What your email inbox reveals about your personality

What your emaillele inbox reveals about your personalityWhat your email inbox reveals about your personalityWhen I texted a friend to say I was thinking about writing an article on what your inbox might reveal about your personality, he immediately texted me backIve got three emails in my inbox. What does that say about me?It means youre the worst, I texted back.By youre the worst, of course, I meant, your ability to manage your digital life is everything I aspire to, and I am therefore insanely jealous.Managing your inbox is anunderrated workplace virtue, argues Richard Moran, CEO of consultancy Frost Sullivan. When employees dont respond, coworkers perceive them as unorganized and lazy.At that moment, my personal inbox contained 57 unread emails - but if Im being completely honest, Id recently spent a weekend whittling it down from close to 1,000.As Moran suggests, is my inability to keep a tidy inbox something I should worry about? In other words, if it signaled that I suffered from some deep-seated emotional issue or cognitive deficit beyond simple disorganization. Likewise, I wanted to know if inbox heroes like my friend were actually destined to be more successful than the rest of us.Of course, its impossible to look at anyones inbox and say for sure that he or she is a productivity ninja or a psychopath. Your email management strategy depends heavily on your profession, for example, and the standard flow of email in your office.But my conversations with experts on psychology and technology still yielded some important (and surprising) insights into the connection between email habits and personality traits. Heres what I found.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe filer/deleter sees a message in his inbox and takes action immediately.This person reads the email, sends a response if it calls for one, and then either deletes it (because its no longer u seful) or archives it in a specific folder. His email count typically hovers around zero.Larry Rosen, Ph.D., research psychologist and author of iDisorder Understanding ur Obsession With Technology and Overcoming its Hold on Us, admits he falls into this category. Being away from his inbox for too long, he tells Business Insider, makes him nervous - and he suspects it has something to do with his brain.The brain of a filer/deleter is uniquely wired to react negatively when faced with a bunch of unread messages. A huge, exploding inbox releases stress-based neurotransmitters, like cortisol, which make them anxious, Rosen says. Keeping a tidy inbox quells that anxiety, at least temporarily.Ultimately, Rosen suggests, your email-management strategy comes down to your desire for control. Whereas some people are fine leaving their house, their workspace, or their inbox a mess, filers/deleters would go crazy. They need an external way to have control over the world, Rosen says, and stick ing to an inbox-management system fulfills their constant need for order.The saver has few unread emails, but rarely deletes a message after reading.According to Pamela Rutledge, Ph.D., director of the Media Psychology Research Center, there are a few potential explanations for this kind of saving behavior. One is perfectionism Perfectionists save read emails with the idea that they will get to them eventually, Rutledge tells Business Insider. These same people will have a to-do list that is so long it cant possibly be useful and a bunch of clothes that need to be mended sitting in the back of the closet.Essentially, saving emails is a way of deluding themselves into thinking theyll get around to addressing them all.Rutledge also posits that deleting emails feels too risky for savers. Some people save read emails for the sense of security it gives to believe they could find stuff if they needed to, she says. Some of us have more tolerance for uncertainty than others.The ignorer does not read or delete emails.I must confess I was heartened to learn more about the mindset of the email ignorer. According to Ron Friedman, Ph.D., author of The Best Place to Work The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace, keeping hundreds or thousands of unread emails in your inbox isnt necessarily a problematic behavior. Although Friedman cautions against drawing broad conclusions into peoples personality and psychological state from their email habits, he offers a few possible explanations for this tendency.On the one hand, he tells Business Insider, leaving emails unread can signify that youre overwhelmed or disengaged. On the other hand, it can also mean that you recognize that monitoring and organizing those emails isnt helping you achieve progress. And thats a sign of intelligence.Some email ignorers might actually bemoreorganized and productive than everyone else. After all, Friedman says, email reflects other peoples priorities for you, not necessarily impor tant work that requires your immediate attention.This article originally appeared on Business Insider.

