When Social Sharing Turns Bad

When Social Sharing Turns Bad Are you one of those people who “checks in” wherever you go on Facebook? Are you the “mayor” of your favorite restaurant on Foursquare? Do you keep your network apprised of your every move on Twitter? Location-based apps are certainly popular on social media these days and letting your network know where you’re going and what you’re doing there, as well as “tagging” those who are with you, is as simple as a few clicks. How many posts have we read recently about how millennials love to share everything on social media? Status updates and pictures aren’t enough. We must let everyone know where we are and who we’re with at all times. As I’ve watched this activity grow in popularity, my concern continues to grow as well. Despite the fact that this is a career-related blog, there’s one career that probably doesn’t get much coverage on this site â€" that of a criminal. If I decided to change careers and begin a life of crime, Foursquare would be my best friend, with Facebook and Twitter being a close second and third. What better gift could be given to a thief than a website that tells when people are away from their homes, and the distance they must travel to return? In this age of social media and the convenience with which we share personal information with our networks, I’ve noticed a complacency with sharing that which may have caused concern just a few years ago. According to The Independent, in the UK, criminal activity linked to Facebook and Twitter has increased 780 percent since 2008. In a recent Foursquare post, the website states that access to user information is limited to select universes of friends, and cautions users from cross-posting their status updates to more easily searchable sites such as Twitter. They go on to say: We definitely ‘get’ the larger issue here â€" location is sensitive data and people should be careful about with whom and when they share it. According to the California attorney general’s office: We are seeing issues arising from websites, not only with reference to criminal acts against property, but also [gathering] intelligence about people. Recent statistics by InstantCheckmate.com reveal that 78 percent of burglars have admitted they use Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Google Street View to select victims’ properties, and 54 percent said that posting one’s whereabouts is the most common mistake made by homeowners. In 2008 and 2009, a group of seven young adults now known as the Bling Ring committed a series of burglaries of celebrity homes in Hollywood, California, during which they stole around $3 million in cash and belongings. After being caught, the thieves admitted they targeted specific celebrities, then researched their travel schedules using Facebook and Twitter to determine when they would be out of town. A new website called PleaseRobMe.com is raising awareness about over-sharing on social media. The site states, “The danger is publicly telling people where you are. This is because it leaves one place you’re definitely not…home. So here we are; on one end we’re leaving lights on when we’re going on a holiday, and on the other we’re telling everybody on the internet we’re not home. The goal of this website is to raise some awareness on this issue and have people think about how they use services like Foursquare, Brightkite, Google Buzz, etc.” According to Kevin Bankston, senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, “There are physical and economic safety risks when you’re publicizing to the world where you are. It’s obviously a treasure trove of information for criminals. PleaseRobMe is a good demonstration of how easy it is.” In an article featured on NPR.org, Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet American Life Project, refers to the trend as the 21st-century equivalent of reading the obituaries. In the past, burglars have been known to read obituaries to find out when funerals are taking place, knowing that the homes of family and friends will be left unoccupied. But new technology brings new opportunity. Regarding location-based posting, Bankston states, “Like any useful tool, the bad ends to which it could be put is limited only by the human imagination.” So how would you rate your geolocational behavior? Do you err on the safe side, or do you broadcast your every move like an amateur chess player? I can see this posing an interesting dilemma for those who travel frequently for business, especially to highly publicized events. I’ve noticed just within the past few weeks several of my social media contacts in the recruiting and HR industries announcing their travel plans to various conferences around the globe. Have you ever had difficulty reconciling self-promotion with preserving home safety and privacy? I’d be interested to know your experiences… RELATED:  Do You Suffer from Social Media Overload?

Tips for Working Comfortably at Your Desk - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Tips for Working Comfortably at Your Desk - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career It is important to feel comfortable at your office in order to increase your efficiency and protect your health. There are many small steps you can take to create a better work environment for yourself. You can start by implementing the below office ergonomics tips to improve your work day, care for yourself and decrease work related injuries. Pick a Great Chair and Adjust it Right: You probably spend half of your time in the office at your desk chair. Therefore, choose a chair which will support your spine. Make sure the chair can be adjustable according to your height so you can put your feet on the ground. You can also use a cushion to support your back. If you are not happy with your current office chair, ask your manager if it can be replaced with a newer one. Don’t forget to include that this will reduce your back pain and as a result, it will improve your productivity. If you cannot get the approval, consider ordering your office chair yourself. Set Your Monitor Appropriately: Your computer monitor should be directly at your eye level. Try raising your monitor level by placing a stand or some thick books under it. If your computer monitor is below your eye level, you need to keep bending your neck and shoulders. This can trigger neck and back pains in the future. On the other hand, if your monitor is above your eye level, you constantly need to look up and this puts unnecessary pressure on your neck. Adjust the Light: An office needs to have lots of window to let natural sunlight in. If you cannot have natural day light in your office, at least use a softer light because it is much better than fluorescent lighting. The lamp should be placed overhead. In addition to that, a desk lamp can also be used for darker days. Reduce Eye Strain by Taking Breaks: If you have to work on a computer more than 3-4 hours a day, you need to be careful about protecting your eyes. Try to blink often and look away from your monitor every half-an-hour. If possible, stand up and take a coffee break, talk with a coworker and ease your body posture. If you are very busy, at least look elsewhere for a minimum of 20 seconds.

