No.10 “Impossible – that can’t be done.”

This is the kind of shortsighted thinking no boss wants to hear about. It suggests both indifference and a lack of effort. Unless you follow it up with a solution or an alternative, it’s neither proactive nor even helpful to say such a thing.

No.9 “This is the best they could do, huh?”

Whether said in response to new office phones, computers or the banquet hall at a family-style restaurant rented for a Christmas party, this is one of those smart-ass comments that indicates to your boss and to others that you have a deluded sense of entitlement. It also belittles the efforts someone — possibly your boss or even his boss — has made.

No.8 “That’s not my problem.”

Be that as it may, this presupposes the existence of a problem and, more than likely, a frustrated boss or coworker in need of some assistance. At the very least, your boss is looking for someone to take responsibility of the solution to this problem — even if it wasn’t yours to begin with. That means he already knows it’s not your problem, so you can spare him the reminder.

No.7 “That isn’t in my job description.”

In one of the many great courtroom scenes in A Few Good Men, Tom Cruise asks a witness to point out where in the U.S. Marines manual the mess hall is indicated. Naturally it isn’t in there. The point is, a lot of things aren’t detailed in your job description, including e-mailing your friends from work or surfing the web, but you probably do those things anyways, right? So when the boss asks you to do something a little out of the ordinary, don’t take offense, and never say to your boss that it’s not in your job description to do it.

No.6 “Does it really matter if I get this finished?”

A strictly educational environment might promote the idea that there is no such thing as a dumb question, but this isn’t true at the office. To know the difference a good question to ask yourself is: “Will this question waste someone’s time?” No boss wants you to spend an hour doing a project incorrectly, but asking about the relevance of a project is time-wasting and insulting to both of you.

No.5 “That’s a no-brainer.”

As a tired cliché, this statement is offensive enough; however, delivered with just the right patronizing tone, it becomes an insult. Your boss doesn’t hear “no-brainer” as much as he hears, “The answer is obvious — how dumb are you?”

No.4 “We should totally hook up on Facebook.”

No, you shouldn’t. Ever. Your boss knows this and he might be a little disappointed that you don’t. Extending a request like this puts him in an uncomfortable position. He may be too nice to say no, or foolish enough to say yes. Either way, social interactions with your boss should, almost without question, be discouraged. We don’t mean you can’t mingle with him at office parties, but try not to plan weekend getaways with him and his family anytime soon.

No.3 “I got so trashed last night…”

You might just be jawing over the prior evening, but to your boss this could be a hint that you plan to be especially unproductive that day. It might also inform him that you have difficulty keeping your work and private lives separate and that you don’t have much discretion at all. This, in turn, can be a signal that you shouldn’t be trusted with additional responsibilities.

No.2 “I don’t get paid enough for this.”

Ninety-nine percent of the time you’ll be wrong when you say this. Furthermore, such a statement packs so many ready-made responses. Most potent among them might be, “Then quit, and fulfill your great untapped potential elsewhere.” All told, this kind of statement serves no other purpose but to b*tch and complain — which you do not want to do in front of, to or around your boss. Save it for people who might actually think you’re right, like your mother.

No.1 “Sigh”

The passive aggression and frustrating ambiguity of a sigh are what land it at the No. 1 spot. It can be delivered in response to the full range of requests from your boss, and it seems sufficiently open to interpretation to allow you to deny even having sighed at all.

But this is as true to you as it is absurd to your boss. We all know very well what a sigh means: It’s the official theme song of being annoyed and the national anthem of imposition.

It can be tough to pinpoint exactly what the term “personal brand” means, especially when it’s loosely used to describe everything from professional image, to manner of dress, to online reputation. While this broad definition may make the term seem like just another empty business buzzword — developing a personal brand can actually be a great get-ahead strategy for both job seekers and those looking to advance their careers.

So what exactly is a personal brand?

