many years of experience they have, I need young pretty people.Ive talked to VPs of HR who have told me, straight out, that the executive needs candidates that are younger, veteran Silicon Valley recruiter Linda Tuerk told Jobscan. I actually saw a person, a VP of HR, print out photos from LinkedIn of young white men and hold them up in a conference room and said, We want this.What is Age Discrimination in Hiring?These are blatant examples of age discrimination, or ageism, in hiring. Not only is it unfair and immoral, it is illegal.The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) forbids age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older, states the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website. This includes applicants and employees alike.From a practical standpoint, age discrimination is when a hiring company uses a persons age as a judgement for if theyre qualified for a job, Melissa Dobbins, founder of human resources startup Career Place, told Jobscan.Age discrimination is a job search reality. Its leid a myth or an urban legend, said Wagadia. Unfortunately, unless a hiring company blurts out youre too old directly to an applicant, it can be incredibly difficult to prove.A Changing WorkforceThe largest generation in the history of the world, Baby Boomers began getting their first jobs by the mid-1960s. With Boomers poised to dominate the workforce by the 70s and 80s, the ADEA was enacted in 1967 to protect vulnerable members of previous generations. Today, Millennials have overtaken Boomers and Gen X in both living population and in the workforce. Meanwhile, Gen Z is already graduating from college with innate tech savviness and the fruchtwein up-to-date skill tischset s.When it comes to single contributor roles, Boomers and Gen Xers (who are now in their 40s) are being pushed out by their Millennial and Gen Z counterparts.This leaves them competing for a limited number of management and leadership roles, but Dobbins is frustrated with the fallacy that management is the only path for workers after age 40.There are certain skills and interests that are required in management, and others that are required in single contributor roles that have nothing to do with age, said Dobbins.People who are fantastic at what they do, it makes no sense to force them into management or out of the discipline. Can you imagine an amazing writer suddenly becoming an editor because they crossed a certain age threshold? It makes no sense, and yet thats exactly whats happening in a lot of corporate environments.With expected retirement age rising, this generational tension wont dissipate anytime soon.Why and How Companies Discriminate Against Older WorkersNot all discrimi natory companies are as blatant as Wagadia and Tuerks former clients. A company could be blind to their own biases or prioritizing younger candidates because they are looking for traits often associated with youth.A few of the common concerns that lead to conscious and subconscious age discrimination includeEnergy and Stamina The company is fast-paced and frequently requires employees to work overtime. This type of energy, stamina, and drive might correlate with young employees eager to make their mark, but exceptions abound.Tech Savviness The company is using cutting edge technology and the latest software. They dont expect older employees to be up to date or quick to adopt new and innovative tools. Hiring managers say they cant afford the ramp up time for an older worker to come up to speed on a couple new skills, said Tuerk.Adaptability The company might want employees to buy in to a system or be quick to adapt to an ever-changing environment. They dont have the time to prod o lder employees who might have developed habits or be set in their ways.Money Understandably, older employees often lean on their experience to demand higher salaries. A younger, less-experienced candidate with a similar skillset can typically be paid less.Companies are known to screen for some of these things right in the job listing. Examples of age discrimination in job listings includeRecent Graduates Despite high-profile companies coming under fire for using terms like new grad or recent graduate in their job postings, youll mucksmuschenstill find hundreds of listings using these terms if you search Google for Jobs. This illegal practice is explicitly mentioned on the EEOC website A help-wanted ad that seeks females or recent college graduates may discourage men and people over 40 from applying and may violate the law.Experience Ranges Companies illegally discourage older candidates by putting a cap on experience. Theyll say, we want 5-7 years experience, explained Tuerk. In other words, if you come in with 10, 15, 20, 25 years experience, theyre not even gonna look at you. Again, this practice can be seen in wide use by searching Google for Jobs.Even if the preferred range isnt mentioned on the job listing, applicant tracking systems like Taleo can be configured to automatically deemphasize or rule out applicants with too much experience.Ad Targeting Big corporations including T-Mobile and Amazon were recently named in a lawsuit for allegedly