Just because you work hard, it doesn’t mean you’re a workaholic. If you love your job and enjoy the time you spend working, there’s nothing wrong with that. But if your commitment to your job is coming at the expense of other important things in your life, you may want to look for ways to regain some balance. Here are some things to look out for:

• You find yourself canceling things in your schedule that aren’t work related.
• You bring your work everywhere, and it’s always on your mind. You sometimes stay awake worrying about work the next day.
• When you get out to social functions or get together with family and friends, you find yourself talking about work more than anything else.

Don’t get me wrong. Your career is and should always be a large part of your adult life. Your career is part of your identity and who you are as a person, but it shouldn’t be the only part of who you are. Remember that you’re working in order to live a comfortable life. If you don’t have time for a life outside of work, you’re not truly living! Especially if you’re working in order to provide a better life for your family, spending time with them too will keep you motivated at work and make you more productive in both aspects of your life.

How you can help yourself

If you think you may be a workaholic, there are practical ways to improve your quality of life. Here are a few ideas you can use right away:

• Take care of yourself. Workaholics are notorious for neglecting their health. You may not realize it, but your health is worth a million dollars! Think of how much money you’d have to pay to get a heart transplant, or for other major surgeries to repair your body. When you add it all up, you’ll see you can’t afford not to take care of yourself. Eating right and getting exercise are essential. Being healthy should be your first priority always, because without your health, nothing else matters.
• Another idea is to plan how much work you will do in one day and stick to it. That way you’ll be less likely to go overboard because you don’t know where to draw the line.
• Reserve the time for friends and family. Whether it’s Saturday and Sunday or Wednesday and Thursday, use your time off to spend time with your loved ones. Make a pact with yourself that your time off will only be spent with the ones you care about most- that means no co-workers!
• Last but not least, always make time for yourself. Take up a hobby if you don’t have one already. There needs to be a time where you spend time appreciating you. Whether you like to hit the gym, play a sport, or curl up with a great book, there needs to be some you time. No matter what goes on at work, you need to have something to look forward to at the end of the week. Even if it’s just taking a bubble bath or renting your favorite DVD, I guarantee it will make a difference.

About the Author

Scott Brown is the author of the Job Search Handbook (http://www.JobSearchHandbook.com). As editor of the HireSites.com weekly newsletter on job searching, Scott has written many articles on the subject. He wrote the Job Search Handbook to provide job seekers with a complete yet easy to use guide to finding a job effectively.

I recently had an interview where the man asked me What 3 people living or dead would I have dinner with. Honestly I answered the question. From that he stated, “Oh, you’re a democrat”. Then he asked me what books I was reading, one I pointed out was a self help book, he asked “What kind of self help book?” Are these questions legal? - D.A.

Dear D.A.,

I’m not a lawyer so I can’t give legal advice. But my understanding is that those interview questions would not in themselves be illegal. It is not legal to discriminate against someone when making a hiring decision on the basis of their membership in a protected class (such as race, sex, sexual orientation, age, etc.).

It is often difficult to prove such things, especially if it is an isolated incident and just your word against theirs. If you do feel you were discriminated against in an illegal way, you should consult an attorney and/or the EEOC (www.eeoc.gov). The EEOC will usually, at the minimum, let you file a complaint against the company. This way if they start to see an unusually high number of complaints against a particular firm, that may be considered evidence of unfair hiring practices.

All that being said, filing complaints against companies or suing them is not the best way to get offered a job. An interview is a selling situation. When going into an interview situation, it might be helpful for you to think of yourself as an agent for yourself. Remember the HBO show “Arliss”? Or Tom Cruise’s character in “Jerry Maguire”? Jerry Maguire had to endure all sorts of off-color remarks and behavior in his efforts to sell his services. But he just rolled with the punches and kept focused on his goal of closing the sale, always.

The best answer to a personality-oriented question is the answer the interviewer would give themselves. Another option is to challenge or dismiss the question in a funny and/or witty way. This second option works best if you’ve already shown yourself to be a valuable person (such as through your knowledge of the work or industry). Showing the interviewer that you’re in control of the situation and not overwhelmed by their question is often better than answering the question directly. In an interview or personal selling situation, you need to demonstrate two things: personality and value. For many technical positions, employers are willing to sacrifice personality for value. But in positions that require working with other people, demonstrating personality may be equally if not more important.