According to Dan Schawbel, author of “Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future” and owner of PersonalBrandingBlog.com, “A personal brand is what you stand for and what makes you special. [It's] composed of values, a mission, and a positioning statement that depict what you do and who your audience is. [It] is an indicator for how valuable you are to employers and customers at every stage of your career.”

Your personal brand also encompasses the way you market yourself to your professional community, whether it be via your résumé, your LinkedIn profile, your manner of speaking or, yes, even the way you dress.

While creating a personal brand may seem daunting, chances are, you’ve already started building one. Here’s what you need to know in order to expand upon, shape and make use of the personal brand you’re already creating.

Define your brand

First and foremost, you need to decide what you want your personal brand to convey about you.

According to Schawbel, “Your personal brand should represent something that is unique to you; your personality, your passions, your talents and your dream goal. Ask yourself: ‘What do I want to be known for?’”

For instance, if you’ve spent most of your career as a human resources manager in the financial world, and your ultimate goal is to become the vice president of human resources at an investment bank, then your personal brand needs to send the message that you’re an expert and a leader in the areas of HR, management and finance.

Market your brand

Once you decide upon your professional goals and values, it’s time to start letting others know about them. This may seem like an odd concept at first — especially for those who have trouble tooting their own horn, so to speak — but there are plenty of ways to subtly start getting your new message out there.

The Internet is a good place to start establishing both visibility and a strong personal brand, Schawbel says. “[Take] ownership of your online presence because that is where almost all first impressions now occur. Start your own blog or website under your full name, as well as accounts on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Then, add your bio information to each and start reaching out to people in your industry using the tools. By constantly getting your name, face and valuable content out there, you will start to build and shape your brand, which will turn into opportunities,” he says.

On LinkedIn and Facebook, for example, that may mean joining groups that reflect your professional goals. On Twitter, that means tweeting about what’s going on in your field instead of your plans for the weekend. If you have a blog, update it regularly with posts and insights on your industry.

Be consistent

“Think about how you dress, how you behave, what you publish online — and what that says about who you are,” Schawbel says. All of these things should be consistent with the message your personal brand is trying to send.

For example, if your goal is to reach an executive-level position in the next five years; highlight your leadership qualities on your résumé, follow corporate leaders on Twitter, offer to spearhead new projects at work and dress like you’re already in the executive position you’re aiming towards.

“Your brand should be consistent because you never know how someone might find you,” Schawbel says.

Look at how others are branding you

To gauge the effectiveness of the brand you’ve created for yourself, evaluate how others see you — and whether it’s in line with the image you want to project.

“You know you’re communicating your brand effectively when your self-impression is equal to how people perceive you,” Schawbel says. “One way to find out this information is to see how people categorize you on Twitter, with Twitter lists. If you’re a personal finance expert, but people put you in real estate lists, you have a real problem.”

If you’re not on Twitter, asking colleagues or friends to sum up your professional image in a sentence or two will help you evaluate whether you’re branding yourself properly.

The bottom line, Schawbel says, is that “By building your brand throughout your career, you protect yourself from the unpredictable nature of the economy, and gain more career options and opportunities.” And in a time like this, who couldn’t use more opportunity?

Here’s the thing: Sometimes we’re selling our ideas, sometimes we’re selling our products and, these days, many of us are selling ourselves as the best candidate for the job.

With this in mind, here’s the proven formula for selling your best self to anybody, anywhere, any time.

First: Yale University did a study of the 12 most persuasive words in the English language. They discovered that the most persuasive word in the English language is “you.” Consequently, I recommend throwing it around a lot: “As I’m sure you know,” “As I’m sure you’ve heard,” “I wanted to talk to you today,” etc.

Second: California-based social psychologist Ellen Langer says one word in the English language increases the possibility of cooperation from 60 to 94 percent. No, that is not a typo. I will repeat: 60 to 94 percent. This word is “because.”

Lastly: The Duncan Hines Cake Mix Marketing Theory. When Duncan Hines began making cake mix, the decision to have cooks at home add the egg was made in the marketing department. Why is this effective? Because they realized that when we add the egg, we feel proud because we contributed; we can say, “I baked!”