using Facebooks ad targeting to serve job ads to people in select age ranges, limiting some only to people younger than 38.Digital Native and other code words Companies use the term digital native and thats directly related to an age group of people that grew up in the digital age, noted Tuerk. There are other veiled terms companies tend to use when seeking younger talent, such as energetic or vibrant, or when turning down an applicant, like over-qualified or citing culture fit.How to Fight Age DiscriminationUnt il these practices stop, job seekers over 40 must learn how to counteract ageism in pursuit of a new job. Here are some ways job seekers can sidestep age discrimination.Stay CurrentYour years of experience can be of great value to the hiring company, but most experienced doesnt always equate to most qualified. Your experience will not outweigh a younger applicants if they are on the cutting edge of industry trends, techniques, and technology but you are not.Be proactive about staying on top of the latest software and progression in your industry, even if what youve been doing has been serving you just fine. Add new certifications to your resume to show that youre continually advancing your skill set. Be an active participant in your industrys goings-on via LinkedIn or in-person networking events.Trim Down Your Resume and LinkedIn ProfileAge discrimination is one of those biases that is the hardest to block when youre dealing with resumes, said Dobbins, noting the reliance on dates a nd experience. It can be painful to leave anything off for an applicant with a deep body of work, but recruiters see it as one of the primary strategies for combating age discrimination.Dont List Experience That is More Than 10-15 Years OldFrom a recruiters perspective or a hiring perspective, anything 10-12 years old is irrelevant unless youre trying to change your career, said Wagadia.Tuerk pled with older job seekers to stop starting their LinkedIn profile or their resume with 20+ years experience. Drop that right away. Just talk about whats relevant.One of the best things an older candidate can do is to appear young is to know how to edit their experience, said Tuerk. Its no longer seen a bad moral thing to not list all of your jobs lifetime. Its OK to just go back 15 years and to concentrate on the skills that they are asking for in order to get past the first gatekeepers.Focus on SpecificityUnless a job listing says otherwise, tailor your resume to the specific skills that the hiring company is requesting. Or, as one recruiter put it during a recent recruiter roundtable at Jobscan headquarters, Answer the question of the job description.Get over the generalists point of view, advised Tuerk. This is a time where specifics matter. Theres specific talent being requested. Pay attention and respond to that.Clues to those specifics can be found in the job description. Honing in on whats most critical is an important skill for job seekers to develop.There are a lot of career coaches that know how to do it, there are some webinars out there to give them an idea, they can do it by eye somewhat, and its smart for job seekers to start to get into that headspace, continued Tuerk. An online service like Jobscan can get very specific for you.Find out which skills are most important to include on your resume by pasting it with the job listing below.???Get More Out of LinkedInDont underestimate the power of LinkedIn today, advised Tuerk.Maintaining an active LinkedIn pr esence demonstrates a base level of tech savviness and that youre engaged with your industry and peers. Creating an impressive LinkedIn profile also gives you the opportunity to shape your story and expertise.Most recruiters, continued Tuerk, certainly in the Bay Area, certainly in tech, but really mora and more throughout the whole country, the minute they take a look at your resume they look up your LinkedIn profile too.Get a decent photo up there and look at your peers and where theyre working and how theyre talking about what they do and what their titles are and what their specialties are, and look especially at their headlines and figure out your best headline, advised Tuerk.Fixing the SystemThere were 18,376 age discrimination charges tracked by the EEOC in 2017. That is an encouraging decrease from a 2008 high of 24,582 charges, but there is still a steep climb ahead to end hiring and workforce age discrimination.The Role of the RecruiterWhen Wagadia was tasked with finding young pretty people above, she didnt give in to the client. Im going to send you the most experienced person, the person thats most qualified for this role, she recounted. I dont want that on my conscience.Some recruiters dont feel like they have much of a choice. Agency recruiters have little say, one commented on LinkedIn. If we dont provide the right candidate then someone else will.When you work for a larger organization its a little bit harder because you need to make sure you have your job, agreed Wagadia. Its a decision every recruiter has to make for themselves.Tuerk and Wagadia both agree that recruiters should strive to be a moral and legal compass for ageist or