Purpose Five Steps That Will Help You Foster Purpose in Adolescents

Purpose Five Steps That Will Help You Foster Purpose in Adolescents Historically, psychologists have focused on stopping or minimizing the things that go wrong for youth. They’ve proposed interventions to reduce depression, promoted medications to curb anxiety, and studied programs to reduce teen pregnancies. Although this work is very important, it isn’t sufficient. As sociologist Karen Pittman pointed out, “being problem-free is not the same as being fully-prepared.” So, today Positive Psychologists study the ways young people thrive. They’re interested in how youth develop healthy relationships, formulate meaningful goals, and contribute to society. Embracing this more hopeful approach to youth development, my research over the past fifteen years has focused on young people’s purposes in life. My colleagues and I have explored the things that inspire purpose in the lives of youth; we’ve studied the way purposes develop; and, we’ve investigated the difference it makes for youth to lead lives of purpose. Over a decade and a half of work, at least two important findings have emerged. First, we’ve learned that leading a life of purpose is beneficial in more ways than one. Purpose is associated with physical health, including better sleep, less chronic pain, and longer living, and psychological health, including hope, happiness, and life satisfaction. The second thing we’ve learned is that the experience is rare. Only about 1 in 5 high schoolers and 1 in 3 college aged youth reports leading a life of purpose. Taking these findings together â€" that leading a life of purpose is a beneficial but rare experience members of my Adolescent Moral Development lab and I began to explore ways of fostering purpose among young people. In the process, we learned a lot about how young people identify meaningful, long-term goals that allow them to contribute to the broader world. Below I outline five empirically-based approaches Moms and mentors can use to help youth discover a personally meaningful direction in life. Model purpose. Have you ever told your teen or twenty-something what gives your life purpose? Have you tried explaining how raising children fills your life with meaning, or how doing a job that has a positive impact on the lives of others gives your life direction? Rarely do we share the things that give our own lives purpose, but doing so is critical. Not only does it help introduce adolescents to the language of purpose, but it can also help them begin to think about the things that give their own lives purpose. Focus on youths’ strengths and values. Help young people identify their strengths and consider the values that are most central to them. Purpose emerges when young people apply their strengths to affect personally meaningful changes in the broader world. For example, a young person who cares about the environment and is equally a good writer may find purpose in promoting conservation through journalism. Foster gratitude. It may seem counter-intuitive to foster purpose by cultivating a grateful mindset, but it works. Helping young people reflect on the blessings and the people who have blessed them naturally inclines young people to consider how they want to give back. At dinner each night, ask each family member to share at least three things from their day for which they’re grateful. Or, use holidays, such as Thanksgiving, which is just around the corner, as a way of starting an on-going conversation about gratitude. Encourage youth to reach out to friends and family members. Young people may not know what their purpose is, but the adults in their lives may have a pretty good idea. Encourage youth to send emails to or strike up a conversation with at least five adults who know them well, asking: (1) What do you think I’m particularly good at? What are my greatest strengths? (2) What do you think I really enjoy doing? When do you think I’m most engaged? (3) How do you think I’ll leave my mark on the world? You can help by encouraging the recipients of these emails or other friends and family members to respond. They don’t need to spend more than five minutes doing so; what you want is their gut reactions. The responses youth receive can be very eye-opening. Youth tend to learn quite a bit about their purpose when they hear what others think it might be. Focus on the far-horizon. All too often our conversations with adolescents focus on the here and now. Did you finish your homework? Which colleges are you applying to? Are you ready for your physics test? Instead, broach conversations that focus on the bigger picture. Ask youth to imagine things have gone as well as they could have hoped, and now they’re 40-years-of-age. What will they be doing? Who will be in their life? What will be important to them? Why? This long-term thinking helps youth focus on what it is they want out of life. And don’t forget the whys; purposes often appear in the whys! In addition to trying these empirically-based strategies for cultivating purpose in the lives of young people, access some of the resources below. They should help deepen your own thinking about purpose, and they should better prepare you to help the young people in your own life thrive. This guest post was authored by Dr. Kendall Cotton Bronk Dr. Kendall Cotton Bronk is an associate professor of psychology at the Claremont Graduate University in the Division of Behavioral Social Sciences, where she studies the things that give young people’s lives purpose. Dr. Bronk teamed up with the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkley and social impact firm, ProSocial with support from the John Templeton Foundation, to translate research on purpose into an online toolkit called The Purpose Challenge, which youth can use to explore their own purpose in life. Additional Resources: Encourage your high schooler to participate in The Purpose Challenge (purposechallenge.org), where they can complete a brief set of online tools designed to help them discover their purpose, write a short purpose-inspired college essay, and submit that essay for a chance to win a college scholarship. Visit our Adolescent Moral Development lab website: www.fosterpurpose.org. It includes empirically-based, online tools and activities offered free of charge and designed to foster purpose among youth. Learn more: How to talk with teens about purpose   from the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center How to help teens find purpose from the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center. The Why Question, by Bill Damon . Main image credit.

