Always let your boss have the first say

A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, “I’ll give each of you just one wish”

“Me first! Me first!” says the admin. clerk. “I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.” Poof! She’s gone.

“Me next! Me next!” says the sales rep. “I want to be in Hawaii,relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.” Poof! He’s gone. “OK, you’re up,” the Genie says to the manager.

The manager says, “I want those two back in the office after lunch.”

Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

Bullshit

A turkey was chatting with a bull “I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree,” sighed the turkey, but I haven’t got the energy.” “Well, why don’t you nibble on my droppings?” replied the bull. “They’re packed with nutrients.” The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. Soon he was spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.

Moral of the story: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it wont keep you there.

Of Ducks And Crocodiles

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful village on a hill. The simple villagers worked hard on their terrace farms. Everything was perfect, apart from one problem. There wasn't enough water through the year. The rainy season was fine, but at other times, the villagers relied on a lake on top of the hill. In rainy season, the hard-working villagers collected water in buckets and filled the lake. Once full, the village enjoyed the lake water rest of the year. It was a good system and the village was set to prosper. The lake also became a wonderful picnic spot. It housed some beautiful ducks. The children from the village liked to come watch them. The ducks often invited the children for a swim.

The villagers felt they owed their life to the lake. The ducks became like deities. In particular, there was a family of ducks with gold-tipped feathers. Villagers saw these golden ducks as a divine life source. When the villagers toiled to collect buckets of water to refill the lake, they chanted praise for the golden ducks.

Other ducks also followed the golden ducks. The golden ducks had appointed a wise duck - an old, intellectual looking duck - to stand at the centre of the lake. The wise duck barely moved, and the stillness added to his mystique. Villagers prayed to the wise duck as well.

Everything was wonderful. Sometimes, the golden ducks smiled at the villagers and everyone would go into an ecstatic frenzy. The wise duck always had the same expression so it was difficult to tell if he was smiling or not.

One day, however, things went horribly wrong. Three children who had come to the lake for a swim went missing. People looked everywhere, but the children could not be found. The next week, two more children went missing. The villagers went to the only person they knew could have an answer - the golden and the wise ducks.

However, the golden ducks didn't speak. The wise duck said something like this could not happen in this village.

The next week, four more children went missing. One villager found some bits of children's fingers by the lake. It looked like someone had eaten the kids. The villager heard a rustle in the water. He could recognise the creature.

"Crocodiles in the holy lake!" the villager screamed as he ran across the village square.

The villagers went into a panic. However, they could not believe it. They confronted the holy ducks again, although apologetically, as they didn't like to disturb them so often. "What are you talking about?" the wise duck said, "We have no crocodiles. Other jealous villages have stolen our babies." The wise duck, having said enough, limped away to swim to the other side of the lake. The golden ducks remained in their private cave.

Over six months, 50 children went missing. Some villagers pointed fingers at the lake, but the villagers called such people attention-seeking hacks and ignored them. The villagers felt that if the wise duck had said there were no crocodiles, there were no crocodiles.

One night, however, almost all the villagers heard a noise from the lake. Scared, they woke up and tiptoed there. They were stunned at what they saw. There was a grand party of crocodiles by the lake. They had all come out to feast, dance and lay new eggs. Some ducks danced with the crocodiles too. The golden duck family remained in their private cave and the wise duck sat still at the corner of the lake.

"Oh wise duck," villagers rushed to him, "what is this? You said there are no crocodiles."

The wise duck seemed in pain as he spoke. "You have to compromise sometimes," he said.

"With people who eat our babies?" the villagers said. "If you had told us early, we could have killed the few initial crocodiles. Now there are hundreds of them. Why, wise duck, why?"

Dawn broke even as the wise duck remained silent. After many months, it promised to be a sunny day. The sunrays came out, enabling one to see under the water clearly. The villager saw the wise duck's feet in the water. A strong set of teeth grabbed it. Aghast, the villagers saw the set of crocodile eyes under the water. It swam away. The wise duck, leg stuck to the reptile's jaw, went along with him.

The villagers realised what was going on. Even the golden duck family had crocodiles outside their cave.

"Enough's enough, we have to do something ourselves," the villagers said.