ignorant hiring managers whenever possible.It is our responsibility not to participate in any sort of age discrimination, said Tuerk, but acknowledged the risk. I have yperit business over just mentioning something. I would say in 75% of the cases, the executive will nod their head and say, Yes, of course, and wel l go on. In about 25% of the cases I can tell theyve immediately turned off and they dont want me on this search. In terms of coaching them, I dont think they appreciate it.There is a possibility that youll eventually lose the client if they are set in their own ways, agreed Wagadia, but noted an instance in which a client was receptive and actually thanked me for opening their blinders up a little bit.If recruiters are willing to push back, they have to be ready. I constantly get feedback when I submit the resume of somebody who is clearly older, which I am prepared for, as to why this candidate should be looked at anyway, said Tuerk. And usually I win.Recruiters are placed in a difficult situation, especially when their own livelihood is on the line. Of course, its not just hiring managers and executives that bring biases and blind spots to the search. Recruiters can be guilty as well.Is There a Better Way?There is a growing movement to rework the way people apply for jobs.Tired o f combating various forms of discrimination in her own job searches, Dobbins set out to create a better application process with her startup, Career Place.The resumes and LinkedIn profiles that begin most applications today immediately reveal age along with sex and race. Dobbins explained that applicants are put into a position of having to defend who they are rather than focus on what theyre capable of and what they bring to the company.Instead of names, dates, resumes, and profiles, Career Place guides anonymous applicants through a multi-step process. Step one homes in on whether an applicant can meet the most basic requirements. Step two gives them a chance to prove their skills.You dont even know whether youre evaluating a man or a woman or somebody whos 50 or 25, said Dobbins of Career Places approach. The idea is that by the time a hiring manager learns the name of or sees a candidate in the interview stage, theyre thinking instead about what theyve submitted and the quality of their work rather than surface-level biases.Zapier is a company that brings a similar approach to their own hiring by letting go of resumes, dates, and years of experience. Instead, they use a detailed questionnaire within their applicant tracking system that helps to mask certain discriminatory factors and allows applicants to prove their fitness for the job at the onset.A portion of Zapiers application for an executive marketing position.Whether this is the future of job applications remains to be seen. Resumes are entrenched in hiring culture and filling out a questionnaire or doing homework can take a lot of time for job seekers. Only out of work people have time to take all these tests, noted Tuerk, acknowledging the employed-but-seeking.For now, the over-40 crowd must remain vigilant and proactive to counteract age discrimination.At least theres more conversation about it so Im hopeful that hiring companies are being more reflective, concluded Tuerk.

7 Tips for an Effective One Page Resume

7 Tips for an Effective One Page Resume7 Tips for an Effective One Page ResumeYou have more than a decades worth of experience, yet you are being asked to make a one-page resume. Writing an effective one-page resume is possible, so we offer 7 tips on how to achieve the best one-page resume.The best resume length advice will always help a recruiter, hiring manager, or employer read your resume in six-seconds.1. Stick to the quantitative resultsIt is no secret that the right keywordswill help get your resume seen. Companies know job candidates do this. They do not care so much about what you claim to do. They care if you know how to do it. Quantitative results show evidence that you can execute. An effective one-page resume shows numbers that prove your qualifications, thus making your resume shorter. As one hiring manager explained to meWe need to know you can walk the walk, not just talk the talk.2. Leave out irrelevant experienceYour LinkedIn resume and CV is the distributionspoliti k for your career autobiography. An effective one-page resume sticks to relevant experience. If you are applying for a position as a Technical Project Manager, for example, some resume length advice would be to leave off all the side jobs you took while job searching. This means you may have several best one page resumes, one for each job title you can be hired for.3. Leave out irrelevant educationA one-page resume is easier to achieve if you leave out the irrelevant education. Your high school education is almost always irrelevant on any job application unless you are just starting your career. Even then, they only want to know that you completed high school.4. Using smaller font sizesWarning This does not mean the best one-page resume needs to be seen under a microscope. An effective one-page resume can happen with a font size of 10 or 11. Going lower than that