Skills to Put on a Resume

Skills to Put on a ResumeWhen you send in your resume, the first thing that employers will be looking at is your skills to put on a resume. This is the biggest mistake that people make when they send in their resumes. They do not look at all of the skills to put on a resume and therefore they never get any response from the employer. Here are a few tips that will help you know what skills to put on a resume.First, you should know what skills you should have when it comes to being qualified for the job. There are many applicants who have unique talents and abilities that make them a good fit for the job. However, most people who apply for the same job also have some skill to put on a resume. You need to know this so that you do not waste your time applying for the same job over again. Do not waste your time and energy by applying for jobs that you are not qualified for.Next, you should know what skills you should not have. Many people think that if they are having trouble with certain skills, it means that they do not belong on a resume. In reality, most skills to put on a resume do not take too much time to learn. By the time the skills to put on a resume come into play, you will be ready to take on the work.For example, you can learn how to use certain skills when it comes to working with a computer or even your phone. Some skills to put on a resume that is very important to include knowing how to change a password, install software and install and run a printer. The majority of people, if given a chance, would not know how to do any of these things, which is why it is very important to have skills to put on a resume.Skills to put on a resume are different from skills to get hired. This is the number one skill to put on a resume and the number one skill to have when you are trying to get hired. You can not learn how to do these things if you cannot get a job.You also need to know what skills you should have for a job interview. During an interview, most people do not know the answer to questions that they are asked. However, you do not want to tell a person, 'I don't know,' because it might turn them off. When you are first getting started in your career, you may not know everything, but you should be able to give an answer that is truthful. You should not lie about what you know to get hired.Knowing basic skills to put on a resume will give you an advantage over a person who does not know these skills. Remember, the majority of people who apply for a job do not know anything about what is on the resume. It is important to be prepared so that you will not waste your time applying for the same job over again. If you know what skills to put on a resume, you will be ready when the employer calls you in for an interview.Knowing skills to put on a resume will help you out of any job or internship situation. Knowing how to use skills will open up doors for you when it comes to a job interview or a new position. You will know what skills to put on a resume and how to use them if you learn these skills from an expert. If you cannot afford to pay someone to do this, you can always search the internet for free information on the subject.

NACE 2013 Wrap Up - CareerEnlightenment.com

How to Get Students to Follow Your Advice?What if this student had a clear understanding of who they were and what they want? And if the career advisor could nudge them into making  a decision about their future, wouldnt that move them forward?So one volunteer stood up to help the career advisor pull, clarity of purpose; a personal brand.What if the student used their personal brand to build a compelling online reputation, including a nice looking LinkedIn profile, a history of Tweets and compelling posts on their Facebook Timeline?So one volunteer stood up to represent a polished online presence to help the career advisor.What if the student used their nice looking profiles to reach out to alumni, and other information interview sources to gather information and, more importantly, build alliances within their target organizations?So one volunteer stood up to represent a good intentioned alumnus.Pull nowand the student made it to their job!But check it out. At no point did the caree r advisor burdon the student with a technology class. If they did so, it would have been another  responsibility  to drag the student backwards.Instead, social media would have been used to help the student reach each of those three milestones: Brand, Polish and Engage.Key point: social media is a tool to support an overall framework of job search.  Career Advisors Dont Need to Teach Technology, whew!The audience admitted that their students could probably run circles around us when it comes to understanding social media. Trying to teach it sets us up for failure.Rather, our jobs as career professionals is to teach the frameworks, and let the student figure out what the best tool is.How to get students to use LinkedIn? Give them a task that requires them to use it, such as, research your target companies and find out what their issues are, or find five alumni working in your target industry.Start with why, as Simon Sinek famously said.When I said, You dont need to teach technology o ne woman from Florida State University sighed audibly and smiling  exclaimed, What a  relief!Oh, and This Curriculum Already Exists(I wrote it!)It was clear by the end that these career advisors didnt want to be technology trainers. And they also dont have time to assemble, research and test curriculum that goes beyond just a clicky-class for LinkedIn.When I introduced my social media training curriculum, the audience got pretty excited. The two 2-hour workshops teach the frameworks Ive developed from years of working with job seekers. It comes with:Lecture notesSyllabusSlidesIn-class activitiesOnline videos for technical trainingThis program easily bolts onto most career centers current programming, and it costs much less than hiring me to come on campus to speak.Getting it setup is simple. The school just needs to order 25+ books from me, and I send them the Instructors Manual. Simple.For more information about the curriculum or to download a copy of the syllabus visit my Facilita tors Portal.

