The world of modern men. » Business & Career

11 Ways To Get Fired From Your Job.

Vincent — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:08:14 +0000

We’ve wrote about the mistakes you must avoid when writing your resume cover letter and we also wrote an article with great tips for your salary negotiation. So you got the job but now you’ve probably need some tips on how to keep your job. I got fired not so long ago because I was working on my blogs too much; this is now why I can make a living as a problogger. I’m glad my boss fired me. As a matter of fact it was probably the best thing happening to me in 2007. LOL

If you want to get fired or not, you better watch out and be careful. Here are 11 ways that can get you fired.

Be honest with your job interview letters.

To start off with number 1; you should have been honest with writing your resume and job interview letter. There’s a big change your boss will check your references and this can lose you your job before you even have it.

Start a relationship with your boss.

Nice for the gossips at the coffee machine but the office fling can end in an immediate loss of your job. And trust me it’s; always you and not your boss who will be kicked out.

Make lots of private calls.

Spending too much time on private things often result on spending all your time on private things.

Watch out with Gossiping.

You never know who is listing along. Not only it can cost you the trust from other but it can also cost you your job.

Be careful with your job hunting.

Don’t send job interview letter from your office computer but use the computer at home. There is a really big change that you are being watched. Don’t mention anything about it your IM and e-mails.

Drunk during office hours.

One of the quickest ways to get fired is probably to get drunk during lunch. If you are out to lunch with that big important customer it isn’t wrong to take a glass of wine to celebrate the new contract but don’t overdo it.

Blame others for your mistakes.

Take responsibility for your actions and admit your mistakes. Don’t try to muffle them away and don’t put the blame on others. The truth will bite you in the ass and no one trusts a liar.

Don’t forget to check your work.

Especially when it comes to numbers, being careful is of upmost importance. A wrong placed 0 can cost your company several millions and it can cost you your job. Be careful!!

Browsing the web.

If you are online to much you’ll be without a job pretty fast. And stay away from porn sites, your boss can be watching don’t forget that. Just let the porn be… till you get at home…

Isolate yourself from your colleagues.

If you want to make something of your work you need to corporate with your colleagues and you also need the goodwill of your colleagues. If you are on a island by yourself your worth “nothing”.

Don’t become a (pro)blogger.

This is what happened to me: I didn’t like my job anymore because I wanted to be a full time blogger. I was reading other blogs like problogger, I was calling with advertisers and testing and building things on my blog. This influenced my performance a lot as you can understand. The other mayor reason was that I couldn’t get along with my boss and some of my colleagues because they where complete morons. Me working on my blogs was for them the ideal reason for me to be kicked out. And guys, I want to say it again; be careful with your e-mail, IM and surf history. They had tracked everything I did and the weeks prior to me being fired.

Anyway this is all in the past now, I’m glad that I’m fired, it resulted for me in lots of great opportunities.

I hope you put this list in action whether you want to get fired or not;).

Lying During Your Job Interview Pays Off.

Vincent — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:34:14 +0000

Lying during a job interview; did you guys ever do it? Although it is seen by most managers as unethical it proved beneficial for most applicants. However during a Dutch World-Wide research it seemed that not all managers think it’s unethical. In this research one out of ten managers admitted ever have lied during a job interview.

This lying is always about two things. The first is the job experience. It seems that most of us are apparently insecure about this and the second is the height of our salary. Which is of course the oldest trick in the book for raising your salary without asking for it?

The consequences can be firm, especially when you are a manager in a top position. During the first internet hype many managers were assigned without being checked before they were actually enrolled. Ken Lonchar; the cfo of Veritas Software was forced to quit when it became public that he had lied about the completion of his Stanford MBA. The value of the company’s stock reduced with 16%.

The majority of all managers are honest during their interviews. On the other side; the applicants see this different. It seems that 73 percent of the managers had run into lying applicants or at least several that twisted the truth. And even 10 Percent of the managers have seen this quite frequently.

It seems that 7 percent of the managers think it’s unnecessary to check the resumes. Of all the managers that do see its importance the halve think it’s a job of P & O.

When I wasn’t a problogger and was still working as a manager in the corporate live I encountered it several times that applicants where lying. We found this when we’ve checked the resumes. I can say that I personally lied with every job interview that I had. I always told my possible future employee that I was earning more than I actually did.

Did you ever lie, and did it pay off?? It did for me.

Salary Negotiation Taboo #1

Vincent — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:25:24 +0000

A colleague of mine was asking me about how to approach a potential new employer about their salary expectations, and the timing of the conversation. They were worried it might set the wrong impression or give the employer a negotiating edge if they discussed the salary too soon. My rule of thumb is to never lie to any employer about your salary history or salary expectations, but to avoid the discussion until you have nearly gotten the job.

