Revealed The 10 most annoying office phrases

Revealed The 10 most annoying office phrases by Michael Cheary ‘Can I borrow you for a sec’ named most overused and irritating workplace phrase ‘Dial it up’ revealed as most misunderstood jargonOnline terms ‘OMG’, ‘LOL’, ‘Epic fail’ starting to creep into colleague conversationsOn the surface, it may seem like a polite way to ask for someone’s time. But asking ‘Can I borrow you for a sec’ is also a guaranteed way to irritate your colleagues, according to our latest research.The phrase was named not only the most overused (41 per cent) but also the most frustrating saying (13 per cent) heard in the workplace.String theoryThe survey of 2,000 workers, revealing the most commonly used sayings at work, also highlighted perennial meeting favourites ‘How long is a piece of string?’ (33 per cent) and ‘Move the goal post’ (28 per cent), which were named the second and third most overused respectively.And when it comes to motivating staff, be wary of using phrases such as ‘Teamwork, dreamwork†™ as one in eleven Brits (9 per cent) confessed it as the second most irritating phrase they used at work.Second came ‘win-win’ (9 per cent), and ‘blue sky thinking’ (8 per cent) rounded out the top three when it comes to our buzzword bugbears.Jargon overloadWork based jargon is commonplace, with 94 per cent of workers saying they are exposed to it, however the study highlights that many do not know the true meaning behind a phrase.‘Dial it up’ is the most misunderstood expression in the workplace, with two fifths (42 per cent) believing it means ‘make a phone call’ rather than ‘amplify’.A further 41 per cent think that ‘What’s the red thread?’ is code for ‘What’s the risk?’ when in fact it means ‘What is the consistent theme?’ And two in five (42 per cent) believe ‘let’s take it offline’ means ‘let’s discontinue this email conversation and continue it face-to-face’, instead of ‘Let’s discuss that after the meeting in private’.RO FLFinally, those with a particular peeve for overused lingo at work should watch out. It might just be about to get a whole lot worse.‘OMG’ (26 per cent), ‘LOL’ (19 per cent) and ‘On fleek’ (4 per cent) are slowly creeping into workplace conversations with employees taking them offline and using them ‘IRL’.#Cringe.Phrases guaranteed to irritate your co-workersCan I borrow you for a sec? (13%)How long is a piece of string? (11%)Think outside the box (11%)Teamwork, dreamwork (11%)Keep me in the loop (9%)Win-win (9%)Pick your brains (8%)I’m stacked (8%)Blue sky thinking (8%)Just playing devil’s advocate (8%)The most overused sayings in the workplace Can I borrow you for a sec? (41%)Pick your brains (36%)Think outside the box (35%)Keep me in the loop (34%)Get the ball rolling (34%)All hands on deck (33%)How long is a piece of string? (33%)Back to the drawing board (31%)Can you shed some light on this (30%)Move the goal-post (28%)Online expressions people say in the w orkplaceOMG (26%)LOL (19%)FYI (12%)Epic fail (10%)Cringe (8%)Swag (6%)YOLO (5%)On point / on fleek (4%)For the win (4%)That’s cray (3%)Need to get out of the office? Find your perfect position now.Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Features Workplace culture

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How Companies Can Avoid Costly Wrong Turns

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How Companies Can Avoid Costly Wrong Turns You might think that Mickey Mouse is Walt Disneys greatest creation, but that little mouse with the big ears isnt what has kept the company so profitable all these years. It was something else that Disney created: his corporate theory. That doesnt sound near as cute or engaging as Mickey, but it proved to be the invention that would put the company on the path to continually creating value. More important, it saved the Disney company when it became the target of a hostile takeover in 1984. In a nutshell, Disneys corporate theory written many decades ago was this: Children and adults will be enduringly captivated by creating engaging characters set in visual fantasy worlds mostly through animation and growth can be sustained by placing these characters in film and further developing them through other entertainment assets. Disney used this theory with great success throughout his years at the helm, but the company started to decline after his death in 1966. The company floundered and seemed to shift away from animation until the takeover threat. Thats when Michael Eisner took over, and promptly rediscovered Disneys original theory of how to create value in entertainment, says Todd Zenger in his book, Beyond Competitive Advantage: How to Solve the Puzzle of Sustaining Growth While Creating Value. With Disneys corporate theory in hand, Eisner invested heavily in animated production, leading to such hits as The Little Mermaid and The Lion King. Business Transformation Are You Transforming in the Right Way? Zenger says that Disneys strategy is a great example of a powerful corporate theory. It not only provided direction and vision for senior managers, but it also helped leaders to make decisions regarding acquisitions, resources and activities. In other words, with Disneys corporate theory, the company was able to make theright strategic decisionswithout costly wrong turns, he says. Zenger, a global expert on corporate strategy, says that if more companies followed Disneys lead and designed a corporate theory, they would be able to sustain a strong position in even the most competitive markets. Just like a scientific theory, a corporate theory is aimed at improving a companys chances of selecting the most valuable paths whileminimizing costly mistakes. Its a logic that managers can repeatedly use to make decisions when confronted with a dizzying array of assets, resources and activities, Zenger says. The challenge that many companies face today is that once they achieve a target (read more here)