For example, on the books question, rather than answering the question directly, you might try to engage the interviewer in a conversation using their thought about books as a starting point, but transitioning to something you would prefer talking about. You could start off saying “You know, when I was a kid I loved those Hardy Boys mystery books. I’ve always enjoyed trying to solve mysteries whether they’re in books or in an inefficient supply-chain system. At my last job, I was able to save the company over $10 million by discovering cost inefficiencies that had previously gone unnoticed..”

When you’re in an interview, it’s always best to get as much information as possible before giving any information yourself. You don’t want to come across as evasive. But you have a much better chance of giving answers the person wants to hear if you know something about them, about the job, what they’re looking for, etc.

The best course of action in interviews is to steer clear of topics that could stir up controversy, such as politics and religion. An interview is a selling situation, so you may have to tailor your responses for the occasion.

Here’s another example for people you’d like to have lunch with: mentioning people like Frank Sinatra, Vincent Van Gogh and Leonardo Da Vinci would be better than mentioning people who are living today. Famous people who are currently living tend to be controversial. You’re best off mentioning people who everyone likes or who people tend not to have strong negative feelings about.

About the Author

Scott Brown is the author of the Job Search Handbook (http://www.JobSearchHandbook.com). As editor of the HireSites.com weekly newsletter on job searching, Scott has written many articles on the subject. He wrote the Job Search Handbook to provide job seekers with a complete yet easy to use guide to finding a job effectively.

Personality Tests

Large corporate companies and business houses around the world hire employees by conducting personality tests as it measures skills, abilities, values and interests. These tests determine one’s aptitude for a certain type of career and even mention the right job that suits an individual’s personality. They determine the personality type; whether you are outgoing or reserved, realistic or imaginative, logical or sensitive, organized or spontaneous.

Personality Tests Help:

- Match individuals to career interests - Improve employee communication - Increase team effectiveness and productivity - Reduce workplace conflict - People understand themselves and others

How A Personality Test Works

An informal series of questions is prepared and a team of experts analyzes the test results. They examine different personality aspects to form a personality profile. This profile is then discussed within a group, comprising of a panel of psychology graduates and career advisors. The best career choice is made according to the personality type and a detailed report is declared in front of the candidate.

There are a variety of tests that measure your intelligence and skills and assess your ability to succeed in a career. Some are more complex as compared to others. Some might be free of cost or may charge a nominal fee. The tests range from a five-minute color test to an hour-long complete personality test.

1. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): This is the most important tool that helps to assess a personality type and explore career options. A certain amount of fee is charged for conducting the test. It is fast, secure and confidential.
2. Career Key: This is a free online assessment tool that helps people make the best career choice.
3. Keirsey Temperament Sorter: This tool helps discover what type of temperament you possess and tells if you are an Artisan, Guardian, Rational or Idealist. They also charge a small fee for conducting the test.
4. Princeton Review Career Quiz: A series of questions are answered and accordingly, the best career choice is determined. They estimate your personal interests and usual styles. Registration is necessary for getting the results.
5. Strong Interest Inventory: This tool helps to match your interest with a professional career.

The results of these tests give a fair indication of an individual’s personality and should not be relied on as absolute. The examiners analyze the personality profile based on the answers. Taking a few personality tests can acquaint you with new career options that might not have been considered before.

These instruments help evaluate your personality type and explore new career options. A proper match between your job and your personality plays a major role in ensuring job satisfaction. Personality tests will direct you to a profession that will best compliment your personality.

About the Author

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

This in a way can be a very dangerous assumption and especially for individuals who are desperately seeking some direction in life.

My advice to this is that, even though it may be what you want to hear, you need to be somewhat cautious of your test results.

by Steve Boulden

The truth is, that no matter how glorified and 99.99 percent certified, these tests can be somewhat abstract and generalized. It doesn’t matter how good a test is or how good the developer says it is, career tests, career quizzes, and personality tests are not always the absolute gospel truth.