can leave the hiring manager squinting and reaching for their glasses. A one-page resume is intended to save time and mak e for easier reading. A tiny font may fit more, but then it is more difficult to read.5. Get all your contact information on one lineAn effective one-page resume has all the contact information on the top line. In the past, it was common to make your name look like a theater marquis. But that was before short attention spans, online job applications, and attaching files to emails in which your name appears several times. Having all the info on the top line also makes it much simpler to find.6. Keep all job descriptions to a bullet-pointed, one line of spacingYou may have had a complex job in the past but that does not mean your description of a skill should be more than one line. Your resume length advice here would be to cut down the number of words used to describe a task or skill. Make sure it fits on one line per task or skill. For examplelumineszenzdiode testing and development plan for next-generation Automated Driving Technologies.There is a whole story behind that one line. The best one-page resume will almost offer a teaser to get an interview, in which the job candidate can expand on the full story of experience.7. Kill the objectives or other useless linesCareer objectives on resumes lost their meaning as companies realized the employee should focus more on the candidates ability to help with a companys objective. An effective one-page resume will have no objectives and no lines stating references available upon request or salary negotiable.Note Summaries have not lost their meaning. There is a big difference between summaries and objectives.Above all, an effective one-page resume is all about impact those times in your career that you achieved productive results and what you did to get such results

Un-Answered Issues With Resume Summary Statements Disclosed

Un-Answered Issues With Resume Summary Statements Disclosed Consider whether it should in bullet or paragraph form yet definitely a summary does elend have to be in full sentences, the main thing is the fact that it consists of a comprehensive thought and an understandable clause. There are a few important things you should think about when writing an educational resume summary. Based on who you ask and the way youre using it, summary statements can be a whole waste of space or a complete game changer. Certainly superior than nothingbut again, be sure to seriously think about the objective statement first.Its pretty simple to tell the difference. Very short, which results in the next point. Bear this in mind while you create a summary that presents your uniqueness. Make your resume expert summary from the most effective few bits. A Startling Fact about Resume Summary Statements Uncovered If youre not absolutely clear of what you want, envision a best punkt that will value y ou for the principal characteristics and experiences you wish to be hired for. After assessing your skills, you will probably have a lengthy list of things which you could include. On the flip side, functional resumes are typically used by fresh graduates or those who have less experience but want to grab the work vacancy. Instead, consider starting with a quick overview of your career and abilities. The sector has numerous jobs each with distinctive roles and duties together with unique heights of operation. Below, you will find in depth info on skills to highlight on your resume, together with management resume examplesfor a selection of management jobs, including. Find well-redacted resume examplesfor any business or career you could be interested, we have a lot of categories up to you. Some jobs require a certain sum of travel on a normal basis. Attempt to do a little bit of research on the business youre applying to since the majority of the companies have various values. Focus on how youre an advantage to the companynot the way the corporation can help you. Make certain its tailored to not merely the position, but the business also. Specifically, demonstrate how youll add value to the firm. Vital Pieces of Resume Summary Statements Our resume examples offer inspiration, but more importantly guidance on the way to structure and compose the elements. Its certainly recommended to include as many of the subsequent examples of information as possible. Youre going to compose a resume summary which gets far more interviews. If you follow the advice above you will have an interesting, compelling resume summary that is likely to make the reader want to find out more about you even regardless of your lack of work experience Resume is a kind of document employed by individuals that are seeking for employment. The resume summary will function as their sales pitch. 1 A resume summary is a brief, snappy introduction paragraph that delivers a summary of your very best work. A resume summary is going to be the component of your summary in which you exhibit important information about yourself. Everyone can take advantage of a resume summary. No prescription medications are available all over the planet. Do not incorporate any drab information within it.