Best All-Natural Moisturizers of 2018 Revealed

Best All-Natural Moisturizers of 2018 Revealed It’s 2018. A year straight out of sci-fi novels. We were supposed to have flying cars, or at least hover boards by now. Right? Beauty is no different. So why are there so many awful, chemical-filled moisturizers out there? Probably because we keep getting suckered into buying harmful snake-oil that simply doesn’t work and, even worse, makes our skin breakout, dry out, and flake out. That’s why we scoured the one future-technology that’s truly lived up to expectations (the internet), for all the best moisturizers that seriously kick wrinkle booty. But we didn’t stop there. We ordered the best of the bunch and tested them on our own skin. In order to keep things consistent, we stuck to a few simple guiding rules as part of our research. Our top-rated selections had to be: Naturally derived Effective and work as promised Provide great value So let’s jump into it shall we? #3: Tata Harper Repairative Moisturizer / $120 (1.7 oz.) We love Tatas, Tata Harper that is. This one is fantastic. After just a week of use our skin was honestly glowing, and it just seemed so happy to have an all-natural product hydrating it. Yes, it has a mind of its own and a very sassy attitude to boot. This repairative moisturizer is incredibly refreshing and works as a solid base under makeup no balling when rubbed or slippage at all throughout the day. We thought it smelled EXACTLY like Lushs Marilyn Hair Treatment, which people either love or hate. Overall it has scents of chamomile and lemon, but the main scent seems to be rose. We noticed definite improvement in skin elasticity and love the glass bottle, although they need to improve the pump since some of the product escapes out the sides. Tata Harper Repairative Moisturizer is 100% natural and moisturizes all day without feeling greasy. The only downside is some may not appreciate the product’s smell. At $120 this cream isn’t cheap, but a little goes a long way and provides a great value. We were good for the day with just a single pump. On to #2… #2: La Mer The Concentrate / $360 (1 oz.) Okay, let’s just get this disclaimer out of the way: yes, this stuff will take all of your money BUT that’s because it works. La Mer is NOT new to the game, and has perfected a natural, hand-harvested sea kelp derived formula that feels every bit as luxurious as the price demands. That said, it does have some downsides. A few of our testers felt totally drowned in silicone after application. Skin types obviously vary, and it’s important to keep in mind a small amount goes a very long way here, so it’s super easy to apply too much until you get the hang of it. Beware of breakouts. Again, none of our testers experienced this, but we read plenty of reviews from people who had issues with zits. Stick to using a small amount and, of course, it’s always a good idea to test on a small patch of skin to check for sensitivity or breakouts before applying to your entire face and neck. Those risks aside, this stuff is liquid gold. Yes, it costs as much as gold, but we all saw amazing results. Pores were refined, our skin felt so soft to the touch, fine lines were plumped up, and the hydration was near perfection. If you’re able to take the plunge, we say go for it. However, those looking for similar results at a cheaper price point should consider our #1 pick #1: B22 Night Gel / $120 (2 oz.)   Brand new and almost completely unheard of, we were somewhat skeptical at first. But holy moly are we glad we gave this one a try. The gel felt every bit as luxurious as the La Mer Concentrate, yet didn’t have any of the heavy greasiness that tends to go along with over-application. We saw significant improvement in fine line reduction and overall dryness was eradicated. What’s in this stuff anyway? The secret behind B22 is oxygen. Unlike the other products we tested, B22 comes from the Desert Hot Springs of Southern California. There’s a VERY famous hot spring there loaded with healing minerals. If we could afford it (aka didn’t blow our budget on La Mer), we’d be on the first plane out there to soak in its luxurious waters. As we get older, our skin tends to lose oxygen, which leads to dull, dry, and wrinkly skin. B22 is the next best thing you can do for your skin without having daily access to the hot springs. We loved the refreshing lavender scent and the cute little jar and packaging it came inall the ingredients you need for the perfect shelfie. Similarly priced to Tata Harper and a third of the cost of La Mer makes this product the best bang for your buck. Go forth and hydrate! Be sure to check out their  Facebook,  Instagram,  Pinterest  and  Twitter  for the more info.