So here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when taking a career or personality test.

1. No test is 100% accurate. Independent studies have proven that even the most glorified tests can be as much as 25 percent inaccurate.
2. Test results can vary. Yes, even the results from the same test taken by the same person at different times can change. Your mood and frame of mind can influence your test results from day to day and even just one different answer can mean completely different results. It’s so important to give questions a lot of thought and be totally honest with your answers.
3. Take more than one test. Since no test is completely accurate and results can vary, it is so important to take more than one test. In this way you can compare results to get an accurate assessment of matching results. You’ll be able to eliminate mistakes by averaging matching results.
4. Not the end result. Always remember that career testing is only the beginning of your career planning process. It’s not the end result. You simply now have something to work with.
5. Be true to yourself. Give your results some serious thought. Do some deep soul searching and trust your intuition. You’ll know if the results are totally wrong for you. If you’re reading one thing and it doesn’t feel right, don’t go running off in the wrong direction just because the test results “said so”. If you still don’t get it, you may need to seek additional advice from a career coach or career counselor. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. And I honestly recommend that you do so.

About the Author

Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of Z career.com which offers free career test reviews, career resources, articles, and information. For more career test reviews and resources, visit his site at www.zcareer.com/

You attitude towards life and society in general is based on some values. Your values automatically are reflected in the way you present yourself to others. This forms an important aspect of your personal growth. When you as an individual contribute more towards your society and community, inspire others through your learning and values, admire beauty and stay connected, you already achieve a different position for yourself, a position, which is unique, and a position that contributes to your emotional, mental and personal growth.

We always, as individuals, set some priorities and goals for ourselves. We lead our lives based on these priorities. However, it is very necessary that these goal oriented priorities do not off sync with our values and ideas. Try not to pursue goals for the sake of pursuing it. This stagnates your personal growth. Therefore, it is always better to write down your goals, which you yourself can identify with and match it up with your values that define your true self. By focusing yourself to a particular set of goals, you can really motivate yourself to achieve what you want in life. It allows you to stay focused, clear in life, and identify your true self in the pursuit of personal growth.

Experiment with Life: Achieving your goals require commitment and a desire to work on those goals and spend time on them. Change can only take place when you are prepared to undertake certain risks and experiment with different aspects of life. This really shapes and contributes to one’s personal growth. Experimenting with one’s life is very important as it helps you in discovering many facets of life and simultaneously designs your life according to these experiences.

Remove the roadblocks that come on your way when you are designing your life according to your values and goals. Often people are unaware or unable in identifying and removing these blocks. They seek the help of a Personal Coach who helps them in exploring their opportunities, outside perspective and the possibilities of achieving their goal. They guide you through the necessary tools and structures that leave a profound and ever lasting impact on your life. In the long-term, you would reach the higher echelons of your personal growth.

Abouy the Author 

Terence Young - For more personal growth articles visit: http://www.personalgrowthunlimited.com

Think, for instance, about a carpenter versus a counselor. A carpenter works with concrete objects, according to specified procedures, and has a tangible result. A counselor works with people and their feelings; she has to judge success and the results of her work based on abstract concepts. Which of these sounds more appealing to you? Do you have a strong preference for one or the other?

Now, imagine if you had to make your less-preferred choice your career, and you will get an idea of the impact that your personality has on your job satisfaction. There is quite a bit of variation in how people think and process information, what they see as important, and how they make decisions. All of this variation can affect how happy or unhappy someone is in a work environment. Each one of us has different criteria for what a great job is, and to find your own perfect career, it is crucial to identify what is important to you.

The first step is to figure out your personality type. The most common personality test used for career counseling is called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This personality test measures four facets of personality:

• Extroverted/Introverted–Do you get your energy from being with people, or being alone?
• Sensing/Intuition–Do you see what’s actual, or what’s possible?
• Thinking/Feeling–Do you make decisions with your head or your heart?
• Judging/Perceiving–Do you like to make decisions, or keep your options open?