RolePoint to Host Free Mobile Referrals Technology Webinar Feb. 6

RolePoint to Host Free Mobile Referrals Technology Webinar Feb. 6 What do you get when you combine mobile technology with the no.1 source of hires? One heck of a sourcing tool. And to help you have a successful employee referral program in 2014, the folks at RolePoint, social recruiting software, are offering a FREE webinar on the importance of incorporating mobile into your recruitment strategies.Who Bill Boorman, creator and host of the tru unconferences, the largest global series of recruitment conferencesWhat Mobile Technology Changing How We Live, Work, and ReferWhen Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014, 12 p.m. PSTWhere OnlineJoin Boorman as he teaches how to take advantage of mobile to improve your hiring processes in 2014, especially your companys employee referral programs. Participants will learn aboutThe history of mobile technologyWhy mobile technology is your golden ticket to a better referral prog ramHow to get started with a mobile referral programKey examples of tools to enhance your mobile referral programVisit here to reserve your spot today

Lease Arbitration Clause and Rights to Sue a Landlord

Lease Arbitration Clause and Rights to Sue a LandlordLease Arbitration Clause and Rights to Sue a LandlordMany residential and commercial leases contain an arbitration clause that will come into effect if tzu siche is a lawsuit. If either party in a lease agreement breaches the agreement each party has the right to sue the other. However, these rights and other legal remedies may be limited by the terms contained in the arbitration clause of the lease itself. For example, if your lease contains a mediation or an arbitration clause, you may be required to seek arbitration before being allowed to file a civil claim.Some arbitration clauses are binding and prohibit your right to file a lawsuit against your landlord. When to Consider Suing If you do sue your landlord, the matter will be handled in civil court. Civil cases are easier to prove than criminal cases, but you still should consider hiring an attorney who specializes in business law or tenant-landlord relations. You canleid sue your landlord just because you do not like him/her or have a minor grievance. To hold your landlord accountable for something he/she has to have breached your agreement or caused you or your business harm in some way. There are some exceptions. If you tripped and were seriously injured on a commercial property due to the negligence of the landlord or property owner (i.e., the owner/landlord failed to remove ice or snow or repair substantial cracks in a sidewalk) you may still be able to file a personal injury claim. This type of personal injury claim- known as premises liability- is also handled in civil court is unrelated to the terms of your lease agreement and can be filed by anyone injured on an owners property whether or not they were leasing space. Limitations on the Rights to Sue It is fairly common for agreements, including commercial and residential leases, to contain arbitration or mediation clauses. This means you agree that if there is a dispute between you and t he landlord you will first try to resolve the conflict outside of court. This is usually a good thing for both the tenant and the landlord as long as it does not state that you totally forfeit your rights to sue if an agreement cannot be reached. These clauses should name a specific mediation or arbitration company - not an individual. The arbitrator should be neutral and not someone affiliated with the landlord or their representative who will serve only the best interest of the landlord. Even if your lease does contain an arbitration or mediation clause, you should still consult an attorney before attempting to resolve the conflict on your own.In some cases, if a landlord was negligent in some significant way, you may still be able to pursue a civil claim, and even with a mediator, chances are good that your landlord will still show up with an attorney. Suing Is Not a Path to Riches It is important to understand that if your landlord breaches your lease agreement you generally cannot sue for tort damages (i.e., what laypeople commonly refer to as pain and suffering.) Only in the case of certain types of conduct or bad faith is there a possibility of suing a landlord for tort damages. You would have to prove that the actions of your landlord caused you some sort of harm (or, a tort.)Otherwise, you most likely can only either get out of a lease or be awarded reimbursement for costs you had to shell out that your landlord was required to pay for repairs or improvements. Even then, there may be limitations if you acted without giving your landlord a reasonable time to fix a problem.In other words, your landlord is protected against you taking matters into your own hands to fix or alter something on the property and then simply insisting the landlord reimburse you for the expense. Suing your landlord is rarely profitable (you wont be awarded millions for your troubles), but you may be able to get reimbursement for certain expenses, or refunds on rent, or have the lease rescinded so you can move your business somewhere else. Only Sign Leases You Understand It is important that you never sign a lease with the idea that if there is trouble, you can just take a bad landlord to court and win. It is always better to sign an agreement you understand and are comfortable with and only with a landlord you feel you can trust. If you are not familiar with the terms of your lease, dont trust your landlord to explain them to you.In fact, the landlord might not even understand all the terms and it is not an attorney who can represent your interests. If you have questions, talk with your own lawyer, or someone who is familiar with commercial leasing that is not associated with the property owner or landlord. When it comes to leasing, the term buyer beware applies as renter beware.The best way to protect yourself from getting stuck in a long-term lease is to get legal advice before you sign on the dotted line.