The 5 Best Business Networking Strategies - Classy Career Girl

The 5 Best Business Networking Strategies Networking is a true investment in your business. If you are well connected, you will be able to find what you need in 1-2 phone calls. You can save time because you will have the right people and resources at your fingertips when you need them. Clients will come to you effortlessly and you don’t have to work so hard when you are effectively implementing the correct business networking strategies. But, networking can also waste a lot of time if you arent doing it the right way. The goal of business networking is making sure that you are focused on  your goal at all times. This isnt just about meeting cool people. It is strategic. Also, remember that online networking is not the same as in person networking. A lot of people are hiding behind their computers right now but you will get the best results if you can meet someone face to face. My best friends and mentors have come from networking in person.  The 5 Best Business Networking Strategies 1. Change Your Networking Mindset This is crucial and where a lot of mistakes are made by new business owners desperate to make some cash. Instead of thinking, “How can I push my agenda? How can I get or keep attention on myself? What can I say to really impress or manipulate?” Think instead, “What can I give and offer to others? How can I help others to be successful? How can I start and continue friendly conversations? How can I put others at ease? How can I best express my sincerity and generosity?” 2. Know Your Goals You must know why you are networking. Do you want more clients, mentors or new friends? Remember to surround yourself with positive influences. Try your hardest to learn from and surround yourself with people who are where you want to be. Up level your circles and gain more access to people who can help you further your success. Previously, I used business networking to get new clients. That didnt always work so well. What I do now is focus instead of networking on finding new mentors and partners. When I stay focused on this, the clients thing always happens anyways and I can focus more on helping and surrounding myself with people I admire and motivate me to be better. An event I am attending in March is surely to get me more knowledge and training.  The plus is that I will also meet a ton of new people at the event, too. I know the type of people at the event will be great partners, but I didnt make the decision to go based on who I would meet. I made the decision based off knowledge I would learn and the motivation I would get at the event. So try to pick some events that are a mix of your goals including training, new mentors and partners. [RELATED: How to Start a Mastermind Group] 3. Get Started Now Get out there and go! Find the conferences, business networking events and trade shows that will help you reach your networking goal. But, be realistic with your time. Don’t wear yourself out. The best thing you can do is to book the event ahead of time. If you wait, youll never go. Right now I have a conference booked in March in Arizona that I booked back in September. Be looking 6 months ahead for events and ask other business owners and friends what events they recommend attending. Once you book it and pay for it,  you have to go! But if you dont pay for it, there are a million excuses not to go, right? 4. Make a Great Impression Get your business cards ready and get ready to start handing them out. Business cards are not dead. You should always have them on you even if you are at the grocery store. My favorite place to find business cards that stand out is Moo.com. Then, youll want to make sure you look your best so that you can be confident throughout the event. You also will want to save time getting ready in the morning by having your clothes ready to go. Another idea I had for this next event is getting my hair done right before the event, so I dont have to worry about my hair for a few days since blow-outs usually last that long! Also, have your elevator pitch down pat  and questions ready to go to start asking people. [RELATED: Business Networking Mistakes] 5. Follow up Its always about the follow-up. This is the difference between meeting your goals with networking and not meeting your goals. Heres the secret. You have to keep track of who you are networking with and what they are telling you! I have an excel spreadsheet where I keep track of what advice people tell me when I am out networking, who I  have met and when I need to follow-up with them.  Create your own follow-up system, but make sure you use it. I actually use this system even when I listen to podcasts from my online mentors. If they say something that I need to take action on, I write it down. You can learn a lot from so many experts these days virtually. If you found a client that is interested in what you do and could be perfect for your services, always email them with something free like a free blog article or PDF. Even better, follow-up with a free session so you can talk with them more and learn more about their frustrations and desires. Then, you can tell them how you can help. Also, know your process for turning people you meet into customers. Youll want to implement a sales funnel and make notes on each business card you collect. Know what you are going to do with those cards the minute you get home. Don’t wait.