In the past, I have been in the same situation, and have been pressured for a response to the tough questions on salary. My approach has been as follows.

1) My first response would be to try to defer the topic until later. Because we haven't really gotten through the responsibilities of the job, nor the contributions I can make in the new position. The new job is somewhat different from the past job because the company's market, product or industry are somewhat different than the past companies. Therefore the past salary history is not all that applicable. I would prefer to be paid in accordance with the market and the company's hiring practices.

2) I have been pressed for an answer several times, and my response is to first try to push it until later in the meeting. I explain that while it is important to me, it is not the most important factor. I would rather ensure that both the employer and I are happy with one another, and that the job lines up with my experience and that my contributions and the company's salary line up within both a fair market value and within the company guidelines. There are many factors beyond just cash that need to be discussed before we can address the salary bottom line.

3) While you may feel you are a high performer, you also may be somewhere above average but not commanding the highest pay. Know the salary range for the job you are applying to, but be realistic when setting your percentile level for your salary expectation. The majority of people are between the 25% and 75% level. Remember that the employer will confirm your performance level with your past employers at reference checking time.

4) Even if you had been making a lower than average salary before, possibly even well below the average for that job in that market, you should expect to be paid within that fair market range when you go to your next career opportunity. You may have one of many reasons for accepting a job at a lower salary than at your previous job. It doesn't explain your value to the new company. The end analysis is that your value to the market is what the market is currently defining as the salary range for your talent, your level of performance and experience in the industry.

5) Suppose you do reveal your past salary due to the pressure. It is important to do so under the caveat that you expect to be paid fairly, and that you don't feel that the information you are bout to give is all that pertinent. You need to paid an honest salary for your honest work. Just remember to be clear and firm about your expectations, all the while maintaining a level of respect and rapport.

Never lie to a prospective employer. This is cardinal rule number one. The new company will find out facts and do their legwork to assess your history and past performance. You need to clearly communicate the value you bring and that your past salary history whether high or low is not too pertinent to the new job. You need to be met with fairness in the recruiting process, and that your value proposition is clear and well expressed.

Earn Extra Cash With Forex Trading – Is It Possible?

Vincent — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 21:18:58 +0000

by Steve Halladay

If you’re reading this article, then you’ve probably already started dabbling in forex trading, or you’re thinking about starting. No matter which category you fall into, this article has some information that could help you.

First off, let’s quickly touch on what forex trading is. It is the trading of currencies in order to make a profit. In order to make money you need to be able to accurately predict fluctuations in various currencies in order to know when to buy and when to sell. It’s a lot of fun, but it also be a big challenge to learn how to trade successfully!

There’s a lot of information available in bookstores and online that can tell you a lot about forex trading, but there’s so much that it can be easy to get overloaded. It’s possible to spend months or even years reading about all the different strategies that have worked for other people. Unfortunately, working strategies are changing constantly with the markets. that means that something you read about today could be extremely out of date. That makes it hard to keep up with the latest strategies.

If you’re not looking to make this a full-time career, you are best to let someone else do the work for you. It’s not hard to make a good-sized second income with forex trading if you go about it the right way. Your best bet is to trust the experts and seek out their knowledge on the markets.

The easiest way to do this is to use what is known as a "forex robot". This is a piece of computer software that automatically collects market data in realtime. It has been programmed by top trading professionals in order to be able to spot signals and identify profitable trades. As an example, it can identify when to purchase the Japanese Yen and then when to sell it in order to capture a profit.

A lot of people are skeptical at first, and for good reason. After all, you are putting your trust into a computer program. However, there are a number of proven softwares that have incredible track records. The key is to look for a couple of specific features when making a purchase.

First, don’t believe that just because a program is expensive, it’s definitely better. There are programs out there that cost thousands of dollars and just don’t work, and there are reliable pieces of software that cost only around a hundred dollars, but are guaranteed to make you a profit.

Remember to look for a money back guarantee, too. Programs that work should mean the sellers are willing to guarantee them. Longer guarantees are better – look for a minimum of thirty days.

The program should offer a demo account, too. Those will allow you to see how things work without investing real money. This lets you get used to the program and the methods of trading. Once you see how the simulation works, you can begin using real money.

Forex trading is a great way to earn some extra cash, just make sure that you go about it the right way! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send us a question. All the best!

About the Author:

Click Here to discover more about making money by trading forex. You can discover to trade forex and look at reviews about forex programs and software.

Can I Make Money Filling Out Surveys? The Truth Revealed (Shhh!)

Steve Halladay — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:55:19 +0000

With the internet continuing to grow and reach more and more households, it's no surprise that many people have started online businesses in order to earn extra cash. Today we wanted to look at a business opportunity that we have received several emails about – completing online surveys for cash.