There are many ways to find out what your personality type is. Some people prefer to read about the types and choose what seems to fit best. There are also free quizzes on the internet based on the principles of the Myers-Briggs that can give you an idea of where you may fit.

However, if you are serious about finding out what type you are, the most reliable and accurate method is to take the official Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This is a scientifically validated instrument that will identify where you fall in each of the categories. This assessment can only be administered by someone trained in its application, and must include a consultation with a trained coach or consultant according to its licensing guidelines. You can take the personality tests through a career counselor in your area, or online. If you take it online, you will typically get the results the same day, and you can usually request a special report that will go into detail about what is important to look for in a career.

Once you have figured out your personality type, you will want to look at the careers you are considering and evaluate whether they fit what’s important to you. Some questions to ask yourself:

• How much time will I spend interacting with people? Will it be too much/too little?
• To what extent will I be expected to follow standard procedures? Will I feel restricted by too much structure? Will I feel frustrated by too little?
• Will this job require me to use logic and reason things out? Will it require me to use compassion and consider how decisions will make people feel? Am I comfortable with the extent to which I will have to act based on thinking or feeling?
• How much latitude will this job give me to make my own schedule? Is it too little? Too much?

It’s important to be realistic about what a job entails, and to ask as many questions as possible about prospective jobs so that you can evaluate how well they’ll fit you. As you learn more about yourself, you will become more able to judge which jobs will bring you satisfaction.

About the Author

Molly Owens holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Psychology. She has a background in counseling, education, and the corporate workplace, and a passion for helping people discover the careers that will bring them lasting satisfaction. For information and consultation on career tests, including the Myers-Briggs, go to http://www.PersonalityDesk.com.

by Molly Owens

Now, imagine if you had to make your less-preferred choice your career, and you will get an idea of the impact that your personality has on your job satisfaction. There is quite a bit of variation in how people think and process information, what they see as important, and how they make decisions. All of this variation can affect how happy or unhappy someone is in a work environment. Each one of us has different criteria for what a great job is, and to find your own perfect career, it is crucial to identify what is important to you.

The first step is to figure out your personality type. The most common personality test used for career counseling is called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This personality test measures four facets of personality:

* Extroverted/Introverted–Do you get your energy from being with people, or being alone?
* Sensing/Intuition–Do you see what’s actual, or what’s possible?
* Thinking/Feeling–Do you make decisions with your head or your heart?
* Judging/Perceiving–Do you like to make decisions, or keep your options open?
There are many ways to find out what your personality type is. Some people prefer to read about the types and choose what seems to fit best. There are also free quizzes on the internet based on the principles of the Myers-Briggs that can give you an idea of where you may fit.

However, if you are serious about finding out what type you are, the most reliable and accurate method is to take the official Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This is a scientifically validated instrument that will identify where you fall in each of the categories. This assessment can only be administered by someone trained in its application, and must include a consultation with a trained coach or consultant according to its licensing guidelines. You can take the personality tests through a career counselor in your area, or online. If you take it online, you will typically get the results the same day, and you can usually request a special report that will go into detail about what is important to look for in a career.

Once you have figured out your personality type, you will want to look at the careers you are considering and evaluate whether they fit what’s important to you. Some questions to ask yourself:

* How much time will I spend interacting with people? Will it be too much/too little?
* To what extent will I be expected to follow standard procedures? Will I feel restricted by too much structure? Will I feel frustrated by too little?
* Will this job require me to use logic and reason things out? Will it require me to use compassion and consider how decisions will make people feel? Am I comfortable with the extent to which I will have to act based on thinking or feeling?
* How much latitude will this job give me to make my own schedule? Is it too little? Too much?
It’s important to be realistic about what a job entails, and to ask as many questions as possible about prospective jobs so that you can evaluate how well they’ll fit you. As you learn more about yourself, you will become more able to judge which jobs will bring you satisfaction.
About the Author

Molly Owens holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Psychology. She has a background in counseling, education, and the corporate workplace, and a passion for helping people discover the careers that will bring them lasting satisfaction. For information and consultation on career tests, including the Myers-Briggs, go to http://www.PersonalityDesk.com.