Create a Corporate Environment that Embraces Gender Diversification

Create a Corporate Environment that Embraces Gender Diversification How  to Create A Corporate Environment That Embraces Gender Diversification   The business world is  long  overdue for a wakeup call, especially  when it comes to understanding the value of  the  blended perspective  that comes  from  having  both men and women  in top executive positions.  We  should not need to enact laws  to protect  social  classes, ethnicities,  and genders in the work  place. Unfortunately, we have these  laws  because there are still people who choose to not hire,  or value,  people  because of  their age, gender, ethnicity,  or relationship status. I interviewed Deanna Latson, co-founder and chief product officer of  ARIIX, an international opportunity company that promotes healthy toxic-free living,  to learn how corporations can create work environments  that embrace gender diversification. As the only female among  eight  board members, she recommends the following tips.   1 Allow employees to have their own personalities and opinions   Creating an environment where a variety of opinions and perspectives are accepted and welcomed is essential.  If you are sitting at a conference table where  everyone is agreeing  with what  you  have to  say,  it is not  necessarily a good thing.  Unique perspectives and opinions  create  balance. If you notice an  imbalance in your work culture,  hire  more people  with  diverse backgrounds  and allow them the freedom to express their thoughts and opinions.  The more diversification  in the work place,  the more fruitful  the results. 2 Understand that  women and men  each  have unique perspectives   Men have their strengths  and positive traits,  but women have their own unique strengths and perspective  too. Think of it this way: you have  several executives sitting around a conference table â€" men on one side and women on the other. In the middle of that table is a cube that has many different sides and angles. The men have one view of the cube from their side of the table, while the women are seeing from an entirely different vantage point. Both are only viewing  a  small piece of a much larger picture. Each perspective is equally valuable and  when  combined  create a synergy of ideas and insight  that is  much stronger. In her own words, Latson adds, “Is one female board member enough to make a difference? Of course!  Looking back at  the  cube analogy, if  the men are looking at their side of the cube, and I’m seeing the other side, we double our ability to tackle the same situation successfully.”   3 Place equal value on the feminine   “I’m very fortunate to be part of a company where my views as a woman are valued,” Latson added.  â€œThe experiences and unique insight we bring are essential. Women have a lot of  purchasing power in the marketplace, so it makes sense that women should have a prominent role in the businesses that serve them. Be yourself and bring your unique perspective to the table. Recognize that the contributions you make to your organization are real, valuable,  and okay to put out there. If there is  one  message  I want women to remember, it is  that being themselves in the business world is a very good thing.  Your insights and perspective matter!” Ignorance,  gender inequality, bigotry, it all comes down to the fact that  humans flock to like-minded people. So often  corporations hire employees that are just like the brand, but then you end up with  an  imbalance of perspective.  Latson said she feels  fortunate because  she is surrounded by  people  who recognize the benefits of  gender diversification  and  it makes her  stronger.       4 Promote more women to leadership positions   There is a noticeable lack of female role models in many businesses today. This has the unfortunate tendency to make women feel like they have to assume male characteristics because that is what they see being rewarded  and promoted. “I’m a woman in a top executive position,” said Latson. “The reality is that it can be lonely  at the top. More women need to be in positions of authority and be given the opportunity and resources to inspire, mentor, and lift up other women around them.”   The traditional, single-perspective business model  is fading away. Those  corporations that still follow  that  model are frozen in the past. Today’s entrepreneurial companies, led by both men and women, are shaping a new business world  that is heading in the right direction.   5 Create leadership teams that mirror the diversity of the community your company serves   How can a company  effectively  serve  a diverse consumer base without having  a  diverse perspective in their organization? Are five men going to make a great skin care product for 40-year-old women? They might think so, but  honestly  they are going to miss a lot of the finer points. Would you go to a man and ask them to tell you what it is like to have a baby? Again, they might be able to give you the basics, but they are definitely going to miss many, many of the  details! “Those of us in a position to make a difference need to create more diverse leadership teams,” said Latson. “We need to embrace the variety of emotions, instincts, intensity, and intuition women bring to the table. Our unique perspective as women is so critical and necessary in today’s business world, especially in positions of leadership. If there are no women in c-suite roles, who is going to advocate hiring more females?” Join Dana  Manciagli’s  Job Search Master Class  now  and get the most comprehensive job search system available!