This is how much the average person will spend on Thanksgiving this year

This is how much the average person will spend on Thanksgiving this yearThis is how much the average person will spend on Thanksgiving this yearWake up early to watch the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade, stay on the couch to enjoy some early afternoon football, eat a few pounds of turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, and finally fall asleep early and content.Now that sounds like the perfect Thanksgiving.On November 22, families and friends throughout the United States will come together to kick off the holiday season. Thanksgiving is not only a day to give thanks and to be happy, but it is apparently a day to spend a lot of money as well.For the second consecutive year, LendEDU conducted a survey of 1,000 Americans to uncover how much Thanksgiving will cost the average celebrator.You might be thinking to yourself, How much money can one possibly spend on Thanksgiving? But in reality, that special Thursday in November is not only one of the biggest travel days of the year, but also re quires a lot mora food than your run-of-the-mill dinner.And the Thanksgiving spending statistics we came away with might surprise youAverage American anticipates spending $175.65 on ThanksgivingThis particular survey welches quite simple and was run in exactly the same manner as the previous year. Respondents were asked the following How much do you expect to spend on Thanksgiving this year?After averaging together answers from 1,000 Americans who intend to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, we found an average expenditure of $175.65 per person. The median value was $100.This years figure is a bit of an increase over last years figure, in which we found the average Thanksgiving expenditure to be $165.14 per person.So where is all of this money being spent?One of the biggest costs associated with Thanksgiving is traveling. Whether it be by plane, bus, car, or Uber, mios of Americans will be hitting the road to celebrate the holiday with loved ones. AAA estimated that 50.9 million Amer icans journeyed at least 50 miles away from home last Thanksgiving, in addition to 4 million traveling in the sky and 1.5 million by train. Not to mention, average car rental rates spiked to $70 per day during Thanksgiving.Because of the Thanksgiving traveling phenomenon, we wanted to find out how much of our respondents Turkey Day budget was going toward travel. After averaging together all answers, we found that the average respondent will allocate 21 percent of their total Thanksgiving expenditure for traveling purposes. This percentage equates to $36.88 per person.Making the annual pilgrimage from Chicago to Texas each Thanksgiving, Stacey Caprio knows just how costly this holiday can get. As a consumer, I spend more on Thanksgiving travel and food. I always travel from Chicago to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with my immediate family and relatives, which includes a round-trip plane ticket, said Caprio.Food is the next biggest expenditure since we feed a large family of up to 14 p eople, she said. I never regret the spend on this holiday since it brings family together in such a wonderful way.While the average Thanksgiving expenditure may seem a bit high, it is important to remember that this is an average figure. Some people have more extravagant Thanksgiving parties with more than 20 guests and a smorgasbord that will require a more generous budget. These respondents would bring up the average Thanksgiving expenditure more so than those folks who enjoy just having a small group join them on Turkey Day.With all that said, it is important to budget for Thanksgiving expenses, especially if you are hosting, so that costs dont get away from you quickly. Giulia Umile, the Chief Operating Officer at Slice Communications, offered some tips on managing your money for the Thanksgiving feast Thanksgiving costs can get out of hand if you host, especially with the popularity of cooking shows and organic options. Depending on the size of your family and friends, budgets for hosting average $500. But that can go much higher quickly.It is important to first set a budget and then get creative on how to stick to it, said Umile. Asking people to bring sides is always a big help. When building your budget, put a cost to each dish you plan to make and each accessory or feature (like tablecloths, flowers, etc.) and then start eliminating them to hit your budget.MethodologyAll data found within this report came from a poll commissioned by LendEDU and conducted online by polling company Pollfish. In total, 1,000 Americans were polled on questions related to Thanksgiving. Respondents were screened to ensure they were planning on celebrating Thanksgiving in 2018. If respondents met the criteria, they were selected at random from Pollfishs online user panel of over 100 million.Respondents were asked to enter in an exact dollar amount when they were answering how much money they were expecting to spend on Thanksgiving-related expenses in 2018. After we collected 1,000 individual responses, we were able to calculate the average expenditure and the median expenditure. Respondents were also asked to enter in an exact proportion related to Thanksgiving travel expenses, these values were also averaged together. This poll was conducted over a two-day span from Sept. 29, 2018 to Sept. 30, 2018. All respondents were asked to answer each question truthfully and to the best of their abilities.This article was originally published on LendEDU.