Over the next few months, they started to dig a new lake. They also made several mini-lakes at various levels of the terrace farm. They put strong iron meshes, so the crocodiles could not enter. The villagers collected buckets of water and filled it in the new lakes. One smart villager put an underground pipe to empty out the old lake and fill the new one. Soon, the old lake had no water. As it dried up, the crocodiles and ducks struggled to live. They begged the villagers for some water but the villagers paid no attention.

The new lakes opened, and the villagers loved them. They also realised that they made the lake, and not the other way around. Children came back to swim in the new lakes, crops had enough water and the village prospered like never before. Everyone in the old lake died. And then, the villagers lived happily ever after.

When a rose is not a rose

A wilting rose, wrinkling skin, greying hair, growing kid, all of these remind us of one fact of life, and that fact is: Impermanence.

Has this fact of life ever troubled you? Disturbed you deeply? Then you are lucky, because in you, a Buddha could be born. All of us are aware of the story how Siddhartha became the Buddha because he was deeply perturbed by the scenes of a sick person, an old man and a dead body being carried to the burial ground. It prompted him to question the nature of life and led him finally to nirvana.

Let us enquire, is suffering truly in the fact that our skin is less charming or in the fact that we are not as much in control of our business or household as we were 20 or 30 years ago? No. Our suffering is in the non-acceptance of change. Life is a process of change but whether we evolve through it or degrade through the process is in our hands. Great people do not have special situations that made them 'great'. They pay great attention to ordinary situations of life without ignoring or evading them.

Why do we resist change? It is because we are afraid of losing the beautiful experiences of life. Love, pleasure, significance, happiness, comfort and other beauties of life that we cherish, we do not want the ruthless wave of life to wash them away. We do not know what the 'new' might hold for us. Fear of uncertainty drives us to resist change. On the contrary if permanence were the nature of life, then what if pain, displeasure, anger, disappointment, fear, frustration and the whole host of unpleasant experiences continue ad infinitum? That would be, being stuck in a hellhole.

Seated beneath the Pipal tree 2,500 years ago, Buddha taught the Pratitya Samutpada Sutra which said, "This is because that is. If this is not, then that is not". True happiness is sourced in wisdom that everything changes. Change happens as the factors that go to constitute something change. Your skin changes when there are biological changes. That we know. What causes a relationship to change? The emotion you feel towards a person is dependent on the perceptions you hold at that point of time.

As life throws up more and more experiences, your perceptions keep changing. Love, affection, friendship do continue through life but they, too, take on the changes life brings on them and evolve with time. That is why relationship between partners is never where it started. It changes with passing years. If necessary awareness is brought to it, it has the potential to give you more joy and togetherness. In unawareness the relationship could degenerate into pain and displeasure.

As we observe the truth of what the Buddha spoke, we come to clarity, to peace with ourselves. Who have we to blame? What can really be held responsible for our unhappiness? Some deep-seated anguish, disappointments and yearnings lose charge over us as this wisdom dawns. All of us have a control freak hidden in us shrieking for absolute power over everything; all of us have a perfectionist hankering for the creme de la creme in every situation; all of us have a lover in us looking out for ideal responses from loved ones. How do you think our thirst could ever be quenched? It can only be appeased. Hence, the Buddha spoke of freedom as the appeasement of all obsessions. Our obsessions can be appeased when we see what life is at this moment; it is not the next moment. A rose is not a rose if it stays forever.

6 Steps To Successfully Switching Financial Careers

Breaking into the securities industry is incredibly difficult. Success takes years of study and work, followed by a few more years of "paying your dues". So, what happens if you finally reach the pinnacle, only to realize you've been climbing the wrong mountain?

Financial professionals who aren't happy in their chosen fields are not doomed to start at the bottom. If you're a trader, analyst, broker or compliance officer looking to shift into another financial field, the good news is that with a little patience and hard work, it is possible. In this article we'll explore the six steps you should take to make sure your career transition is a smooth one.

Step 1: Swallow Your Pride

It's important to know right from the start that when you pursue a new career path, you'll likely have to take a cut in pay (and in title) in order to make the jump. For example, it's unrealistic for a seasoned trader to become a new stockbroker and expect to match his or her previous salary right off the bat. It takes a tremendous amount of time and patience to build up a client base and assets.

