This is why youre feeling so good about yourself after the holidays

This is why youre feeling so good about yourself after the holidaysThis is why youre feeling so good about yourself after the holidaysThe holidays are over, and chances are youve compared gifts with friends to see who made out the best. Maybe you got that new purse youve been wanting or a nice leather wallet. Or maybe you have a new set of comfy pajamas to curl up in this winter.You probably purchased quite a few gifts as well. After all, it welches the season of giving. And while it may have felt really good to know that your husband listened to you the myriad times you said you wanted those Coach shoes under the Christmas tree, new research suggests he probably felt even better about giving you exactly what you wanted.Published in the journal Psychological Science, two recent studies by researchers at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and theNorthwestern University Kellogg School of Management found that people who gave gifts comparatively avoided hedonic adaption, when the happiness people derive from a certain activity decreases every time they experience said activity. For example, when you go to the movies three times a week, it becomes less and less special, and you dont enjoy yourself quite as much. Or when you eat five chocolate bars in an hour, each piece of chocolate becomes a little less smile-worthy.But when you give gifts, you experience similar levels of happiness every time - or at least, your happiness declines slowly compared to other joyful events. Obviously, there is no such thing as a selfless deed even when youre giving, youre getting even more. Because what object is any greater than happiness?Heres how researchers came to this conclusion, and what it means.$5 a dayNinety-six students who participated in one of the experiments were given $5 a day for five days, for a total of $25. When they were randomly assigned to either buy something for themselves or spend the money on someone else, a trend emerged.At first, the stud ents who used the money on themselves were just about as happy as those who spent it on others through random acts such as slipping $5 into a tip jar or donating $5 to a favorite cause. After all, $5 buys a nice cup of coffee - which most students could use, especially if its free.But over the five days, those who kept the money and spent it on themselves showed diminishing levels of happiness as they reflected on their spending experience and overall mood. Meanwhile, those who were assigned to spend their money on others stayed happy longer - even on the fifth day of giving, their happiness levels were of the same strength as on the first day.Pennies for your thoughtsFive cents may sound like chump change. But even that much money can affect your happiness, researchers found.When 502 participants played 10 rounds of an online word puzzle game, they were awarded five cents after winning each round and were given the choice to either donate the funds to a charity or keep it for the mselves. Then, they were asked between each round how happy they felt about winning.You guessed it - those who donated the winnings to charity experienced a far slower decline in happiness than their greedier peers.Its good to giveAll this research gives scientific proof that its always nice to be generous. Sure, your bank account may be slightly less padded at the beginning of 2019 than it was at the end of 2018. But your heart is happier, and at the end of the day, isnt that what matters?Its at leasta good excuse to hold in your pocket for when your spouse complains about the credit card bill later this month.

5 Tips to Help Students Prepare for Their Careers

5 Tips to Help Students Prepare for Their Careers5 Tips to Help Students Prepare for Their Careers5 Tips to Help Students Prepare for Their Careersplatzdeckchen yourself up for post-graduation success pre-graduation. Your real world self will thank you. TWEETStudents, youve seen it more than once. Fellow classmates complete their degrees and then spend their first week of freedom from the library painting the town red and celebrating. Those same classmates pound the pavement the following week with their resumes, new tie, starched slacks and polished shoes only to find rejection at every turn.Its sad really four to eight years working towards their degrees, just to end up managing the night shift at McDonalds. Dont let this happen to you. Start working towards your entry-level career early in the game. Try these five proactive tips to prepare for your career and prevent an educational disaster.1. Dont procrastinateOne common misconception is that your professional experience depart ures after college. This incorrect student career advice can and will cost future opportunities. Start looking for opportunities before you graduate. Dont automatically default to those stereotypical college student or minimum wage jobs. Look for work related to your major. For example, journalism students could benefit from working in a print production plant. This provides an inside look at how the business functions. Accounting students may want to work as a receptionist at the local tax office. Art history majors could volunteer or do an internship at a local gallery.Another option is the universal, federally-supported and funded work study program. All federally accredited colleges and universities offer the work study program. This program matches students with semi-guaranteed jobs. Most of the job opportunities are located on-campus, and counselors try to pick positions closest to your field of study. Jobs offered on and off-campus typically are minimum wage or a little highe r. Just be prepared for the hours, Federal law prohibits colleges from assigning more than 30-hours per week. You may need to take a supplemental job to make up the loss.2. Expand your knowledgeStudents learn multiple skills in college. Some are related to your career others may seem less useful. Open your mind to those so-called useless skills. They may come in handy one day. But dont stop there. The key is expansion. Expand your skills and knowledge. Companies look for team members with the ability to work in diverse settings. Look for courses that compliment your major. Anthropology majors can take a few business courses to increase their marketability. Photography students may want to take a few graphic plan or art classes to help improve creativity and their eye for art. Speak with your academic advisor for help selecting elective courses that compliment your major.One great skill, and lost art form, is typing. Sadly, most college curriculums dont require, or even offer, basic typing classes. Employers want team members who meet deadlines with little to no errors. If your college doesnt offer typing classes, invest in a good typing software.3. Stay up-to-dateWhile some entry-level careers are more competitive than others, all jobs require work and preparation. Staying current on technology and industry trends gives you an advantage over other applicants. Most students are more up-to-date with technology than seasoned professionals, giving them the upper hand. Those same students however, show a lack of knowledge of industry trends. Visit your college library and read professional journals each month. These provide an in-depth look at the changing landscape inside your career and will help better prepare you for whats to come. Google offers a news subscription, customizable to any search word or phrase. Set up an automated search and receive up-to-date news alerts in your inbox each month.Consider this piece of student career advice learning new technology or updating your software version knowledge is just as important as industry trends. Most universities and colleges provide, and even require, students to take introductory computer classes. These classes cover basic file creation and editing, operating system quirks, word processing and basic maintenance. Take advantage of the introductory and intermediate classes. But dont forget older software. Some companies havent upgraded. Read up on the last two versions of Microsoft Office, Windows OS and the standard software used in your industry. Most libraries carry technology books dating back several years. If your school or local library doesnt have these books, Half Price Books, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com and other retailers may have older books at discount prices.4. Pay attention in science and math classSTEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers represent one of the fastest growing industries. Technology is booming, making it an oil field of wealth. While you dont have to major in math or science to benefit from STEM revenue, learning the basics will help you understand this growing field and impress employers with your analytical side. Visit the science and math Deans office, and speak with a counselor. Explain to them you arent majoring in STEM but want to learn more about the field and gain analytical skills. They know the best classes to help you learn.On the other hand, dont pass up opportunities to learn the arts, including visual and performing arts. Performing arts teaches communication skills. Every professional benefits from communication, especially public speaking. These classes help build self-esteem, teach you how to overcome the fear of speaking and hopefully prepare you for various, spur of the moment scenarios. Taking arts classes (i.e. painting, ceramics, etc.) helps build creativity, teaches structure and discipline, cultivates patience and encourages students to think outside the box.5. Dont forget about those internshipsI nternships are the lifeblood of college experience. And rightly so. Nothing beats a hands-on education. Just be careful to select the right internship to help work towards your entry-level career. Academic advisors recommend forgoing those large, competitive internships during your first two years in college. Instead, put more energy into local, small business internships. These businesses need the help and often offer more real-world education than those coffee-fetching, large company versions. Google a few local medium to small-sized companies in your field. Call their human resources department and inquire whether they accept interns and what are the qualifications. Dont forget, your professors are your greatest allies. They probably know a few good companies who will give you a shot.Its never too late to startMost of this student career advice requires a few years of planning to become effective. Dont worry though, there is still time for students getting ready to walk the stage . The first step is optimizing your resume. While it is best to plan for your future and have the ammunition ready for your resume, most skills and experience are easily rewritten. Look for transferrable skills (i.e. leadership, communication, team building, etc.) Highlight those attributes and similar accomplishments. Use strong action verbs, and draw attention to what you can achieve for the company. Treat your abilities as merchandise for sale. Make the employer want you.Ready to find your dream job? Hire a TopResume writer today