Want a Promotion 10 Ways to Get It

Want a Promotion 10 Ways to Get It Want a Promotion 10 Ways to Get It Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers Have a question youd like to ask? Leave it in the comments, and you might just see it in the next installment of Recruiter QATodays Question What tips do you have for employees who want to make a good impression and snag a promotion? What are the best ways to get on managements radargert?1. Toot Your Own Horn But SubtlyYou have to toot your own horn, because no one else will do it for you. It isbetter to not use blatant or brash techniques and avoid blunt force when you toot your own horn. Use subtle techniques that put you in the punktlicht1. Prepare for meetings so you can make intelligent comments on the points being discussed. 2. Volunteer for a project that gets visibility with a senior manager. 3. Meet your deadlines. If you run into stumbling blocks on a project, let the manager or kollektiv lead know and ask for an extension. 4. Be positive. Dont be the negative person in the amtsstube that people want to run from. And dont feed the negative company grapevine. 5. Respond in a positive manner, not a tentative manner, when given a task. Say, Ill be happy to do that (even if you dread it).6. Turn in mistake-free work. 7. Give discretionary effort. Discretionary effort is more than just going the extra mile it is giving your intellectual powers, being committed emotionally to the company and/or the project, and offering creative ideas for nagging problems. - Karla Brandau, KarlaBrandau.com 2. Take on Jobs That are Larger Than Your Current PositionShow that you want to learn, grow, and be invaluable for your company. This may include working longer hours, arriving to the office early, and building informal teams of people to complete projects. - Joshua Evans, Enthusiastic You 3. Hitch Your Wagon to a StarFind the mentor whos moving up and help that mentor get to wherever it is th ey want to go. - Barry Maher, BarryMaher.com 4. Its All About BalanceFirst, balance listening with initiative. Spend plenty of time learning all you can from your higher-ups and peers. Find out who the key leaders are and greet them by name when you see them. When you get the chance to speak with them, find out if its okay to ask a few questions (ones that show youve gotten acquainted with the companys mission). Embody the values of the organization, demonstrating that you fit right in. Second, balance passion with work ethic. Demonstrate the same level of work ethic for mundane tasks as you do for those tasks youre passionate about. Sometimes, your work on the project that isnt glitz says more about your work ethic than anything else. If you can show passion for the smaller task youll do at the bottom of the career ladder, youll be more likely to move up and on to tasks youre more passionate about. Finally, balance ambition with humility. Employers love ambition, but be sure yours doesnt make you look cocky. Many call this balance humbitious (humble/ambitious). Your boss may value your insight, so let them know youve got ideas, but that youre hungry to help with theirs first. - Tim Elmore, Growing Leaders 5. Be Clear About Your AmbitionsBeing British (an infamously reserved culture, with an aversion to being seen bragging about personal or professional achievements), Ive found that the key to being noticed is to be unfailingly honest about your contributions, successes, and failures. Dont shy away from claiming credit where it is due and own your mistakes as well. Always reflect on both success and failure constructively and honestly with your managers. Offer to write up case studies to benefit colleagues and team members, allowing them to learn from your actions and aiding your managers in training. Most importantly, be clear and direct about your ambitions. The number of managers Ive worked with whove had no idea their employees were keen on advancement until they were explicitly told is astonishing. Never assume your manager knows you want advancement you have to tell them. - James Armstrong, Roman Blinds Direct 6. Stay CurrentStay current with the news, including internal and external company dealings. Read, read, and read some more Managers and executives appreciate someone who can hold a conversation with them vs. a bobblehead doll that just nods in agreement with nothing to add. I cannot emphasize enough how important and impressive it is when a young professional knows what they are talking about. Participate in intelligent conversations where you can add value and make people step back and say, Hmmm Youre right. I didnt think of it that way. - Brenna Smith, SheNOW 7. Make a PlanThe first step is to have a plan. If you have a strategic plan for the direction in which you want your career to go, you will be more likely to keep acquiring new skills and working on a variety of projects that will get you noticed with your ma nagement. Once you have your plan, you should communicate that plan to your management Let them know that youre hoping to acquire certain skill sets and how those skills will benefit your company and team. When they know you are planning for your long-term career success, theyll be more likely to promote you if and when a position comes up that fits within your plan. - Leila Hock, Alignment Coaching8. Demonstrate Authentic PassionGetting on managements radar and getting that promotion requires authentic passion and hard work. Be direct. Share ideas and ask for feedback from your boss. If a specific job may be available, say youd like to be considered and ask what steps you might take to get it. Your authentic passion is crucial, because a phony egotist is easy to spot and nobody promotes that person. - Laura MacLeod, From the Inside Out Project 9. Consider the Company CultureBecause every organization has a unique culture, the best ways to get on managements radar will vary from o rganization to organization. For instance, in some organizations, the way to get on the radar is to be wildly creative. In other organizations, being highly productive might be the key. Best advice? Ask managers what they did to get noticed for their promotions. - Larry Sternberg, Talent Plus 10. Practice the Skills Youll Need for Your Next JobPeople prefer to fill roles with people who have already done the role or handled the job requirements before. It reduces training time, and the hire has a better chance of succeeding. So figure out what skills you will need in your next role and start practicing them. Make sure to update your resume to reflect these new skills Itll be easy for management to promote you if youve already shown them you have the right skills for the job.- Mike McRitchie, MikeMcRitchie.com

