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Want to get ahead at work Be happy.

Want to get ahead at work Be happy.Want to get ahead at work Be happy.Im elend an inherently positive and optimistic person. Im also kind of proud of that. I love the part of me thats sarcastic and dark. I like that my snarky comments make people laugh. I also believe maintaining a healthy amount of cynicism is what makes me feel intellectually superior. Ignorance is bliss, after all. But I do (begrudgingly) realize there are concrete ways that being happy at work can get you ahead. A study in the Journal of Personal Psychology noted that positive emotions actually help you get stronger when you face a major challenge being able to move on despite negative stressors does not demonstrate luck on the part of those successful individuals but demonstrates a concept known as resilience resilient individuals have optimistic, zestful, and energetic approaches to life, are curious and open to new experiences, and are characterized by high positive emotionality. So positivity is a good thing. Lets look at why.Being happy gives you a competitive edge. When faced with a problem, optimistic people binnensee lots of possibilities. Positive thinking helps you see choices and outcomes that negative people dont, because theyre too focused on the limitations. Tom Brady, the man of the moment with five solid Super Bowl wins, prides himself on staying positive. I dont get caught up in negativity and bashing other people and Im very blessed. I get to do something I love to do, he answered when asked about a scandal affecting his team. Bradys favorite book is a self-help classic, The Four Agreements, whose author Miguel Ruiz has said, we must forgive those that have wronged us, not bc they deserve to be forgiven, but bc we dont want to keep paying for the injustice. When you absorb negativity, you keep paying for those injustices - and that slows you down. Being happy helps you stand out from the disgruntled crowd.Lets face it. A lot of workers in a lot of offices are not happy ab out being there. They complain, they whine, they talk about everything that they dont like. Their sour expressions and everything fails outlooks arent unique - theyre all too common. It takes vision to see that, even if things are broken, they can be fixed and they can improve. If you can cultivate that vision, youll reap a lot of recognition and maybe even some financial rewards.Being happy provides some job security.Well-liked people tend to go further in companies and life in general. As Harrison Barnes wrote in the Harvard Business Review, being well-liked in a work environment is an important thing in any job. If you are not liked by your peers, your superiors may think clients will not like you either. If superiors do not like you, you will not get a lot of work. If you are isolated from others within your organization, it is far easier to let you go in times of economic uncertainty. You need to always be in a position where others want to do you a favor and help you out. Lik eability and positivity usually go together. Again, its all too common to see the downsides of work and be blind to the upsides. I saw this in my own life. When I was in college and waiting tables for a living, I got fired because my personality didnt have enough flair. Remember Jennifer Aniston in Office Space? Yep, that was me. When it comes to cuts and layoffs, Debbie Downer is definitely the first to go. Being happy pays.Its true. According to an economist in Australia who conducted a study, a person who is completely satisfied with life earns $1,766.7 more than one who is completely unsatisfied with life. So money still cant buy happiness, but happiness can make you money. Being happy even when you arent.Right now, I have a job I want to get up and go to, its a great company and a really fun distributions-mix to work. Im a naturally positive person at work, but if I had a different job that I didnt like as much, what would I do? Quit? Thats one idea. But heres another, more int eresting one. I can rewire my brain to be happy. Because I have superpowers? No, silly. Because I watched a TED Talk on the subject.According to Shawn Achor, the worlds leading positive psychology expert (yes, thats a thing) and the most popular teacher at Harvard, this is totally possible. Heres how it works. You write down three new things that youre grateful for 21 days in a row. Journaling about a positive experience you had during the past 24 hours allows your brain to relive it. And after three weeks of this, you start to retain a pattern of scanning the world for the positive, rather than the negative. Not only does this sound really cool, it sounds kind of fun, right? I guess thats the point.