As you'll come to learn, a successful career switch will require a lot of work and a lot of preparation. Don't expect to dive right in.

Step 2: Hone Your Skills Before You Make the Jump

You will probably want to go back to school to learn about your new career path before you actually pursue it. For example, a person might go back to school to study personal finance or economics if he or she wants to become a financial advisor, or take an options trading classes to become a trader.

In addition to schooling, you should also be prepared to study and sit for certain securities exams.This obviously could take a significant amount of time and energy, so take some time to weigh this decision before you start saying your farewells to your boss and coworkers.

Finally, when you start a new job, you may also be asked to "shadow" a more senior employee for a period of time to learn all of the idiosyncrasies that go along with the job. The time you'll have to spend job shadowing should also be factored into your decision.

Step 3: Be Honest With Your Current Boss

Once you know that you want to change careers you should talk to your boss about the decision. Your current boss probably won't be thrilled - especially if you are a top-producing broker - but, if you are upfront and honest about your reason for wanting a change, the odds are good your boss will understand.

The best way to break the news is to just go for it - don't beat around the bush. Explain why you want to make the switch, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Your boss might be able to help guide you into a new career, and might have contacts to help you on your way.

Step 4: Find a Mentor

Prior to making any switch in positions, you should try to find a mentor or someone who will be on your side, and will show you the ropes in the new job. Preferably, this should be someone with seniority, as it will make the switch much easier. Before actually making the big switch, try to network with other members of the target department at company or industry-related functions. Once you build up a rapport with someone you like and respect, you can ask if he or she would be willing to take you on as a protégé. You'd be surprised how willing most people are to help. But unless you ask, you'll never find out!

Step 5: Don't Sell Yourself Short

It was mentioned earlier that you should be prepared for a pay cut. This is true; however, switching jobs doesn't mean you should accept a rookie salary.

During salary negotiations, be sure to emphasize your existing skill set and your educational and professional experience in the industry. Your previous position gave you knowledge and skills that the average new recruit has no chance of matching. Use this to your advantage to get the job you want. You can also use it to negotiate a slightly more favorable pay package.

Step 6: Clear Your Schedule

Once you make the switch, you'll have to be ready for hard work. Anyone looking to transition into a new career should be prepared to come in early each morning and to leave late as he or she becomes proficient in the new job.

Before starting the new position, try to complete any personal chores or tasks that you had planned such as fixing up the basement or putting a new roof on the house. After all, you will need as few distractions and stresses as possible.

The Bottom Line

Making a career shift within the securities industry is possible, if you plan ahead and are willing to work hard. Your previous knowledge and experience can give you a boost, turning a treacherous mountain climb into a leisurely hike.

Sell Your Skills, Not Your Degree

Since you graduated, you've probably developed skills beyond what you learned in college. Therefore, you may not have to go back to college if you want or need to change careers. In fact, if you're looking to make a career move, you might be more successful if you look more broadly at your set of skills and learn how to sell those to employers outside of your current career and education niche.

Focus Your Career Goals

Do you already know what you want your next career move to be? If so, you can jump ahead to the section on creating a skills-based resume. If you don't, you have several options.

First, make a list of what you are looking for in a new career. For instance, are you thinking about changing jobs because you no longer want to sit in a cubicle for eight hours a day? Then your list should include something like "must involve being away from my desk at least four hours per day." Similarly, you may want to have a job that doesn't require a lot of overtime. Consider your preferences for required travel or working on projects in teams or independently. You may not get everything you want, but brainstorming is a great start.

Next, conduct research using descriptions of what you are looking for in a career. Ignore jobs you know are outside of your field of interest. For instance, if somehow "lion tamer" comes up in your search - and your friend's cat makes you nervous - you should eliminate it from any further discussion.

Based on your search results, narrow research to careers that fit at least five out of 10 things you want in a new career. Pick five careers for building a skills-based resume.

University career centers can help you with the following:

• Career tests to help you find what you might like to do next
• Job placement
• Resume review and workshops

Volunteering

Still not sure what your next move should be or need guidance in defining your career goals? Volunteer for a charity organization and/or call the career center at your old university for help. Remember to bring the list of what you are looking for in a new career position with you.