There's a good chance that you have completed a marketing research survey before. Perhaps you did one over the phone or filled one out at a shopping mall. Companies spend a lot of money on these surveys in order to conduct marketing research to help them make business decisions.

Many businesses have decided to get answers for their marketing research online. They realize how many people are looking for ways to make a little extra money by filling out their surveys.

There are many companies that will pay cash to you for answering their surveys. It is much cheaper for them to do this than hire a team to set up other ways to conduct surveys.

Many people are doubtful that they can actually make any money filling out surveys.

Many people have already started making a decent amount of money just for doing these surveys. Not all online surveys pay the same. There are some survey participants who say they are earning as much as $150 an hour doing this. The average pay for doing surveys is around ten to seventy five dollars for each survey you complete.

If you are interested in getting started, you will want to join a "survey network" that will give you access to thousands of different survey opportunities. There are some free ones you can join, but the big downside is that almost all of the surveys will simply give you an entry into some kind of "sweepstake" instead of paying you cash for your efforts.

If you join a paid survey network however you will have no problem finding surveys to do, and they pay you well to do them! The only investment you will ever have to make is a one-time membership fee of around $35. This is how you get into making good money with surveys.

Look for a network that offers a moneyback guarantee. This way you can rest assured that if you aren't happy for any reason, you can get your money back. The good ones will have no problem offering you this since they know their service actually works.

You can make a good part time income filling out online marketing surveys. If you apply yourself, you can easily make over $1000 a month for only a small investment.

Good luck! We will be happy to answer any questions you have!

About the Author:

Click Here to learn how to begin taking online surveys for money. It's an exciting way to earn extra money directly from your computer to help you reach your dreams faster!

My Review of WhiteSmoke Writing and WhiteSmoke Translator

Vincent — Tue, 20 May 2008 07:03:49 +0000

I wrote on one of my other blogs a Whitesmoke review of the latest Whitesmoke version. This review here on The World of Modern Men is from when I just bought the software in 2008.

Of course you understand that I as a blogger write a lot! But since I’m Dutch and all my blogs are in the English language I have been looking for possibilities to check my grammar. My intention was to download several software trails, test a while and then purchase a copy.

One of the first reviews I stumbled on was of the software called WhiteSmoke Writing Software. I was reading several reviews and most of the reviewers liked Whitesmoke but they didn’t sounds too excited. There was only was solution and that was that I needed to download WhiteSmoke and give it a try myself. I thought I couldn’t loose and if I would decide that I wanted to return it after all then I could because of the satisfactory guarantee.

What is the WhiteSmoke Translator Software exactly?

“The All-in-One writing software”, “The All-in-One solution to help you write better, right now!” and “The Business Writing Version is the perfect choice for the office”. If I read this WhiteSmoke should be the perfect gift from heaven for my blogs and e-book, Hmm. However, when you look a bit further you’ll also see some very remarkable WhiteSmoke Reviews by MSN, Softpedia, The Jerusalem Post and many many others. So I, the skeptical gave the software a try.

Using WhiteSmoke Writing Software for my posts and e-book.

WhiteSmoke writing software is designed to help people improve their English or tailor their text to a specific style like legal, medical, business, creative or simply for fulfilling your daily general writing needs.

After I downloaded the software a short installation followed. Whitesmoke Translator integrates with most text-based software running on your PC, including Word, Outlook and Messenger, allowing you to check and correct your text at the click of a button.

The interface works pretty much the same way as Microsoft Office’s spelling and grammar tools only more comprehensive. You can activate the interface via the key F2 and by hitting the F2 key you’ll immediately notice my only frustration about WhiteSmoke. When you activate the application via F2 you’ll disable the text application that you have running until you tell it to either accept or cancel the proposed changes.

All the reviews that I’ve been reading about WhiteSmoke tell me that the program is ideal for students that need to work on their English. That it is ideal for business use whether it is for writing letters, books, e-mails and even that it is great for MSN use.

My opinion about this; I can fully understand why the NBC testimonial says that "WhiteSmoke is unequaled in its field." and that CNN Business 2.0 magazine says that WhiteSmoke is "Ranked #5 in the Top 31 Business Ideas in the World.".

If you really want to improve your writing skills and communications then you should absolutely buy WhiteSmoke Translator and give it a try. WhiteSmoke all-in-one writing software is absolutely worth his price. You can download WhiteSmoke here.

Office in a Box; Just Pretend You’re Busy.

Vincent — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:16:16 +0000

Imagine this; you just started your own company on your attic and a potential customer rings you and exactly on that moment the baby starts crying. Or your wife shouts you that the washing machine doesn’t work. This is far from professional and it can crumble your credibility.

This scenario belongs now to the past. Today you’ll simply play a cd with the sounds of a large office.

Thriving Office is the name of the CD with sounds of voices, keyboard sounds, ringing phones and much more. You can choose from two tracks: busy and very busy.

