Should I Quit My Job - The Muse

Should I Quit My Job - The MuseShould I Quit My Job When youre feeling unhappy at work, it can be tempting to dash for the exit as rapidly as possible. (I quit. Byeeee.) After all, slaving away at a job you hate can feel like torture. But is it possible that you dont need a new job, but instead a new perspective? I know. It might not be the advice youre hoping to hear. And sure, you might still need a new job. But here are two important things to keep in mind before you make that call, especially if you dont have another offer already lined up. Your Expectations of What a Job Should Be Might Be a Tad UnrealisticWhen you fall in love with someone, the natural tendency is to idealize that person (Shes my rock, my home, my sun, my moon, my best friend, my lover, my confidante, my everything) and then expect that person to fulfill all of your needs and desires, unendingly. Problem is, thats a whole lot of pressure and expectation to place on just one person- nobody can possibly meet all of your needs, every single day, no matter how fantastic they are Many of us fall into this same pattern with our careers. We find our supposed dream job and then feel disappointed when it doesnt live up to all of our sky-high (read unreasonable) expectations. This can be a schmerzvoll pill to swallow, but ask yourself, honestly, Am I expecting my job to meet all of my professional/creative/social/personal desires and satisfy me in every possible way? Is that fair? Is that reasonable?If so, think about what kinds of desires are not being met by your current job (your desire to be artistic, for example), and then find a way to satisfy those desires outside of the office, if necessary. Maybe youre an account manager by day, but you paint glorious murals in city parks or teach art classes on the weekends Stop expecting your job to be your one and only, your everything and try thinking more expansively. This is so important, because if you continue to job-hunt while maintaining unrealis tic expectations, youll never feel satisfied no matter how amazing your next job may be.Perpetually Scanning for Something Better Could Make You Sad- ForeverHave you ever noticed how certain people seem dissatisfied with their life no matter how great everything is going? While other people with arguably mediocre jobs (or homes or income levels) seem perfectly content?Turn outs, theres a scientific reason for that.Barry Schwartz, a researcher who studies human behavior and topics like decision making and choice, has found that most people fall into one of two categories Youre a maximizer or youre a satisficer. If youre a maximizer, you wont be satisfied unless you know that you are getting the absolute best vorkaufsrecht (I need to find the best croissant in Paris and I wont stop searching until I do). If youre a satisficer, you have a baseline of criteria that needs to be met (Flaky, buttery, warm, thats pretty much it) and once your criteria has been met, you stop searching. Youre satisfied. Whatever you have discovered is sufficient.Guess what Barry found? Generally speaking, people with maximizer personalities tend to be more successful- in the sense that they have better jobs with higher salaries, better apartments, better cars, and whatnot- but they also tend to be unhappier than their easy-going satisficer peers.The lesson if you have maximizer tendencies when it comes to your career, thats not a bad thing. Youre driven to seek- and deliver- excellence, and that trait will carry you far. But sometimes, youll need to cool yourself down. Relentlessly scanning for a better job, boss, employer, or paycheck could wind up making you miserable, because the quest for the best is ultimately an impossible one. Look, you deserve a career thats exciting, meaningful, and rewarding. But that doesnt mean that every single page out of every single chapter of your career is going to be a nonstop bubble bath of delights. No matter what kind of career you choose, there ar e going to rough spots, tough times, and weeks when you just have to buckle down and do some grunt work to get the job done. The big question is not always, Why isnt this fun? but rather, Is this worth it?You dont have to stay at your sucky job forever, and you can certainly start planning your next move, now, even while youre still employed. But try not to be overly hasty in calling it quits. Instead, think through these two questions, see your current position through to the best of your abilities, and no matter what you leap into next, youll be more experienced, seasoned, and ready to do great work.Photo of woman reflecting courtesy of Shutterstock.