Following, then, are three ways you can apply this formula for success:

A job interview scenario

When you are talking to a company about coming to work for them, you need to articulate the unique contribution you can make, so it becomes your shared success.

Too often, however, we spend our interviewing time talking about why we are right for the job. What we need to be talking about is why the job is right for us.

What might this sound like?

“I wanted to talk to you today because your job description/your company’s mission statement/your bestselling product is X, and my skill set/my personal passion/my sales experience is in Y. Applying the full force of my expertise to this job will enable us both to reach our goals.”

Talking to your boss about a brewing situation

The use of the word “situation” here is deliberate. The White House doesn’t have a Crisis Room, it has a Situation Room. Likewise, you don’t have a crisis — you have a situation that needs to be resolved.

So, what would the formula for success sound like here?

“I wanted to bring a potential situation to your attention immediately because it requires expert attention. X has occurred and I have come up with the following two possible solutions. Is there one that you prefer?”

In this instance, the egg is not as much the mention of the expert attention but the opportunity you are giving your boss to apply that expertise to two possible strategies. Having him choose which he prefers (and tell you why it’s far better) not only allows him to add an egg, but to choose the temperature at which the solution is “baked.”

Talking to a potential target at a networking event

Too many networking events are about what others can do for us, rather than what we can do for others. In my experience, however, the most successful networkers aren’t asking, “What can you do for me?” but “What can I do for you?” In this scenario, the formula would likely sound like this:

“Hello, I’m X. I wanted to introduce myself because I know you are the visionary behind X idea/product/company, and I wanted to introduce you to Y/write about you in my newsletter/ask if I could help you organize your next charity event.” (If your target is standing with another person or in a group, introduce yourself to everyone present.)

As you can see, the offer doesn’t need to be huge; the fact that you made it at all is what helps you stand out. Leaving room for another person to add the egg of her choice is what will ensure your successful connection.

As our days become more and more busy, living a organized life is essential. Being organized helps individuals succeed at home and in their life, avoid stress and handle careers. Being organized is not being neat. Organizing is about function, not appearance. It’s not about a paper free desk, it’s about being able to find what your looking for easily. Being organized also reduces stress and frustration of buying the same thing more then once. Also bills that are organized are less likely to have late fees. The average person pays $35 a month for some sort of late fees. You will also be less likely to have food go bad and eat at home when organized. Anyway you add it up being organized can improve your life in multiple ways. When well organized you can spend more time with family, friends, activities, hobbies, exercise, vacations, and work. This will help with a better balanced between work and home. and happier healthier life.  Take small steps daily to get things in order without overwhelming yourself. Start with one room and think of function first then settle the room around what you want it do.

It takes a lot to be a successful entrepreneur. Do you have what it takes? Check out this list of qualities common in successful entrepreneurs and see how you measure up.

1. Great People Skills

Entrepreneurs have great people skills and understand that it’s the relationships between people that get things done. They enjoy being around people and know how to work a crowd without the crowd even realizing it!

2. Confidence—in Yourself and the Product

Another essential quality for any successful entrepreneur is confidence. We’re not talking about regular old self-confidence however. Entrepreneurs take it to another level. It’s that extreme confidence and belief in self and product that gives an entrepreneur the wherewithal to shamelessly promote a product or service.

3. Passion

Ever wanted something so bad you could taste it? Then you must be an entrepreneur! That burning desire to succeed is what enables entrepreneurial types to accomplish just about anything, from the apparently insurmountable to the thankless minutia required to keep your business running.

4. Perseverance

Every entrepreneur stumbles into roadblocks once in awhile, but what sets the successful ones apart is the ability to step back, re-evaluate, and take another route. You know that familiar saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again?” Consider it the mantra of the successful entrepreneur.

5. Stamina and Energy

High energy levels and stamina go hand in hand with perseverance. Any successful entrepreneur will tell you that he or she has had a pattern of burning the midnight oil, skipping lunch, working 80 to 100 hours a week, and missing out on social events in pursuit of success.