What is Behavior Based Interviewing? Behavior-based interviewing focuses on your past experiences, behaviors, attitudes, personal skills and capacities that are job-related. It is based on the belief that past behavior and performance predicts future behavior and performance. You may use work experience, outsides activities, hobbies, volunteer work, school projects, family life as examples of your past behavior. However we suggest to focus on job related performance as much as possible.

by Jennifer Selland

Behavioral Interviewing Questions. This is the key to matching behavioral interviewing questions with specific soft sills or competencies. Below is a short list of 22 competencies with their definitions, suggestions for effective interviewing hints and a sample question for each.

1. Conflict Management: Addressing and resolving conflict constructively.

*Listen for proactive identification and resolution of concerns and issues. *Sample question: “Describe the most difficult conflict you’ve ever had to manage.”

2. Employee Development/Coaching: Facilitating and supporting the professional growth of others.

*Listen for a belief in the potential of others and promoting of learning and development. *Sample question: “Describe your personal experience with a mentor or coach.”

3. Interpersonal Skills: Effectively communicating, building rapport and relating well to all kinds of people.

*Listen for self-awareness, understanding and an ability to communicate effectively with others regardless of differences. *Sample question: “Describe the most difficult working relationship you’ve had with an individual.”

4. Teamwork: Working effectively and productively with other.

*Listen for a strong commitment and contributions to team members working towards a specific goal. *Sample question: “Give me an example of one of the most significant contributions you made as a member of a high performing team.”

5. Self-Management: Demonstrating self-control and an ability to manage time and priorities.

*Listen for composure, assertiveness and emotional stability. *Sample question: “Give me an example of when you were able to meet the personal and professional demands in your life, yet still maintained a healthy balance.”

6. Empathy: Identifying with and caring about others.

*Listen for genuine caring, compassion and initiative in assisting others without expectations of rewards. *Sample question: “Give me an example of when you identified with someone else’s difficulties at work.”

7. Planning/Organizing: Utilizing logical, systematic and orderly procedures to meet objectives.

*Listen for logical, organized and systematic approaches. *Sample question: ” Describe the most complex assignment or project you’ve worked on.”

8. Customer Service: Anticipating, meeting and/or exceeding customer needs, wants and expectations.

*Listen for extraordinary efforts in responding to customer needs and wants to insure satisfaction. *Sample question: ” Give me an example of when you went out of your way for a customer.”

9. Written Communication: Writing clearly, succinctly and understandably.

Look for clear and understandable knowledge or written communication. Sample question: “Give me an example of something you wrote for work that was effective in achieving a communication goal.”

10. Presenting: Speaking effectively to small and large groups.

*Listen for awareness, accuracy and composure. *Sample question: ” Describe a situation when you had to give a presentation to a group of people you have never met.”

11. Persuasion: Convincing others to change the way they think, believe or behave.

*Listen for persistence, determination and a “never-give-up” attitude in efforts to meet goals. *Sample question: “Describe a situation where you were able to convince others to your way of thinking.”

12. Goal Orientation: Energetically focusing efforts on meeting a goal, mission or objective.

*Listen for the ability to maintain their direction in spite of obstacles in their path. *Sample question: “Give me an example of the most significant professional goal you have met.”

13. Flexibility: Agility in adapting to change.

*Listen for a positive attitude towards lots of activity, multi-tasking and change, in general. *Sample question: “Give me an example of when you were forced to change priorities or direction.”

14.Continuous Learning: Taking initiative in learning and implementing new concepts, technologies and/or methods.

*Listen for a positive attitude towards self-improvement, learning and the application of knowledge. *Sample question: “How do you keep current on what’s going on in your field?”

15. Personal Effectiveness: Demonstrating initiative, self-confidence, resiliency and a willingness to take responsibility for personal actions.

*Listen for a strong sense of self, personal responsibility, courage and resilience. *Sample question: “What do you think has enabled you to meet your goals?”

16. Problem Solving: Anticipating, analyzing, diagnosing and resolving problems.

*Listen for an analytical and disciplined approach to solving problems. *Sample question: “Describe a situation when you anticipated a problem.”