Get Ahead Of Other Graduates Through Extracurricular Activities

Get Ahead Of Other Graduates Through Extracurricular ActivitiesGet Ahead Of Other Graduates Through Extracurricular ActivitiesWe all know how boring and annoying extracurricular activities can be. Youre in high school or college, youre studying a lot of different things, youre torn between homework and going out, yet you have to be a part of all these clubs and participate in all these projects.Is it worth it? Isnt just attending school and doing your school work mora than enough?Yes, its worth it and no its not enough. Your parents might require from you only to go to school and get your As but that wont get you the job you really want. That is because most students would have been doing exactly that, so the ones that have been doing mora extracurricular activities would be the ones that are ahead of youLife in high school can be overwhelming. Its that period of ones life when people are trying to find and create themselves, while exploring all kinds of things and learning to cope with reality. But the truth is, your future employer doesnt really care about that. They want to see that you have been as active, creative and entrepreneurial as possible.Obviously, you wont have much (or even any) experience right after you graduate, so you need to somehow show them that you are capable of doing the job and have been building some kind of a base by yourself throughout the years. Here are 5 extracurricular activities that can help you do that1. Be in the right clubs and electivesMost schools have a lot of extracurricular activities to offer, so it is up to you to find the right ones. Theres no point in wasting your time while being in a club that doesnt give you anything except for evidence on a piece of paper that you have been a part of it. Try joining numerous clubs which interest you until you find the one or two where you truly belong.Ex. If you are planning to pursue a degree and/or career in Economics Finance, join the Economics/Maths/Finance/geschftsleben club. If you are looking forward to a career in Journalism/Media, then join the school newspaper. Extracurricular activities should be both fun and beneficial, and dont have to be a drag.2. Have your own blogIn todays world everyone is expected to have their own blog. It is the perfect tool for showing your potential employer that you are truly interested and prepared for the job. There are so many platforms with which you can easily and quickly set up a blog and start posting. Heres a very cool educational website with all kinds of resources that web beginners need. Moreover, on your blog you can share and post various articles and content, they dont have to be all created by you.Another thing no one expects that you have thousands of followers and views. Thats a hard accomplishment that takes time and marketing knowledge. However, your blog will show your passion for this job/company/industry/subject and your months or even years of doing research and some serious thinking.Ex. If you would like to be an artist of any kind, a blog is your way of showing your art to the world by creating a beautiful online gallery, but even if youd like to be a doctor or a lawyer, you could use this opportunity to put intriguing case studies and reflections in one place. In fact, blogging is one of the extra curricular activities that has a chance of turning into a full-time job.3. Join an inspiring community of peopleToday there are communities or organizations for everything. And most communities are pretty open to newcomers. By joining a group of people that exists because of their common enthusiasm for something, you get to learn a lot and meet people that might think like you. And whats better than that? Moreover, people in such a society are usually of different ages and backgrounds, so you get to learn about their experience first hand and that is something of great value.Ex. If you are passionate about Entrepreneurship, you might want to join an entrepreneurial NGO or if your passion is animals and are considering a career as a vet or a degree in Zoology, you might want to join the local zoo community or something like WWF.4. Create a projectPeople will always ask about your projects. Next time you hear about an engaging project, get involved right away But you know what? You can just as well create a project by yourself. Its not that hard all it takes is an idea or a cause and a couple of people that have been moved by this idea. No one is expecting anything enormous. But having your own project not only demonstrates your desire to work in this field, it also emphasizes your skills as a leader. You have thought of something and you have done what it takes to bring it to life.Ex. If you are preparing yourself for the world of Marketing PR, you might set up a campaign, form a small team and try reaching and engaging as many people as possible. If you are preparing yourself for the world of Design, on the other hand, your project might be to org anize an exhibition, get a lot of people to come and even sell your art donating the money to a good cause.5. Do an internshipMore companies than you would expect offer internships. It is up to you to learn about them, apply and go smash it. Most of the times they are unpaid, but theyre still are a real work experience in a real environment, which makes them extremely useful. If youve been doing the 4 extracurricular activities mentioned above, scoring an internship will be a cakewalk. Moreover, another benefit of doing an internship is that if you perform well, you can ask for a written reference from your boss or the person that deals with internships and this recommendation will go a long way when you are trying to land your first real job after graduation.Ex. If you are someone who dreams of working in a big magazine like Vogue or Vice, you better do an internship at their issue in your country or even in a smaller magazine. If you are dreaming of becoming the next Minister of F oreign Affairs or Culture, you better do an internship in the Parliament or the respective Ministry.ConclusionBeing 19 and fresh out of high school or college is not an excuse to have an empty resume. Some people just go to school and do what it takes to pass, while others exceed expectations and can therefore provide a 2 page resumewith all of the things they have been doing the last couple of years.When the first type starts looking for a summer or a gap year job, all their offers are in services and promotions they get to choose between being a waiter, a nanny or a sales clerk. The second type, on the contrary, has a lot more options, maybe even getting a job in an exceptional company, doing something unexpected, which would then on completely change their plans for the future.In addition to that, extracurricular activities not only help you pick up new skills and make your resume longer. They help you meet new people, travel to new places, and have unforgettable experiences. An d thats something that can change your life.Did we miss anything important? Feel free to drop us a line down in the comments below For more inspiration, check out our resume examples section that got people hired at their dream jobs. Yasmin Tezdjan A 20-year-old Business Design student based in Barcelona whos excited about making the world a better place through innovative businesses and thinks rap is poetry. I feel complete at the beach.Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *CommentName * Email * Website Subscribe now for moreSee more great content and inspiring examples of resumes done right each month. Subscribe Youre subscribed Latest posts See all posts by Eric D. Halsey The Resumes of Chernobyl by Eric D. Halsey 4 Ways Creativity Can Improve Your Resume by Katherine (Tori) LutzHow to Create a First Year Elementary School Teacher Resume