Virtues, Intentions and Goals Live in the Moment

Virtues, Intentions and Goals Live in the Moment Emily Bennington describes herself as a career author, speaker and space invader; she writes about what Stephen Covey believed: “between stimulus and response there is a space, and it’s in that space you choose how you wish to respond.” Bennington has been featured in media such as CNN, ABC, and Fox to the Wall Street Journal, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan. I spoke to her recently about her latest book Who Says It’s a Man’s World: The Girls’ Guide to Corporate Domination.   In Who Says It’s a Man’s World, Bennington describes her struggle between ambition â€" wanting to achieve the lofty goals she set for herself â€" and gratitude, living and appreciating the wonderful life she’d built.   For much of her life, she felt harried and miserable, always chasing happiness that seemed to reside somewhere in the future.   She finally decided that the only thing that mattered was this moment, right now. She was inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s list of 13 virtues that he developed in 1726 at the age of 20.   He knew he wanted to accomplish a tremendous amount during his life (he didn’t do badly; in addition to being one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Franklin was also an author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat.) He also knew that his unruly nature â€" he was also famous for loving food, drink and ladies â€" would need to be tempered if he were to put his intellectual gifts to use. He came up with a list of 13 virtues by which he would lead his life.   They included temperance (the foundational self-discipline that would govern his ability to stick to other principles), silence, order, frugality, sincerity and humility, among others.   He admitted that he fell short of his lofty intentions often, but always aspired to be the best man he could be. (see the full list here.) Emily Bennington created her own list of virtues to live by.   She believes that virtues are “evergreen;” they represent values that won’t change, even if your circumstances, technology, or the world changes around you.   Her personal list includes spiritual growth, putting family first, positivity, mindfulness and courage, among others. These values keep her focused on what’s important when the world feels chaotic and even hostile. Intentions are the steps you take every day to live your values.   Bennington puts it this way: “If I didn’t know you, how would I know?”   We know each other primarily by what we see each other do, after all.   You may think you’re the star of a full length movie, but most people see you only through a short trailer.   When you see someone being rude to the barista, you don’t think to yourself, “That must be a really nice person who’s having a bad day.” You think to yourself. “What a jerk.” Bad day is temporary; jerk is permanent â€" in the eyes of the beholder. Living your intentions means acting in accordance with your virtues and your values every day. Bennington writes: “Whereas 99.9 percent of the workforce will make decisions on how they think and feel at any given moment, you’ll be making decisions based on what you really want for yourself. There’s your power.” Bennington believes in what she calls excellence in the moment. My personal list of virtues include work first, play second; serenity in the face of chaos, being generous with my connections and talent, and leading with a sense of humor.   Those precepts keep me sane when my day seems to spin out of control. Bennington finishes her pyramid approach (70 percent virtues and intentions) with a 30 percent focus on goals.   Goals are important, she writes; “I want you to be über-rich and über-powerful, but I also want you to have the foundation to handle that success when it arrives.” That makes sense to me.   Many people rise to fame and wealth, only to fall down (some literally: see Lindsay Lohan and soon, Justin Bieber) when their values don’t give them the support they need to manage the big lifestyle they’ve built. Do you have a list of virtues that support your goals?   Leave a comment.