Veteran Employment Resources

Veteran Employment Resources Veteran Employment ResourcesVeteran Employment Resourcesapplauds the efforts of every public and private sector organization that hires Veterans. We stand ready to assist job seekers and to enable the hiring process with the right expertise, tools, and technologies to enrich Veterans post-military lives while meeting the human capital life cycle needs of organizations everywhere that hire Veterans.Resources for VeteransMilitary.com, a business unit of Worldwide, Inc., is the nations largest military and veteran online news and membership organization serving active duty personnel, reservists, guard members, retirees, veterans, family members, defense workers and those considering military careers. Military.com enables Americans with military affinity to access information on their benefits, advance their careers, enjoy military discounts, and stay connected for life. Many of employment resources and services for Veterans were developed by and are accessed through Military.comsVeterans Employment Center.1. Military Skills Translator This online tool civilianizes a service members work experience to allow them to better communicate their skill sets to civilian employers and human resources professional and matches those skills with current job openings.2. Veteran Career Network This unique online networking tool allows veterans to connect or reconnect with other Veterans for the purpose of sharing information about job openings or getting guidance from a trusted advisor about launching a post-military career search. This social tool allows a direct vet-to-vet mentoring relationship to assist in military transition.3. Resume Builder Once veterans have translated their skills to civilian terms, they can then build a resume that will match the format of other civilians applying for the same job. Because military resumes are written in a specific style, they dont always make sense to the civilian employers. The Resume Builder bridges that gap.4. Veteran Career Fairs With over 40 onsite career expos in and around military installations, veterans have ample opportunity to meet with prospective employers and interview on the spot for an opening. For those who cant attend in person, there are also the Virtual Career Fairs, which replicate the experience online and provide exposure to a number of key employers looking to hire veterans.5. Specialized Job Search Veterans dont need to waste time looking for jobs in industries or companies that arent interested in or in need of their skill sets. The Veteran Job Search function cuts to the chase and puts military friendly jobs in one database that is easily accessible by the job-seeking veteran.Recruitment solutions for employers seeking to hire VetsAll the resources and services that assist veterans in preparing for and finding civilian jobs speed and simplify the process of connecting veterans with employers open jobs. In addition, has developed a suite of products for empl oyers specifically designed to attract, search and match veterans with opportunities.1. Veteran Friendly Job Postings Companies, particularly in some specialty areas, know they want to hire veterans. ur Veteran-Friendly Job Postings resource gives those companies the most direct access to our military network and allows them to put their employment needs front and center with qualified job seekers.2. Veteran Power Resume Search For those employers looking for a highly targeted way of finding an employee with specific skill sets, the Veteran Power Resume Search maximizes SeeMore, most powerful search engine, and gives them access to over 800,000 veterans who are ready to work. This unique and effective tool allows direct connection to the candidates employers are looking for and allows for quick match ups between employer and seekers.3. Military Career Ad Network Military Career Ad Network allows employers to take their veteran job postings on Military.com and distribute them to site s all over the web. Using sophisticated behavioral targeting, to reach millions of veterans on sites they frequently use. Employers can reach a larger pool of candidates by casting a wider net to the places we know the veterans are visiting online.Learn more about Hiring a Veteran