17. Negotiation: Facilitating agreements between two or more parties.

*Listen for seasoned expertise in negotiating “win-win” agreements. *Sample question: “Give me an example of when you were able to facilitate a “win-win” agreement between two or more adversarial parties.”

18. Management: Achieving extraordinary results through effective management of resources, systems and processes.

*Listen for shrewd business sense, understanding of operational issues and an ability to improve the bottom line. *Sample question: “Describe the largest budget you’ve ever developed and had responsibility for managing.”

19. Leadership: Achieving extraordinary business results through people.

*Listen for an ability to obtain the trust, commitment and motivation of others to achieve goals and objectives. *Sample question: “If you have held a leadership position in the past, draw the organizational chart above and below your position to illustrate the scope of your leadership responsibilities.”

20. Decision Making: Utilizing effective processes to make decisions.

*Listen for an ability to make timely decisions under difficult circumstances. *Sample question: “Give me an example of when you had to make a quick decision when the risk of making an error was high.”

21. Futuristic Thinking: Imagining, envisioning, projecting and/or predicting what has not yet been realized.

*Listen for optimism, predictions and a commitment to future possibilities. *Sample question: “Describe a situation when you were correct in seeing a future trend that others didn’t.”

22. Creativity/Innovation: Adapting traditional or devising new approaches, concepts, methods, models, designs, processes, technologies, and/or systems.

*Listen for “out-of-the-box” thinking and unusual approaches. *Sample question: ” Describe a work situation when you adapted a concept, design, process or system to meet a need.”

Be sure to probe for as many details and specifics as possible such as names, dates and other verifiable information. Skilled interviewers will also ask candidates for their thoughts or feelings about a situation to gain further insight.

How Can I Prepare for A Behavioral Interview? *Be familiar with the type of positions for which you’re applying. *Reflect on your own background. What skills do you have that relate to the job you are applying for? *Think of examples from your past experience where you demonstrated those skills. How can you give an example about your use of particular skills or knowledge? *Be prepared to provide examples of when results didn’t turn out as you planned. What did you do then? In hindsight, what would you do differently? *Identify two or three of your strengths and determine how you will convey these assets during the interview. *Once you land your desired position, keep a personal achievement diary to help document demonstrated performance.

How Do I Prepare For a Behavioral Interview If I Am The Interviewer or Company Hiring?

*If the job could talk; what would it say? About: oThe behaviors of the person who will always be able to deliver superior performance? oThe attitudes of the people doing the job? oThe attributes or soft skills needed for superior performance?

*Job Benchmarking with a system such as Trimetrix, reveals why, how and what an individual can contribute to a job.

*It identifies a complete hierarchy of competencies or personal skills. It allows you to clarify any position issues. It prioritizes and validates the competencies required.

*This can be done for any: oLeadership/Management Exempt position oProfessional Exempt position oHourly non-exempt position

*Anytime you need an unbiased opinion about whether someone is right or wrong for the job, the computer will analyze the input of up to ten respondents to identify the importance of the 23 soft skills competencies.

*Where can you do this…through the Internet! Have up to ten respondents identify the importance of the 23 soft skills competencies and then see how your candidate matches up. For more information about the Trimetrix Process or how to benchmark a job, please feel free to call Well-Run Concepts at 877-566-2900, email us at Success@Well-Run.com or visit us on the Web at www.Well-Run.com

The premise behind behavioral interviewing is that the most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in similar situations. Behavioral interviewing, in fact, is said to be 55 percent predictive of future on-the-job behavior, while traditional interviewing is only ten percent predictive.

Good luck with the process of Behavioral Interviewing and Well-Run Concepts encourages you to use the Behavioral Interviewing questions provided in this article to get you started.

About the Author

Jennifer Selland is the Founder and President of Well-Run Concepts, a Human Resource Consulting Firm based in Ocala, Florida, founded in 1997, whose mission is to Help Organizations Define and Develop Top Talent. Jennifer has over 15 years of Human Resource Management and Executive Operational hotel experience.