Why Do Employers Require Writing Education on a Resume?

Why Do Employers Require Writing Education on a Resume?Every day, more employers are demanding the use of professional writing education section of a resume. This is not only because it improves your chances of getting the job but also because it helps in improving your chances of persuading the employer to hire you for the job.Job seekers have so much of work ahead of them. We need to find our right niche, hone our skill sets, make good contacts, and learn about the market dynamics. Therefore, writing and completing the educational course of most of us has been ruled out by most of us. But there are some who still resort to writing or learning while writing a resume.It seems to be a very difficult task. Is it really? Well, a writing education section is absolutely necessary for everyone. Every person who wants to be successful in this field should start his career as a writer. Therefore, writing education section is compulsory for all.The use of professional writing is a great advan tage and should be used in every resume. One can certainly think of many reasons to include a professional writing on a resume. However, the most important reason for including professional writing in a resume is that it makes a difference in the chance of getting the job.The self-education provided by writing education section of a resume makes your resume look more professional. The benefit is that, it puts your writing in a class. You are already a professional by just using it. If you include professional writing in your resume, you are already more qualified for the job and you are just giving them more reason to hire you.Writing education section on a resume makes your resume appear more professional, as compared to any other person who is putting up a resume. It also gives a different aura and appearance to your resume. Therefore, it is one of the best things that could be included in your resume. This is one of the most important reasons why every resume must contain a writi ng education section.As part of professional writing course, you must have a proofreading and editing facility along with a school certificate. This would be very beneficial for you. You would not have to hunt for an editor or proofreader. You will get everything done at the side of your employer. This is very much necessary for writing professionals and most of them are always looking for ways and means to get professional editing services.The writing education section of a resume is the best way to increase your chances of getting hired and this is the only thing that needs to be included in a resume. Therefore, take it into consideration.

How to Stop Feeling Sorry for Yourself

How to Stop Feeling Sorry for Yourself Have you ever felt sorry for yourself? Or found yourself wallowing so deeply in self-pity that you couldn’t even gather the energy to find a shoulder to cry on? I have. It’s usually after a setback related to something I expected to turn out great but ended in disappointment. And most of the time, it’s related to my work. Here’s a recent example. From flying high to landing with a thud My team and I had just put the finishing touches on a major project and we were delighted. It had gone better than we imagined. Our results far exceeded anything else we’d ever done and we were flying high! On the wave of that excitement, we jumped straight into a new project thinking, “hey, we’ve got this project thing down to a science!” About three quarters of the way through, we were nowhere near our targets and time was running out. Let’s just say that gravity kicked in and we landed back to reality with a thud. Fortunately, it was just a thud and not a crash! That night, I started to get really down on myself. After all, I was the leader and it was my responsibility. So, I got into my comfy clothes (the kind you don’t want to be seen wearing in public) and curled up in a blanket on my couch to write an email to my team. It was along the lines of woe is me â€" I’m at a loss for what to do, sorry I’ve let you down. But then a blessing occurred â€" my laptop battery died. By the time I threw off my blanket, leapt off the couch and plugged in the charger, my draft email had disappeared. Only the government will be able to retrieve that one! Leaders can’t afford to be pathetic Although I do my best not to judge, blame or label things, a big fat judgmental labeling thought popped into my head. “Stop being so pathetic!” Who wants to be pathetic, right? It's totally uncool. Pathetic is for those guys with sad puppy eyes that nobody wanted to date in high school. It’s definitely not something you want from the fearless leader of your team. Rise up and take action That's when I challenged myself to rise up and take action. Actions always make me feel better. My challenge to myself was to make a list of 20 actions that I or my team could take right away to turn the project around. Frankly, I didn’t think I could think of even 10, but this was supposed to be a big enough challenge to shake me out of my doldrums. So I doubled the number to 20 and stretched my imagination. Get others involved In the end, it took just 5 minutes to come up with 19 (still missing that last one, but that's okay). Nothing beats writing with what one of my mentors calls a hot pen! Then I posted the list on our team’s shared messaging platform (we use Slack). Over the next 30 minutes, my team and I messaged back and forth. We decided to implement 16 of them and came up with a new idea in the process. While we didn't know how things would turn out, it felt satisfying to know we would have done everything we could think of to put ourselves in a position to succeed. As my father says, “once you’ve done all you can do, you can let the chips fall where they may”. We also learned a ton, which matters since that won't be the last project we do. Challenge yourself So, if you find yourself in a similar situation one day, don’t give in to wallowing in self-pity and feeling sorry for yourself. Instead, challenge yourself to take an action. Most importantly, get your team or community involved. When you get your challenges and ideas out into the open, it’s amazing what can happen. And whatever you do, keep learning, keep growing and keep going! Now, I’d love to hear from you. What do you do to stop feeling sorry for yourself? Leave a comment and let me know.