7 Professional Development Tips

7 Professional Development Tips 7 Professional Development Tips It’s easy to let professional development take a back seat to our day-to-day responsibilities. But as an accounting and finance professional, you need to continuously increase your job skills to succeed in your role, maintain professional certifications and ultimately advance your career. There are many ways to expand your skills, and we all have different preferences for how we like to learn. Here are seven professional development tips to help you get started. 1. Assess available resources Find out what types of training opportunities are available within your company and whether tuition reimbursement is offered for external courses. Find resources that maintain calendars of upcoming conferences and events for accounting and finance professionals. Don’t overlook low-cost options, such as online programs and resources, recorded webinars and books. 2. Join professional associations Industry groups, like the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), the American Payroll Association and Financial Executives International often conduct workshops and educational sessions where members can update their business knowledge and abilities. These events, whether in-person or online, also provide an avenue for professional networking and sharing ideas with others in the accounting and finance profession. 3. Take on new challenges Talk to your manager about getting involved in projects outside of your normal responsibilities. Volunteer for assignments that stretch your skills. Consider if there are professional accounting certifications that can advance your career in accounting. /p 4. Find a mentor inside or outside your company If your employer doesn't have an in-house mentoring program, look for someone in other parts of your company or even outside it whose expertise you admire, and ask if he or she will assist you as a mentor. There are many benefits of having a mentor, such as learning firsthand from someone in a role you aspire to, and getting help navigating office politics. 5. Shadow a colleague to learn Identify colleagues in your company who do something you’d like to learn, and observe their actions and ask them questions. Many people enjoy teaching. 6. Help others and develop skills Volunteer on committees or for leadership roles at organizations where you can develop skills that not only benefit the group but also are applicable to your job. Learn to develop collaboration skills and hone your interpersonal skills. 7. Create a professional development plan Monitor your progress by setting one-, three- and five-year goals for the job skills you’d like to obtain. This will keep you accountable. During your performance reviews, you can highlight the new skills you’ve developed. Don't miss our hot-off-the-press career insights and advice. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

3 Job Search Tips That Got Me My 1st Job

3 Job Search Tips That Got Me My 1st Job 3 Job Search Tips That Got Me My 1st Job Wouldn’t it be great to instantly do all the things the job search pros say you should do: confidently you’re your achievements in the best resume format, make yourself easy to find when it comes to LinkedIn for job search, and get up from behind that computer and get out there! Let’s concentrate on the “get up from behind the computer” part. I’m going to illustrate this case study for you because back when I did it, the Internet had not been invented. I searched for and landed my 1st job the old-fashioned way. I was 13 years old, and I repeated some version of this method every single time throughout my adult life. I was a bookworm always in the public library. That’s where I noticed another kid from my school reshelving books. He and I weren’t really friends, but we knew each other. His name was Phil. I walked up to Phil and said, “So, how did you get the job working here?” He gave me the name of the person in charge, I presented myself, talked about my education, activities, love for English, love for books, and willingness to work there. Voila. Hired. Guess what? This is a classic example of a hidden job. There was no ad. There was no resume. The only thing that existed was a need that the company had to fulfill. Here are the hidden job market secrets for you to apply in your own job search: 1) “Networking” is not a dirty word. The #1 job search approach according to virtually every expert I’ve known since I’ve been in this business for 16 years now is networkNetworkNETWORK. But you don’t want to do that. Or you think it’s hard. Or you anticipate too much effort. Or you think your network is dead. None of these need to be true for you. If you get out of bed every day and leave your home, you have a network. Your network is in the places you frequent. I happened to frequent the library. I also happened to frequent my school every day. All those people â€" kids and adults â€" knew me. Though Phil was not a good friend, he had some awareness of the level of classes I took and the circle of friends I had, enough to say to his boss (and my potential boss) that yes, I’d be pretty good for the job. 2) You’ve already probably been in or had contact with your ideal employer. A sales person will tell you it’s easier to sell something additional to an old client, than find a new client and sell something to them. The same concept applies to job search. Look around you to see where you are, then look behind you to see where you’ve been. Those are your “old clients.” Reach out to a former employer and let her know you’re back on the market. The person knows you, so it’s okay to expressly state that you’d be interested to know if she’s aware of any opportunities. There are even more avenues to explore when you consider who your former employer’s vendors were. (At a future moment I’ll post about how I went through a vendor to find another job.) Once again, they know you. Pick up the phone and do something crazy like start a conversation. 3) The hidden job market is all about thinking ahead. If you’re only thinking about jobs that are open, you’re behind the 8 ball. I looked at what that other person in the library was doing and thought there probably was another position to do the same thing. Then I asked. And there was. And there was NOT a pile of 1,000 people who submitted their resumes for the job. Think of a need in an organization you’re familiar with. Inquire. You can show up in person, have a discussion at a professional seminar, or make contact some other way. Discuss what the need may be, and how you can contribute immediately. This will prove to be the most fruitful job search method in your career. While you definitely need the tools of today â€" the best resume, a professional CV, and a LinkedIn profile, understand they are tools for people to have a document that says more about you. The key word in the previous sentence is “YOU,” and the tools support you, they don’t replace you. Look at places where you go, evaluate where you’ve been, and talk to people about what they need and how you can help. I’d love to hear any non-traditional way you landed a job. Maybe it’s something we can all take a lesson from! Please share your story in the comments.