6. Sharp Focus on Goals

Entrepreneurs are focused and goal oriented. They set up goals and develop plans of action to achieve those goals, whether they’re generating sales, improving efficiency, or reworking a product design in a time crunch.

7. An Understanding of How to Make Money

An entrepreneur’s primary goal is to make money. They are not content to work solely for the pleasure of doing something they love; they prefer cold, hard, cash and understand how to get it.

8. A Gift for Sales and Marketing

Entrepreneurs don’t have to be born closers, but they need to know how to sell and market their products. It usually comes naturally to business owners; even people who don’t enjoy sales usually find it easier to sell and market a product or service they completely believe in.

9. An Eye for Opportunity

Last but not least, an entrepreneur cannot be successful without a product or service that people want. Even if your product is fantastic, you won’t make a dime if there’s no market for it. Getting the right product in front of the right audience at the right time is crucial. The ability to spot a trend or need in the marketplace and run with it is the hallmark of every successful entrepreneur from the guys behind Ginsu knives (still going strong after more than 30 years by the way), to Vince Offer, creator of the ShamWow.

As we all know by now, unemployment numbers are sky high and companies are laying people off like it’s 2001 again. However, there is a silver lining for those looking for new employment: there are more resources than ever to help job seekers find work.

These 20 Web sites take different approaches to find you the right job. Some sites, like Indeed, simply aggregate material from all other sites, while sites like TheLadders make you pay to take advantage of their high-paying job services. No matter how select or general you want your job search to be, one of these sites has you covered.

Scroll through our list of favorites and find the career site that best fits your own needs. And good luck with the job hunt!

Jobs Sites

1. Beyond.com claims to be the “largest network of niche career communities” on the Net. It essentially hooks together different organizations like PRJobForce.com and PhillyJobs.com all in one place, which makes it easy to find leads in your community.
2. As the Web’s biggest job site, CareerBuilder gets more than 23 million visitors a month. The company has been around since 1995, and has developed an incredible network of listing sources and job search centers since that time.
3. CraigsList The granddaddyof online classifieds gives those who are focused on searching for jobs within their communities an easy way to look. It might be one of the least-polished entities listed here, but the sheer number of local job listings makes up for it.
4. Execu|Search looks to be a selective, higher-tier job search property. Execu|Search screens and reviews every resume that is submitted, and helps employers find the best possible candidates for their open positions.
5. Hound’s search engine shows jobs from employer Web sites only. In theory, this cuts out duplicate listings and shows opportunities that are not posted on other job boards.
6. Indeed works as an aggregator for listings from major job Web sites, company Web sites, associations, and other online sources. Its simplicity and ease of use are its best features.
7. JobCentral is a service formed by a nonprofit consortium of U.S. corporations like IBM and Dell, which makes it ideal if you’re looking for corporate job listings.
8. JobServe claims it was “the world’s first Internet recruitment service.” In 2008, JobServe advertised more than 2.5 million jobs across 15 industry sectors.
9. Jobster uses an active approach to help employers and recruiting teams of all sizes find their candidates. The company calls its method “social recruiting,” and it services 24 different job categories.
10. Best known for being a social network for professionals, LinkedIn also has thorough job listings, some of which are exclusive to LinkedIn.
11. In addition to being arguably the best-known global job-listings site, Monster also offers advice on resumes, interviewing, and salary information.
12. Oodle, which specializes in online classifieds, includes a job classifieds section that finely cuts job opportunities down to job title, category, industry, and company. Did you know, for example, that Best Buy has nearly 10,000 openings?
13. onTargetjobs owns a lot of smaller niche sites like BioSpace.com and MedHunters.com. Its expansive niche database allows users to find compatible job listings more easily than with general sites.
14. SimplyHired is similar to Indeed, as it also aggregates listings from major job Web sites, newspapers, company Web sites, and associations. However, the site goes a little deeper and allows users to send their resumes out for posting on five other sites for free.
15. SnagAJob is basically the antithesis of sites like TheLadders and Execu|Search, as its focus is on hourly employment only. The site has partnered with companies like 7 Eleven, Red Lobster, and AMF, to bring the most up-to-date hourly job openings.
16. The Ladders This job site has branded itself as the place to look for $100,000+ jobs only. Job seekers have to pay $30 per month to fully take advantage of the site’s services.
17. Trovix’s free search engine makes the job-search process more personalized. Users input their work experience and qualifications and the site matches results to what info they have given. Trovix also has an innovative feature called Job Map, which allows you to type in your location and see on Google Maps how many jobs are available in your area.
18. One of the newest sites to take advantage of social media, TweetMyJobs supplies Twitter users with instantaneous job listings that are derived from TweetMyJobs’ Job Channels.
19. USAJobs is the official job site for the U.S. government. With the government looking to significantly increase spending during the next few years, looking at federal jobs might not be a bad move if you’re in a tough place.
20. As one of the biggest job sites on the Web, HotJobs distinguishes itself by focusing on features such as status (which shows how many times one’s resume has been viewed) and the ability to block companies from seeing your resume.