Tips for Getting a Job When Youre Pregnant

Tips for Getting a Job When Youre PregnantTips for Getting a Job When Youre PregnantBeing pregnant can be hard. Job searching can be, too. Combining the two makes for a uniquely challenging task. A pregnant job hunter may wonder if she should share the news with bewerberinterviewers- and when. Simple tasks like finding an appropriateinterview outfitcan require hours instead of minutes, and meeting times may need to be coordinated around pregnancy symptoms. Tips for Getting a Job When Youre Pregnant Still, while it may require adjustments, being pregnant should not stand in the way of a job search. If youre expecting, and either want or need a new job, heres what you need to know about successfully job searching while youre pregnant. Your Rights as a Pregnant Job Seeker Can companies choose to avoid hiring pregnant women? Put simply No. They arent supposed to. Legally, thePregnancy Discrimination Act(PDA) prohibits employers from discriminating based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. But whats legally correct, and what occurs in practice, do not always match up. For instance,chances are youve been asked at leastone of ansicht illegal questions during an interview. So, its hard not to suspect that some employers would- without saying a word- opt to avoid hiring a pregnant candidate because of conscious or unconscious bias. That can be especially true when your pregnancy is noticeable. One right you dont have as a newly hired person coverage under theFamily and Medical Leave Act(FMLA). Among other things, this act guarantees eligible employees the right to retain their position after going on maternity leave. The key word there is eligible to be covered under FMLA, the company must beof a certain size and the employee must have worked there for at least 12 months. If youre pregnant while interviewing, you are not covered under the FMLA. However, many companies have generous family-leave policies that go beyond the legal requirements. If youre pregnant (even if you get health insurance through a spouse) its particularly important to askquestions about the benefits package, including the companysmaternity leave policy, short-term disability coverage, health insurance options, etc. This way, youll be informed about what coverage you can expect while youre pregnant and beyond. You Can Choose to Tell Potential Employers Youre Pregnant- Or Not Should you tell potential employers youre expecting? The answer to this question is... it depends. While theres no legal requirement for you to tell employers youre pregnant, other factors may convince you to share regardless. As well as whether ornotyou should share, consider when to share the news. You dont want to explain yourself out of a job offer if the employer would hesitate about making one once they know youre pregnant. Here are some considerations to keep in mind if youre debating whether or not- and when- to disclose your pregnancy How far along are you?If youre interviewing in your third trimester, it makes sense to mention your pregnancy proactively,before (or during) anyin-person interviews, since hiding your bump wont be possible. In earlier trimesters, however, you can dress to obscure your pregnancy. And, if youre very early on, you may not even be sharing the news with close friends and family, so youcertainly wouldnt want to tell an interviewer youd just met. Will it make a difference in the hiring decision?If you need a job and suspect that revealing your pregnancy will influence the hiring manager, avoid mentioning it during interviews. However, do consider what that says about the company and hiring manager. That brings us to the next question... Will not sharing cause a trust issue with your future employer?A company that wont hire you while youre pregnant may not be afamily-friendly place to work. Keep that in mind. If, however,the job isnt doable while pregnant (for instance, if travel by plane is a weekly requirement), its b est to mention your pregnancy during the interview. That way you can see whether the company can make accommodations. Otherwise, when you share the news after accepting the job, your manager may feel betrayed and you could wind up with a strained relationship. Make Accommodations for Your Pregnancy During Interviews Perhaps you have morning sickness that strikes daily at 11 a.m. Or youre hit with a wave of fatigue every afternoon. Maybe you need to pee more frequently than ever before. All of behauptung things- as well as the changing shape of your body- are something to keep in mind while scheduling and preparing for interviews. Make sure yourinterview outfitstill fits properly (and get a new one if necessary). Also,tryto schedule interviews for the time of day when you feel most alert and unaffected by pregnancy symptoms. When to Share the News If you choose to disclose your pregnancy during an interview (or if its not really an option to keep it a secret), be prepared Dis cuss your plans formaternity leaveand transitioning back to work and how you will prepare coworkers for your leave.Keep the employers perspective in mind- theyre likely to be concerned about two things. First, that your leave will be disruptive at work. Second, that you will not return to work after your maternity leave. You can offer reassurances about both these concerns. But dont let your pregnancy dominate the conversation Be professional and keep the interview focused on your skills, experience, and how youll be an asset to the company. If your plan is to be with the company for years and years, your leave time will be just a blip compared to your total tenure at the company, and thevalueofyour contributions. If you do not disclose your pregnancy during an interview, its a good idea to share the news after the company makes an offer. (Note If you are early in your pregnancy, feel free to hold off.) Having a job offer opens the door tonegotiations- now is the time to ask for lea ve and any other accommodations. And remember, the company made you an offer because theyre eagerforyou to come on board. Telling your employer at this point also allows them to plan ahead so that any leave time you take is not disruptive to operations. Doyouhave more questions? Heresinformation on pregnancy and employmentfor both job seekers and employees, including the scoop on family leave, disability, and discrimination issues.