Should Employers Play `Big Brother with Your Health

Should Employers Play Big Brother with Your HealthEmployers and Your HealthShould Employers Play Big Brother with Your HealthPicture this On one side of the table, you have a well qualified, personable, impeccably dressed and thoroughly prepared candidate who has come in for an interview. The only apparent flaws? Hes quite overweight and, tucked inside the pocket of his shirt is a pack of cigarettes.On the other side of the table is the hiring manager for this demanding, critical job at a busy company that expects a high level of productivity from everyone, many of whom work 50 hours a week or more.So heres your quandary Does the hiring manager hire him even though the demands of the job might affect the candidates health and drag down productivity? Or are his weight and smoking habit enough to make them turn to someone else whos a bit less qualified but appears to be a lot healthier?I got to thinking about this after reading a recent news release from Hewitt Associates, a human reso urces services provider, amid the backdrop of national concern over obesity and the rising cost of health care in the United States. The upshot from the survey? Eighty-eight percent of 500 surveyed companies plan to invest in longer-term solutions aimed at improving the health and productivity of their workforces over the next three to five years. Thats up from 63% in a similar survey conducted in 2007.But Hewitt concludes that employees are not so convinced their employers need to get more involved In a separate survey of 30,000 employees, only 12% believe companies have a role in helping them understand how to stay healthy. Employers need to overcome employees skepticism about their intended role, concludes Jim Winkler, who leads Hewitts Health Management Consulting practice. (The employers) messages need to shift from a cost management focus to one that helps employees understand how improving their health can benefit them, as well as the company.Thatll take a lot of work on the part of companies, but I doubt it has much chance of success. While Americans often complain that the powers that be especially those in government never do enough to ease any burdens theyre bearing, specifically those linked with economics, they also dont want to find themselves under the watchful eye or crushing thumb of anything much larger than themselves that is, government and business. The general attitude goes like this If were overweight or addicted to cigarettes, we can handle it ourselves.Theres nothing wrong with that. After all, its part of our American birthright to have the freedom and personal liberty to handle most of our own affairs, as opposed to having a company play Big Brother and force us into choices we dont want to make. That approach is more inclined to engender resentment and suspicion about the companys motives (like saving on health insurance premiums). But like our overweight, cigarette-smoking candidate above, some of us may require a little nudge, es pecially if it means saving some of your money or all of your life.