The idea is so simple that it’s almost is brilliant. Prominent newspapers and illustrated magazines are all talking about it. Even papers like the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, USA Today and even the Harvard business school.

I can’t tell you if this is the correct way to go but the reviews are all very positive. If you’re interested you can buy Thriving Office here.

The Dumbest Mistakes in the 2007 Corporate World.

Vincent — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:46:18 +0000

It’s almost 2008 and it’s time for Fortune to create their already famous list with the 101 dumbest moments in business. I’m not copy-pasting the whole list here but if you want to view the whole list than you can do that here.

I do want to highlight 3 of them here on the World of Modern Men which were pretty amazing.

At number 8 there is KFC/Taco Bell with their rat videos.

Multiple video’s appeared on You-Tube with rats who are taking over KFC/Taco Bell. These videos where viewed more than a million times and where world news.

Free advertising via You Tube is great but gents of KFC/Taco Bell; you could have done this better!!

We are staying in the fast food corner but now with McDonald's on number 67.

Quote

McDonald's launches a "word battle" against the Oxford English Dictionary to amend the definition of McJobs, which the OED currently describes as an "unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects." The goal, according to a company vice president, is to change the citation to "reflect a job that is stimulating, rewarding, and offers skills that last a lifetime."

Unquote

If I look at the local McDonald's here than it seems that the dumber you are, the better changes you have in getting a job there. So what are they complaining; it’s the truth. Why don’t they get a real job? Idiots!!

And on number 85 it’s Singapore Airlines.

Yes!! They got the first A380 Airbus, the world's largest jet. This airplane is simply amazing; it even has 12 private double bed equipped suites. If you fly from Singapore to Sydney you pay a measly $15,000 for one suite. The suite has only one problem; you can’t have sex in it!!

What??? $15,000 for 7 hours and I can’t have sex. That’s Ridiculous; you want to have sex on 15000 feet! Especially if you pay $15,000 for it!!

Investing in Whisky is Hot!

Vincent — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:20:34 +0000

A while back I wrote two articles about investing in Whiskey or Wine and an article about investing in time by buying a quality watch. In the article about investing in time I wrote that you could find great and valuable deals at Sotheby’s and Christie’s. This weekend I ran into this press release with the following headlines.

RAISE YOUR SPIRITS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AT CHRISTIE’S

First Auction of Spirits to be held in New York Since Prohibition

Looking at what they had to offer I was really surprised, they really had a great assortment. Unfortunately I had missed it because it was last weekend. Not that I had bought a bottle (maybe one of the cheaper ones) but it would have been nice if I could have followed it via the net (if that was possible).

Christie’s had in particular 3 auctions that where really amazing.

The first was a $54,000 bottle of Scottish Macallan. This whisky was distilled at Macallan in Scotland in 1926, bottled in 1986 and rebottled in 2002.

The second was a 100 lot auction of rare wines and liquors sold for $304,800.

The “showstopper” was a collection of 729 bottles of whisky. This collection was sold for $102,000.

Now I really know it for sure; I’m going to invest in whisky or wine.

The US Financial Crisis is now Becoming the Minsky Crisis!

Vincent — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 02:41:31 +0000

I ran into this simple explanation today that I wanted to share with you which I though was pretty interesting. The reason I looked this up is because I like to follow the financial and economy news from around the world. I studied among others business economy in my young(er) days. And now especially since I follow the news all the time now that I’m a Problogger and I’m at home “24/7”.

We all know that the financial crisis in the US is dominating the world economy. My guess is that this will continue in the next 1 – 1.5 year. On a side note; this effect has already struck several big countries like Spain who are now encountering the same problems. Since this is a global problem and the end isn’t in sight many economists and analysts are looking at this and are looking for a solution. Well, maybe not a solution but they want to give the cause a name.

The expression “the Minsky moment” is repeatedly mentioned in this. Minsky did rang a bell but very vague and I didn’t had a clue what or who it was so I look it up. Now that I’ve read Wall Street Journalist Justin Lahart’s explanation it all came back to me (still vaguely, all I remember vaguely is that Hyman Minsky was one of the most negative economists of the last century).

At its core, the Minsky view was straightforward: When times are good, investors take on risk; the longer times stay good, the more risk they take on, until they’ve taken on too much. Eventually, they reach a point where the cash generated by their assets no longer is sufficient to pay off the mountains of debt they took on to acquire them. Losses on such speculative assets prompt lenders to call in their loans. "This is likely to lead to a collapse of asset values," Mr. Minsky wrote.

When investors are forced to sell even their less-speculative positions to make good on their loans, markets spiral lower and create a severe demand for cash [that can force central bankers to lend a hand]. At that point, the Minsky moment has arrived.

Thanks Brian Chin, for this short but vivid explanation.