And remember to be Cool, Calm, and Collective!

It’s time to activate your resume with some action words. Action words, or verbs, ignite an otherwise dull resume by setting your skills on fire – giving your credentials authority and power. Verbs are important to include on your resume since they show hiring managers what actions you’ve taken in previous jobs.

You’re being hired to DO something – so show what you’ve DONE in the past by preceding your skills and experiences with action verbs!

Finding the right verbs for your resume is also key to standing out above the competition and landing a job interview.
Finding Your 6 Action Verbs

It’s easy to find the right verbs to make your resume rock. Start by taking your desired job description and highlight the 6 verbs that best reflect what you offer a prospective employer. Depending on the job description and your experience, you may find 3 or you may 30. The point is to identify the actions employers value and match them to your qualifications. The idea is to tailor your resume and cover letter to the position.

For example, below is a sample job description for an administrative assistant containing 6 highlighted action verbs.

resumewords_administrativeassistantjob1

If you’ve applied to several jobs within the same area, you may notice the same verbs are repeatedly requested in your job descriptions. So be sure to use these verbs in your resume to capture the attention of hiring managers.

A word of caution though, using too many verbs can lead to buzzword overkill and harm, rather than help your chances of landing a job interview. No hiring manager likes a resume saturated with lots of action and little substance. When I’ve been on hiring teams, I’ve been know to yell, “bingo” when too many matchy words are buzzing in a job application. So choose your action verbs with care by starting with 6 and going from there.

If you’re having difficulty seeing how the verbs in a job description match your skills, try using the Make Your Match Worksheet to help activate your resume.
Using Action Verbs on Your Resume

You’ve found some verbs, now put them into action. The idea is to precede your skills and accomplishments with a verb, and hopefully end each statement with concise facts and figures.

For example, let’s look at a job description for a software developer. I’ve highlighted the 6 verbs that match the applicant’s skills best.

Autistic adult is an entrepreneur
Matthew Morreale, thought to be 1st local example of statewide trend, operates 1-man shredding business.

Matthew Morreale’s goals are simple. He wants to go to Disney theme parks in Paris, in Tokyo, in Orlando – so he works.

His mom hopes for more. She dreams of independence for her autistic son. She imagines that he someday will live in his own apartment, earning enough money to pay for it himself. She wouldn’t worry so much about dying someday if she knew Matthew could do all that.

As the autism boom ages its way through the education system, thousands of Orange County children with autism will soon enter adulthood. Matthew Morreale, 24, could help answer a question that vexes advocates, politicians and parents of autistic children: Can we help these adults be more than a tax burden?

Matthew is thought to be the first local example of a statewide trend. He runs a microenterprise, a small niche business that can be launched with minimal funding yet make a steady profit.

There are adults with developmental disabilities running mall kiosks and selling hand-made bags. They own floral businesses and they stage puppet shows for children’s parties.