The comfort trap Why the pursuit of an easier life creates a harder one

The comfort trap Why the pursuit of an easier life creates a harder one The comfort trap Why the pursuit of an easier life creates a harder one Over 10,000 years ago, humans thrived and co-existed with nature.Humans fed themselves by hunting wild animals and gathering plants. Plants flourished and animals bred with one another as nature permitted them to do so.Nature was left alone. There was no intervention or manipulation of the natural order of things.But, this all changed around 9500-8500 BC.During this period known as the Agricultural Revolution, humans began to intervene with nature and manipulate the natural breeding process of plants and animals.Seeds were sown and watered, sheep were placed in meadows and pastures for grazing and animals were forced to participate in selective breeding.Humans believed that this new way of living would make it easier to provide food to the population, and thus live a better life.Map of the world showing approximate centers of origin and spread of agriculture during the Agricultural Revolution. Image by Joe Roe [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons.The vicious cycle of ease and hards hipIn the best-selling book,  Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind  (audiobook), world renown historian, Yuval Noah Harari, describes the early periods of the agricultural revolution:“With the move to permanent villages and the increase in food supply, the population began to grow. Giving up the nomadic lifestyle enabled women to have a child every year. Babies were weaned at an earlier age â€" they could be fed on porridge and gruel.” [1]But, Noah Harari notes that this pursuit of an easier life led to unintended consequences:“The extra hands were sorely needed in the fields. But the extra mouths quickly wiped out the food surpluses, so even more fields had to be planted. As people began living in disease-ridden settlements, as children fed more on cereals and less on mother’s milk, and as each child competed for his or her porridge with more and more siblings, child mortality soared.”At the time at least one out of every three children died before living till the age of twenty years old. [2]Despite the rapid rise in the mortality rate of the population, its birth rate continued to rise even faster. And several generations later, humans had become dependent on farming for survival.Humans left behind a life of hunting and gathering in a well-sized healthy population for a life of farming and breeding in a rapidly growing, disease-ridden population with high death rates.By the time humans realized that the Agricultural Revolution had failed to live up to its promise of an easier life, it was too late to turn back.They were caught in a trap - the comfort trap.In the pursuit of an easier life, humans had unexpectedly created a harder one, as more people were kept alive but under worse conditions than before.Humans did not foresee that birth rates would rise so quickly or that the increase in wheat consumption would lead to the spread of deadly diseases and high mortality.They did not foresee that their profitable farms and fields would attract more da ngerous threats into their society, including sophisticated intruders, wars and thefts.Fast forward 10,000 years and humans have learned from the mistakes of the Agricultural Revolution. They’ve escaped the comfort trap and today, live a better life.Or did history repeat itself again?The ease of ineffectivenessToday, more so than ever - due to the advancement of technology and sciences - humans are moving at breakneck speed to discover quicker and easier ways to live.For example, a few decades ago, it took an effort to send a message to a loved one, friend or colleague. Messages were letters, handwritten with an ink pen on paper. After writing, people would drop the letter in a mailbox and wait several days or even months to receive a response.And when a reply letter, say from a loved one, was delivered to the sender’s doorstep, it was read carefully with excitement and appreciation for its delivery.Not so in today’s digital era.From the tips of our fingers, we can send and receive a reply within seconds from a friend living on the opposite end of the globe.Gone are the days of messages written with careful thought behind each written word. Nowadays, people send the first thing that comes to mind. Emails, text messages and tweets are rushed and sent on impulse without much consideration for the recipient.Back then, we’d sort through a handful of letters each month, but today, we’re bombarded every day with hundreds of messages from people who expect a prompt reply, even when their demands aren’t urgent.Instant messaging and emails were supposed to make communication easier, but have they?For most of us, virtual communication has become a source of overwhelm, stress and distraction from effective work.We feel like we’re on a hamster wheel of busyness and can’t find enough time to get things done and focus on what matters most.But that’s not all.The rise of technology and the decline of well-beingThe pursuit of an easier life through technolo gy has led to the creation of more complex problems that span across every single area of our lives.Here are some examples.Social media was created to make it easier for people to stay connected, yet we’ve never felt so disconnected, lonely and isolated from one other than today. [3]The internet was created to make it easier to store and retrieve information, yet it has created the safety risks of data privacy breaches, identity theft, cyber bullying, online predators, inappropriate content for children and online addictions.Dating apps were created to make it easier to find love and a life partner, yet it’s never been harder in human history for man and