Volunteers at nonprofit organizations are often given as much responsibility as they want to have and extra guidance because they are working for free. You could learn leadership and training skills while showing newer volunteers the ropes or marketing and sales skills while helping to promote charity events. Let volunteer coordinators know what your skills are, so they can assign tasks to help you move forward.

Create a Skills-Based Resume

Step 1: List all jobs you've held.

Jot down at least five tasks you performed in each job. For instance, working in teams to create ad campaigns, helping customers find the right products within your company's product line, making travel arrangements for industry conventions or negotiating prices with suppliers.

Then, under each task, write down how you completed this task. Not only will you see one-word skills such as "organizing" or "problem solving", but you'll also find the expanded details you need for adding specifics to your resume. You will not copy your job listings into your resume, but this exercise will be the basis for step three.

Step 2: Browse career sites for your skills.

Select the new career fields in which you are interested. Then, enter descriptions of your skills one at a time into the search box.This will help you determine the specific position titles that could work with the skills you have. Pick five job listings to mull over and study the full descriptions.

Step 3: Showcase skills that fit descriptions of your desired positions.

Pick two skills you possess that match the job listings you selected. Create separate skills sections for your resume for each position. For instance, a resume for an event planning position could list travel planning and problem solving as skills. Skills you could use for a merchandising manager position might include organization, negotiation and/or market analysis.

After picking two of your skills per job, add five to 10 bullets under each skill with your accomplishments in this area. The bullets should be similar to the bullets in step two, but your accomplishment listings will be more detailed.

Step 4: Format your resume.

• Put your name, address, and contact information at the top.
• Objective - Limit your objective to one sentence that specifies an objective directed at the specific position to which you are applying. Don't write that you are looking for new experiences in a creative field. Specify what you want to do for that company.
• Have a section for education below your skills. You want your skills to stand out more than your degree.
• Summary of your experience. List all your post-college jobs, your dates of employment and the city and state. If you have a lengthy career history, limit your previous jobs section to where you developed the skills in your resume. Volunteer positions can be included.

The Bottom Line

Most people will change careers at least once in their lives; some will change occupations multiple times. If you went back to school each time, you'd take on a new professional title: lifetime student. Use your professional skills to catapult you into a new career field instead.

How to Get Hired If You're Underqualified

I'm continually surprised by how many people don't realize that the "required qualifications" in job ads are like wish lists, not inflexible lists of requirements. Those qualifications are a composite of someone's idea of the ideal candidate. Believe me; they will look at people who don't perfectly match it. So when a job posting requires four years of experience and you only have two, you're not automatically disqualified. If you think you could do the job, apply anyway.

That said, if you're a bit under-qualified, you need to work for it more. Here's how:

1. For starters, you must write a fantastic cover letter. If you don't do this and you're under-qualified, you have no shot.

2. Learn a ton about the company you're applying to, and let it show in your cover letter. I'm impressed when people know more than the basics about my organization and tie it into why they want to work for us. It's like the way it's far more enticing when a guy I'm dating talks specifics about why he's interested -- as opposed to seeming like he's looking for someone to fill the "girlfriend" slot he has open.

3. In your cover letter, acknowledge that you don't have every qualification they're looking for, and explain how you'll make up for it. (Be realistic here -- if they're hiring a graphic designer and you have no design experience, this won't work.) Acknowledging it is good because (a) it shows you paid attention to the ad -- something most people don't do -- and indicates an attention to detail that hiring managers love to see and (b) it shows that you're not one of those insanely overconfident candidates with no humility or sense of your own weaknesses.

4. Be likable. This is always important in a job search, and it's especially so when your qualifications alone aren't going to rocket you to the top of the pile. This means be friendly, not pushy or overbearing, and genuinely interested in the job, the organization, and your interviewer. Make it easy for us to want to help you.

5. From the cover letter on through the interview process, really paint a picture of things you've done well in past jobs (including volunteer jobs, if the reason you're under-qualified is because you're a recent grad or stay-at-home parent with little work experience).

Remember: Job ads are wish lists. Don't be deterred if you're not a perfect match