5 Careers that Didnt Exist a Decade Ago - CareerAlley

5 Careers that Didn’t Exist a Decade Ago - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Say goodbye to the oldies, but goodies, because the good old days werent always good and tomorrow aint as bad as it seems Billy Joel Whether youre a graduate on your first employment hunt or a young professional looking for a career change, you want to pick a job thats got a future. One way to do this? Pick a career in a new or developing field. Here are five career choices that hadnt been invented when you were in grade school: Digital Journalist Digital journalists are like the energizer bunnies of journalism: you find stories quicker and deliver news faster by blogging, micro-blogging, vlogging, texting, tweeting, and generally feeding the social media frenzy. This is a relatively new field, born from the publics ever increasing consumption of on-demand, easy-to-digest news. As such, the new breed of reporters must distinguish which stories are best told through what mediumwords, photographs, video, audio recording, or visual graphics. A word of warning: because youre often working without the safety net of an editor, digital journalists need a strong knowledge of journalism ethics and media laws. That way, you can avoid career-killing situations, like getting sued for libel.Average salary: $25,480$51,210 Environmental Economist Mathematically minded folks who are interested in greening up their jobs should consider becoming Environmental Economists. This career choice marries ecological and economic sustainability: you perform cost/benefit analysis of government policies that deal with air pollution, water quality, waste, and global warming. Environmental Economics has been around for a while. But now that everyone and their mother are concerned about shrinking their carbon footprints (and rightly so), this career field is developing into a professional hot spot.Average salary: $60,990$119,630 TSA Officer The Transportation Security Administration (TSA for short) was created exactly ten years ago in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Since then, TSA agents have been screening passengers, baggage, and cargo to protect our friendly skies. At first glance, this job might not seem a littlewell, boring. Going through some ladys bag to find her illegal tweezers isnt a job most people dream about. However, TSA officers often receive extensive training in the fields of security, intelligence, and counter-terrorism which can lead to other career openings. And youre the first line of defense against any and all threats.Average salary:$21,980$39,990 Forensic Accountant If youre a math whiz but have always secretly fantasized about investigating and bringing down criminals, why not combine your two interests and enter the world of forensic accounting? Investigating insurance claims, tax evasion, money laundering, and fraud are all part of the daily grind. But its not all paper trails and numbers; forensic accountants are often called as expert witnesses in court. Technically, this job is more than ten years old, but the demand has grown exponentially in recent times (Bernie Madoff, anyone?).Average salary:$46,740$79,470 Online Reputation Manager Anyone whos Googled themselves understands the value of an online reputation manager. Whether youre deleting Facebook photos of a CEO smoking something strange, or responding to complaints about a companys product, online rep managers works to maintain a pristine online image for their clients. Whats it take to succeed in this position? Not a lot beyond a firm grasp on social media, strong communication skills, and the willingness to spin a story. The field is so new that even the experts have only been working there for a couple of years. more Five Unusual Vocational Career Paths Annie Favreau works forInside Jobs, a career exploration site that helps people discover a career theyll love and build strong, successful futures. Join the conversation@InsideJobs! This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search.