Matthew runs the Matthew James Co., a shredding business that began this year with a single client but is already looking to hire additional employees. His brochure promises that he’ll “shred the competition.”

“Self-sufficiency and independence means not only lessening the impact on the budget, so they don’t have to rely on social supports,” said Dorsey Griffith, a spokeswoman for the state’s department of developmental services. “These people are good workers, and they’re happier when they’re working and they’re part of the community.”

The growing prevalence of autism in Orange County schools is striking. There are 156 students who are 17 and have autism – a 500 percent increase from just six year ago.

Go down the line a few grades and the numbers grow. There are 334 students who are 11 years old with autism. Among 5-year-olds, the number is 507.

When Matthew was diagnosed at age 5, he was one of only a few in Orange County, and his future looked bleak.

He threw tantrums to the point that his mother, Marthe Morreale, wouldn’t take him out in public. He couldn’t shower alone until well into his teen years.

“You just go down this dark road of, oh my gosh, there’s no future for this boy,” Marthe Morreale said. “At that age, you aren’t thinking future. It was hard thinking about 10 years’ time when you can’t get through the next 10 minutes.”

With the help of some patient and strong-willed aides, Matthew calmed down during his teenage years. After high school, his job coach, Cassandra Novak, helped him get a retail job at a clothing store.

He enjoyed it, but grew frustrated that he couldn’t get more hours. Novak, who is the microenterprise business development manager at Goodwill of Orange County, suggested he start his own business.

His first client was Atria Woodbridge, a senior living center in Irvine. Once a week he takes his shredder – about waist-high, and about 50 pounds – and shreds junk mail, old bills and business documents for residents and staff.

The center always has a cold Coke waiting for him. Residents sometimes come by to talk to him, though Matthew isn’t very verbal with strangers. His mom drives him there but is forbidden from his workplace. “He’s very independent,” she said.

“He’s the type of young man I’d like to have volunteer here, because he’s a good listener and he takes an interest in the conversations,” said Ladd Roberts, executive director of Atria Woodbridge.

In August, he’ll expand to serve the Regional Center of Orange County, which has also helped provide startup support for his business. He’ll shred thousands of pounds of center documents using Goodwill’s industrial-sized shredding machines.

“He’s for real, the real deal,” said Bill Bowman, chief executive officer of the center, a state-funded organization that provides services and support for people with developmental disabilities. “They meet our very high confidentiality requirements.”

His job coach was worried about the noise from the larger shredders. Like many people with autism, Matthew is sensitive to loud and unfamiliar noises, Novak said.

No problem, he told Novak. “When we’re making noise, we’re making money.”

Novak and Matthew are considering hiring other developmentally disabled adults to help. Novak says he could eventually make $3,000 a month.

That income is a big deal to people with developmental disabilities, said Joe Meadours, executive director of People First, an advocacy group run by developmentally disabled adults.

“People are getting sick of getting paid nothing,” he said. “How can we make a career earning 50 cents an hour?”

For Matthew, the money means fulfilling his own dreams of taking his family to Disney theme parks around the world. For now, he has to be content with his weekly visits to Disneyland on his days off.

“You know, if you think about it, that’s probably as legitimate a goal as you and I have in our lives,” Roberts said. “And he may come closer to realizing it before we do.”

1. choose your destination, probably the hardest part of success is really finding what you want and not second guessing it.

2. review your plan, right it down on paper not your computer. This will help it sink in much better.

3. read it every work day and re-write all of it weekly as you add and change your plan.

4. prepare for your plan, get all your ducks in a row before you take action

5. start fast and hard, be willing to make some mistakes and try harder then needed.

6. plan for set backs and shake them off when they come

7. learn from your mistakes and others in your industry

8. over shoot your goal and put yourself in the place as if you are there.

9. avoid shortcuts

10. master your fears, you will have to confront and concur many demons along the way .

11. persist until you succeed, decide that there is no option of failure only minor set backs.