Job seekers need to pitch what they offer, not just what they WANT -

Job seekers need to pitch what they offer, not just what they WANT - Ive started participating in a few in-person networking groups recently as a career search expert. Have you been to this type of group where everyone stands up and gives their elevator pitch? I noticed something in a few of the groups I attended most people focus their pitch on what they WANT and dont include anything along the lines of what they OFFER. Think about itIf someone approaches you and starts talking about themselves and what they want, how closely will you listen? Statistics demonstrate that people dont typically have very long attention spans to listen to other people talk. Now, think about talking to someone who focuses on YOUR needs. A little more interested? I bet you are! Who doesnt want to hear someone describe how he or she solves your problems! The lesson for job seekers: your pitch needs to focus on your target and how you have just what he or she needs! Need help with your job hunt? Learn more about how I can help you!

Making a Quality Control Resume

Making a Quality Control ResumeThe quality control resume can serve many purposes for you. You might want to improve your position or you might want to enhance your job skills. Whatever the reason, you can build a quality control resume that will be better for you and will let you see the right way of presenting yourself in the job market.First, you need to make sure that your quality control resume is not only accurate, but it also makes you stand out from the rest. You have to be really aware of your skills and attributes. Make sure that you include a number of details and that you remember that you need to show everything that is positive about you on your resume.If you plan to do some research on the internet about getting a quality control resume, you will find lots of tips and advices. You can also read through the many articles that can help you get a quality control resume that you can use in your job application. However, you might need to write it on your own and it might t ake a little bit of time.Once you write the whole thing, you need to think about how you can make the most out of it. You can use different colors, fonts, as well as different typefaces. It all depends on your preferences and what you feel like doing.Writing a quality control resume takes a lot of time and practice. You must also be sure that you have made changes to the resume as well as the cover letter. You should be able to match the information to the appropriate place in the resume.You might also need to be more creative and do some brainstorming to see what other people may have to say about you. You can also consider writing an essay about yourself to give you an idea of what you can say. When you can come up with ideas like these, you will surely find yourself heading in the right direction.Just remember that there are lots of things that you can do when writing a quality control resume. You just need to be aware of the things that you can do in order to make your resume an d cover letter to be a great success. After you finish reading this article, you can start making your very own quality control resume.

New Step by Step Roadmap for How to Put Freelance Writing on a Resume

New Step by Step Roadmap for How to Put Freelance Writing on a Resume You don't want to provide the appearance that each individual freelance assignment is a work shift. From this list you are able to select resume writer or have a look at any of the other positions you might be interested in. To make your freelance CV more impressive, it is very important to strike the correct tone by means of your writing. Be certain to give yourself a work title commensurate to the character of work you did as a freelancer. As a freelancer, the possibilities are you have completed a range of contracts and acquired varied kinds of experience. HR groups New graduates Individuals that are on the lookout for new jobs Business executives Laid-off individuals Rates within this niche vary widely depending on the complexity of the resume and the business. Still others wish to benefit from the benefits many company workers enjoy benefits which are rarely readily available to freelance workers. Wr iting resumes for individuals extends to you the chance to help them land work, besides earning money from your writing skills. On-line company of professional writers can help you with the very best writing or editing support. You are able to also research different sample resumes, along with revamp and revise resumes of family and friends members. You may probably get by with no more than two or three standard resumes, which you are going to then adapt further for certain customers. In bigger companies, freelancers (often known as independent consultants) are often asked to supply resumes. The Hidden Truth About How to Put Freelance Writing on a Resume Try to make your own resume and sell yourself to prospective clients. If you're searching for different techniques to create a living writing I advise writing for internet publications or blogs. The great thing about including freelance work on resume is it isn't difficult when you learn the practice. Your selection of wor ds has an important part in earning your writer's resume even more effective. Well, you should create a business name to utilize for your freelance work too. As a freelancer, you can believe you don't require a freelance resume. In any case, you don't need to look any further as we have all of the freelance resume templates you'll ever require! Today, it is possible to find freelancers in nearly any business.