5 Signs Youre Ready for a Professional Resume Rewrite

5 Signs You're Ready for a Professional Resume Rewrite 5 Signs You're Ready for a Professional Resume Rewrite You might need a resume rewrite, and you might need help from a professional, but you might not be ready to work with one.Maybe your resume hasn’t attracted the attention from recruiters that you thought it might.Does the work experience on your resume seem to stop short in 1997? Are you in a rut trying to figure out how to transfer your skills to a new industry? These scenarios are clear signs that it’s time to update your resume.Can you do it on your own? Employing a resume writer to help can be a positive experience - if you’re prepared to work collaboratively and have realistic expectations. Below are five signs you’re in the right place to begin a resume project with a professional resume writer.1. You have time to be part of the process. Resume writing is a very collaborative process. Expect to spend time being interviewed by the writer or completing some sort of questionnaire so the writer can gather the appropriate information. It isn’t enough to forward a copy of your old resume and expect them to glean the best information from it. If you are extremely busy, under an enormous amount of stress or just not interested in working collaboratively, this might not be the best time to embark on an overhaul of your resume with a professional resume writer.2. You’ve spent time thinking about the value you can bring to an employer. The writer’s job is to best represent you and advertise the benefits you can bring to an organization. But she can only write from the information you supply. A good writer will ask targeted questions to unearth the key information she needs to write a strong resume. You must be willing to be introspective about your past experience. You need to start thinking less about your job tasks and more about what makes you good at what you do. If you wait until the day you discuss what you have accomplished with your writer, you are sure to omit key information or forget something that could help the writer do a better job.3. You don’t expect your writer to embellish your skills. If you have an expectation that the writer is there to embellish your experience or suggest you have competencies you don’t, forget about it. An ethical writer will only create a true representation of your skills. We don’t make up stuff.4. You are ready to let go of outdated information and early-career experience listed on your resume. If you are so attached to the great work you did on a Y2K project in 1999 or your stellar GPA in 1982, you will struggle with one of the real benefits of working with a writer: the ability to look at all of your accomplishments objectively and showcase the ones that have the most relevance in the current market. Approach the process with an open mind and let the writer help you make decisions about the content â€" what to keep and what to toss.5. You don’t expect your resume to look just like the sample on the Web site. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great idea to review sample resumes to get an idea of a writer’s style. But don’t expect your resume to look like the one on the sample page. That resume represents someone else’s experience. Your resume must represent you and you alone. Your resume won’t stand out if it’s the same as every other drive-thru hamburger stand. Imagine the resume-writing process as a salad bar that mixes and matches the best choices for each individual.

8 Gifts Any Working Mom Would Love

8 Gifts Any Working Mom Would Love 8 Gifts Any Working Mom Would Love Its not easy to come up with great gifts for working mothers. Many of us are too busy or distracted even to think about let alone tell someone what we need or want to make our lives easier. But these working mother gifts are practical surefire winners. Try them for the working mom you know! 01Anything That Can Help Organize Her Life More LukaTDB/Getty Images This might seems like a boring gift but any working mom would love to receive a high-tech device that helps her clean quicker.Check out this review of the six best steam mops to buy in 2018, then head over to any retail store, or pick on up online.   It's the thought that counts Any gift to a working mom will be appreciated. She is a hard worker both at home and at work. Giving her a gift will make her feel appreciated and special, which is just what she'd like to feel.