Crazy Interview Questions Asked by Big Companies

Crazy Interview Questions Asked by Big CompaniesCrazy Interview Questions Asked by Big CompaniesYou know a company is cool when they start asking crazy einstellungsgesprch questions. Imagine, you fill out an application and get invited to an interview. When all of a sudden, you get hit with some of the craziest interview questions that sound nothing at all like the common interview questions you hear all the timeThe questions leave you speechless, laughing, or wondering how unterstellung companies grew in the first distribution policy. But, as always, there is a method to the madness. Check out some of these crazy interview questions asked by big companies. You will not find webinars or posts on LinkedIn with advice on how to handle these curveball questions.1. 25 racehorses, no stopwatch. 5 tracks. Figure out the top three fastest horses in the fewest number of races.This one was asked by Facebook. It looks like a math question. But is it really? What would you answer? Perhaps the i nterviewer is trying to see the way you start thinking when it comes time to solve problems. Be sure to not show any job interview anxiety.2. Why are manhole covers round?This interesting question has been asked by Google. You never really think about things like this...or do you? Is this a trivia question or does Google want you to work in a sewer? Unless you want to change industries? Do not put that much thought into it and answer as you see fit.3. If you were a pizza delivery man, how would you benefit from scissors?You are applying to work at Apple and then they ask you a question that sounds mora related to Dominos Pizza. What does this question really have to do with the job at hand and your career? You had already discovered delivering pizza was not the career path you intended to stay on4. How would you solve problems if you were from Mars?As far as we know, there are no Martians on Earth solving problems. But this question from Amazon seems to imply there could be. Do you know any Martians? Probably not, so how do you think you will answer this interview question? Do you have a powerful job reference from Mars?5. How would you test an elevator?If you were to interview at Microsoft, this question would certainly throw you off...or would it? Questions that sound crazy usually do because it involves seeing or hearing something you are not familiar with. Perhaps, an engineer or someone in the tech industry could answer the question. Maybe a scientist or an elevator repairman? This question is truly testing someone seeking jobs in the tech industry.6. How would you find the words that became obsolete in the English language between 16th and 17th century? You may use a search engine.What does 16th or 17th-century language have to do with driving people from place to place? Uber wants to know and you are not sure if they are testing your interpersonal skills or your knowledge of 16th century English Literature.7. What do you think of garden gnomes?Trader Jo es asked this question. To this point, you may be seeing that these questions require answers that do more to show how you think, your personality, and how your work experience causes you to answer them. You certainly can tell a great deal about a person by the way they answer random questions.8. Youre a new addition to the crayon box, what color would you be and why?This question from Urban Outfitters may be based on a psychology test used to assess personalities. There is no wrong answer to this one. There is no right answer. So, just be honest.9. Whats the color of money?If you answer, A film from the 1980s starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise, the American Heart Association will understand many things about you. If you answer, A beautiful shade of green you also give away something about yourself. You could have another answer. Regardless, the company will know a lot about you.10. How would you direct someone else on how to cook an omelet?A question like this from PETCO may be se cretly geared towards finding out how you manage people and what you sound like when you do. It is a simple answer but can you direct the kollektiv to do it in a way that everyone understands? Are you a leader people will follow?11. On a scale from 1 to 10, rate me as an interviewer.You may be a people pleaser who wants to give a compliment and quickly blurts out, 10. But does the rating mean greatest or worst? The way you answer this question from Kraft Foods explains a great deal about your personality, analytical thinking, experience with research and lots of other hidden meanings.Just like every other interview question on this list, the only right answer is the one that gets you the job. But since you cannot predict the interviewers response, all you can do is be yourself and answer with honesty.Madness methodWhat are these companies doing? They want to see how you react to pressure, think on your feet or how you come to a conclusion. Most importantly, they want to seeDo you pa nic?Do you get angry?Do you give up easily?How do you approach work?Do you get your brain working in the right direction before answering?There is no right answer. But there is definitely a wrong answer. The toughest part is that there is no set of rules for answering these types of questions and there is no telling when or why these questions will be asked.The only thing to do is keep your cool, bring a winning mindset, do not panic, stay positive and get your mind to work in the right direction. Show employers you are ready for anything.