woman to come together and find true love.Electronic devices - like the computer and mobile phone - were created to make communication easier, yet nowadays, families spend their downtime together either watching TV, texting on mobile phones and using the internet on laptops, instead of communicating with one another.The modern office was created to make it easier for workers to stay productive, yet employees spend the majority of their workday sat on a chair, slouched over a desk in front of a computer, increasing the risks of obesity, heart diseases and brain damage. [4]We believed that technology would make life easier, but has it? Can we say with confidence that citizens of developed countries, who have access to the most advanced technology, live a happier and healthier life than those living in developing countries?So far, our dependency on technology has created more problems - some even worse than before - and a harder life in many ways.But, how can we revert back to the old way of living when the world has moved on? How can we escape the comfort trap to live a better life?Graph showing the decline in happiness of USA citizens since 1990, despite the real GDP per capita growth of about 30 percent. (Source: World Happiness Report)Embrace hardshipOver a 100 years ago, philosopher, Friedrich Nietzs che said “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.”A 100 plus years later, Nietzsche’s words still ring true.Various studies have shown that people who experience and overcome adverse events- business failures, divorce, death of a loved one, difficult work- develop the necessary  mental toughness  required to overcome future adverse events. They also experience improved mental health, well-being and overall life satisfaction. [5]In everyday life we’re faced with the decision to either embrace hardship or avoid it.We have a choice to either send a lengthy email reply or set up a phone call, to either send a long thread of tweets or text  messages to friends or plan a meetup in person, to either drive a mile to a destination or walk instead.And whilst the easier choices are convenient and save time in the short-term, the harder ones save more time and create more rewarding benefits over the long run.In the same spirit, we could embrace the hardship of pursuing our goals .If you’re an entrepreneur, embrace the hardship of spending a ton of time, energy and money building a product that fails.Embrace the unpredictable flow of income and the uncertain future of your business.Embrace the loneliness and pain of sacrificing time that could’ve been spent with family and friends.If you’re a writer or artist, embrace the hardship of failures and rejections of your proposals.Embrace the struggles with procrastination and creative blocks.Embrace the fear of  criticism  and self-doubt of your creative work.If you’re trying to lose weight and get in shape, embrace the hardship of regular exercise, counting calories and  eating healthy meals  each day, even when  you don’t have the motivation  to do so.Embrace the lack of support and criticism from your friends, family and colleagues.Embrace the long wait of several months before you reap the rewards of your efforts and notice visible changes in your body shape.By embracing hardship, we create new oppo rtunities to become better at what we do, gain valuable wisdom and live a better life.The joys of hardshipThere’s an ancient Chinese saying “Chi Ku Shi Fu,” which means “Eating Bitterness is Good Fortune.”In other words, embracing hardship and unpleasant experiences today, instead of pursuing easier ones, will lead to a better life tomorrow.No matter how hard your life is today, don’t give up. Resist the temptation to pursue an easier life, embrace hardship and escape the comfort trap.There’s light at the end of the tunnel of hardship - a lifetime of joy and fulfillment.Mayo Oshin writes at  MayoOshin.Com, where he shares the best practical ideas based on proven science and the habits of highly successful people for stress-free productivity and improved mental performance. To get these strategies to stop procrastinating, get more things by doing less and improve your focus,  join his free weekly newsletter.”A version of this  article  originally appeared at  mayoosh in.com  as  â€œThe Comfort Trap: Why the Pursuit of an Easier Life Creates a Harder One (And What to Do Instead).”Footnotes Thanks to  Yuval Noah Harari, historian and author of  Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,  for sharing the history of the agricultural revolution. Alain Bideau et al,  Infant and child mortality in the past  (Oxford : Claredon Press, 1997) Yi Lin, Liu Sidani, Jaime Shensa, Ariel Radovic, Ana Miller, Elizabeth B Colditz, Jason Hoffman, Beth M Giles, Leila Primack, Brian. (2016).  Association between Social Media Use and Depression among U.S. Young Adults. Depression and anxiety. 33. 10.1002/da.22466. Owen N, Healy GN, Matthews CE, Dunstan DW.  Too much sitting: the population-health science of sedentary behavior. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2010; 38(3):105â€"13. Seery, M. D., Holman, E. A., Silver, R. C. (2010).  Whatever does not kill us: Cumulative lifetime adversity, vulnerability, and resilience.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99(6), 1025-1041. Croft, A., Dunn, E.W., Quoidbach, J. (2014)  From tribulations to appreciation: Experiencing adversity in the past predicts greater savoring in the present.Social Psychological and Personality Science,5, 511-516. The argument in this article isn’t one for the elimination of the use of technology, rather it argues for the reduction of dependency on it. An extensive  study  of 34 countries found that there’s no link between the increase in the economic growth of a country and the well-being or happiness of the citizens of that country.