Twitter Poll If You Were 20 Again, What Would You Do Differently

Twitter Poll If You Were 20 Again, What Would You Do Differently I decided to conduct a Twitter poll for some research on an article idea I have and found the responses quite interesting. I asked my Twitter friends what they would do differently if they were 20 again. The rule was that they had to be over 30 to answer. Heres what they said: How to handle debt/money. Ed Gallagher, Author, Blogger, @egallagher2k I live by no regrets so even thinking about doing it over again doesnt make sense. We are because of our experiences. Lost in Office Space, lostinofficespace.com, @LIOSinCT I would handle the politics of my in-laws a whole lot differently.its total hell now.   Rachel Martin, mominreallife.blogspot.com, @rbmmom Wish Id known how young I was; I made too many decisions thinking there wouldnt be other opportunities. Ann Smiley, Graphic Designer, @annsmiley That the choices you make at 20 create your future. Better choices better future. Frumi Barr, MBA, Ph. D, Founder of Frumi Associates, LLC, @Frumi If I were 20 again, I would have taken advantage of my schools study abroad program. Vanessa Abron, @VanessaAbron If you stop thinking about it and just do it, it will catch on one way or the other. Do more think less. Jack Stands, @LASnark, LAsnark.com What I wish I knew: If you are qualified and intelligent people will pay you for your services. Leah Dossey, Graphic Designer, Founder of Blueleaf Creative, @CreativeWisdom And lastly, this response came to me in an email from Farrah Hoehne. Hi Nicole, Your blog is great. I wish I would have had access to your blog when I was just out of college! There are a lot of things that I wish knew when I was in my 20s! First, I would have done an internship while I was in college to prepare and leverage myself in my career. Personally Ive had 7 jobs in 10 years. While each of these positions have been a great learning experience and have allowed me to gain a very diverse background, I wish I would have decided that I wanted to work in advertising first and followed it throughout my career. I feel that I would have been able to work my way up the corporate ladder and be in a better position right now. In college, I wish someone would have told me that a bachelor of science in marketing with a minor in French is more valuable and goes further than a bachelor of arts in French international marketing. I started my job within 2 weeks of graduation as well. I went back home which was a great move but I wish that people would have engrained in my head that I should have taken advantage of traveling before starting work. I never thought that I would be working and counting down the days until vacation and just waiting for one day off! I also wish that I would have decided to get my MBA in my 20s. After a failed attempt at the GMAT, I gave up and decided to continue working. I would have gone part time while I was living at home. Since getting married, life just becomes more complicated and it is harder to think about going back to school when you want to have a family. Last but not least, I wish I would have started working with a financial planner in my early 20s so that I could set myself up for a more financially stable future. I should have been more aggressive with my 401K before 01 and learned how to scale back when the market was crashing. If I invested in a financial planner, I feel that I would have been able to organize my finances much better.     -Farrah Thanks everyone for such great responses!   I found it interesting how diverse each persons answer was.   Anyone else?

The Freshers Flu apocalypse our guide to surviving it - Debut

The Freshers Flu apocalypse our guide to surviving it - Debut Those first few weeks of uni can be just as scintillating an experience as it is crippling. Go too hard and Fresher’s Flu will zombify you quicker than you can say ‘The Walking Dead’. According to research, a whopping 90% of students fall ill within the first few weeks of university. Unless you’re some kind of Patient Zero, you might want to arm yourself with knowledge against the pandemic before it’s too late. Image via Giphy How do you get it? Staying  super healthy  during Freshers Week  will probably be the furthest possible thing from your mind. Chances are you’ll be too busy enjoying  your newfound independence. You soon realise that you can get as drunk as you like without worrying about waking up Mum and Dad and that well, if you want a greasy 2am kebab, no-one’s gonna tell you that you can’t.  It’s stuff like this regularly drinking too much, bad diet and late nights that can wear down your immune system. Image via Giphy Add that to all the mingling you’re going to be doing with people and all those pathogens you haven’t met yet, you’ve got a recipe for viral disaster with the added spice of being a bedridden husk for a few days. But it doesn’t have to be this way How do you avoid it? If you want the best chance of avoiding the dreaded Freshers Flu plague, take note of these top tips Eat something decent Image via Giphy Pizza may be your pal, but fruits are your friends. Plenty of fruits and veggies should shore up your immune defences and are cheaper and more effective than those multivitamin tablets everyone raves about. Be a clean freak Image via Giphy Pirates used to drink loads, never eat fruit and live in squalid conditions, and most of those guys got scurvy. Top tip: Don’t be a pirate. Invest in some hand sanitiser and keep your living and eating spaces in ship-shape. You won’t need to seal yourself in a plastic bubble but be a little cleaner than you’re used to. Grab some fresh air and exercise Image via Giphy We get it. No-one likes the sun when they’re hungover. Vitamin D is great for fighting illness though, and you get loads of it just by being outside. Exercise also helps your white blood cells work faster and inhibits bacteria from growing. Stay home Image via Giphy We know that you want to be a legend, but there’s always that one Fresher’s night that just isn’t as good as the others. You’re better than a middle-of-autumn foam rave. Have yourself a flat party, get to know your new pals and still achieve the desired effect with half of the physical trauma to your body. How do you beat it? If the outbreak  does get to you, heres what you do Relax Image via Giphy Don’t ignore the psychological aspects of Fresher’s Flu. Oftentimes, it can be brought on by stress or anxiety. Combat this by making sure you get a good night’s sleep and finding time to do things you enjoy. Hydrate Image via Giphy Water. It’s the elixir of life and only hangover cure that truly works. Drinking alcohol dehydrates you and Fresher’s Flu symptoms will only make it worse. Be sure to get plenty of fluids inside you to compensate. Take drugs Image via Giphy The right ones, obviously. Caffeine based cold medicines and good ol’ paracetamol are your best bets but here’s a lifehack warm salt water works great for sore throats and blocked noses. Make friends and stay in touch with home Image via Giphy Don’t let Fresher’s Flu turn you into a hermit. Illness is frequently exacerbated by homesickness. Though flu makes a difficult transition even harder, don’t shut yourself away talking to your pals and keeping a good line of communication with home will definitely help you through it more than anything else. Who knows? You might even get a care package out of it. Feature Image © Paramount Pictures Download the Debut app and you could totally grab yourself a summer internship  way before anyone else. Follow Alex on Twitter @AndThenAlexSaid Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter

How to answer behavioral questions in job interviews

How to answer behavioral questions in job interviews How to answer behavioral questions in job interviews Question from Reader: I’m hearing about these new kinds of interviews called “behavioral interviews” where an interviewer asks for stories or examples of what I have done. What is the best way to prepare for the interview and share my stories? I feel that I will either babble on or not share enough. Can you help? Answer from Dana: Behavioral-based interviewing is used to discover how the interviewee acted in specific employment-related situations. Logic assumes that the way you behaved in the past will predict how you will behave in the future. You are correct â€" behavioral interviews are increasing in popularity for a number of reasons. First, the interviewer can sense if the candidate has prepared for the interview. Most importantly, the interviewer can probe deeper into your experience after hearing your anecdote. You may state an example, then the interviewer will say, “Tell me more about what you did,” or “Tell me more about how you did that,” or “What was your role?” It’s really quite simple and effective. An employer has decided what skills are needed (they’re listed in the job description) and will ask questions to find out if the candidate has those skills. While you can prepare some effective examples in advance of the interview, I would like to give you a formula for creating an example on the fly, if necessary. Formula for answering behavioral questions 1. Sentence One: The Situation Briefly describe the “what.” Example: “During my role as manager at Exxon, the competition was raising its prices, so we had to respond.” 2. Sentence Two: Your Action Briefly describe what you did during this situation. You are invited to brag and talk about your role in the situation. Use power verbs, showing confidence and strength. Avoid using “we” or “the team.” The interviewer needs to learn about you. Example: “I led a complex set of analyses, summarized the results, and made key recommendations to the leadership team.” 3. Sentence Three: The Result Tell how the situation ended â€" hopefully positively. Use metrics or numbers, if they are not proprietary. Numbers show the size of the scope or impact. Example: “As a result, the management team chose to implement one of the recommendations and we increased market share the following year.” Now you should prepare your top stories. List out the skills and experiences mentioned in the job description on the left side of a table. On the right, put three bullet points for each row â€" use short bullets that you will remember. If the interviewer asks, “Tell me a time when you had to solve a complex pricing problem,” your notes might read: Exxon competitive price increases Led analysis, summarized, recommended Implementation and share percent increased

Hiring the Best Resume Writing Services

Hiring the Best Resume Writing ServicesThe importance of the best resume writing services is hard to overlook as most people are not aware of what exactly it is. If you want to succeed in your career, then you should be in a position to know what the best resume writing services can do for you.The resume is one of the most important documents that you need to create. No matter if you are looking for an entry-level job or you are just trying to get your foot in the door for a full-time job, the resume is a great way to start out. Of course, it has its drawbacks too. If you are unsure of what exactly you should put on the resume, then it is crucial that you look for a good resume writing service.An experienced professional can help you through the process of creating a perfect resume by using some of the best CV and CTLC (Computer-Written Letters) styles. They will also include your cover letter to take the basic needs of a resume.Some of the best resume writing services in DC have exp erience with all different types of resumes. Their writers are well trained to work with multiple forms of qualifications and may be able to match your qualifications to specific job openings. This type of expertise can allow you to focus on what really matters: getting your foot in the door and landing that great job.Good resume writing services are also able to help you create an outstanding cover letter. Most people make the mistake of trying to write a cover letter without actually having a good idea of what they should be putting on it. Instead of being so overwhelmed, however, these service can help you develop a good cover letter.Also, if you do decide to hire a professional resume service, the best ones offer you several other things as well. The best resume writing services in DC include experience in formatting documents and excel sheets, among other things. They are able to produce quality documents on the spot with little to no time spent on research and can generally ma ke the process of preparing for your job interview much easier.Before choosing the best resume writing services in DC, you should consider several factors. You should be very familiar with your own strengths and weaknesses and you should be able to hire a team of resume writers who have extensive experience in creating documents that will stand out. You should also be willing to pay a premium to ensure that your needs are met.If you are not confident in your abilities to write a resume, then it is advisable that you begin by hiring a company that specializes in the creation of documents that are easy to read and understand. Then after you see how well you are doing in terms of your communication skills, you can move on to the next step and begin the next phase of your career.