Forward of the Week: 24 Traits of a Genius

Tomorrow look s like it might be a crazy, busy day for me.  So I'm posting the Forward of the Week a bit early... 

The world's greatest geniuses have all had 24 personality characteristics in common and you can develop the same traits yourself.

1. DRIVE. Geniuses have a strong desire to work hard and long. They're willing to give all they've got to a project. Develop your drive by focusing on your future success, and keep going.

2. COURAGE. It takes courage to do things others consider impossible. Stop worrying about what people will think if you're different.

3. DEVOTION TO GOALS. Geniuses know what they want and go after it. Get control of your life and schedule. Have something specific to accomplish each day.

4. KNOWLEDGE. Geniuses continually accumulate information. never go to sleep at night without having learned at least one new thing each day. Read. And question people who know.

5. HONESTY. Geniuses are frank, forthright and honest. Take the responsibility for thins that go wrong. Be willing to admit, 'I goofed' and learned from my mistakes.

6. OPTIMISM. Geniuses never doubt they will succeed. Deliberately focus your mind on something good coming up.

7. ABILITY TO JUDGE. Try to understand the facts of a situation before you judge. Evaluate things on an opened minded, unprejudiced basis and be willing to change your mind.

8. ENTHUSIASM. Geniuses are so excited about what they are doing, it encourages others to cooperate with them. Really believe that things will out well. Don’t hold back.

9. WILLINGNESS TO TAKE CHANCES. Overcome your fear of failure. You won't be afraid to take chances once you realize you can learn from your mistakes.

10. DYNAMIC ENERGY. Don’t sit on your butt waiting for something good to happen. Be determined to make it happen.

11. ENTERPRISE. Geniuses are opportunity seekers. Be willing to take on jobs others won't touch. Never be afraid to try the unknown.

12. PERSUASION. Geniuses know how to motivate people to help them get ahead. You'll find it easy to be persuasive if you believe in what you're doing.

13. OUTGOINGNESS. I've found geniuses able to make friends easily and be easy on their friends. Be a ‘booster’ not somebody who puts others down. That attitude will win you many valuable friends.

14. ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE. Geniuses are generally able to get their ideas across to others. Take every opportunity to explain your ideas to others.

15. PATIENCE. Be patient with others most of the time, but always be impatient with your self. Expect far more of yourself than others.

16. PERCEPTION. Geniuses have their mental radar working full time. Think more of others' needs and wants than you do your own.

17. PERFECTIONISM. Geniuses cannot tolerate mediocrity, particularly in themselves. Never be easily satisfied with your self. Always strive to do better.

18. SENSE OF HUMOR. Be willing to laugh at your own expense. Don't take offense when the joke is on you.

19. VERSATILITY. The more things you learn to accomplish, the more confidence you will develop. Don’t shy away from new endeavors.

20. ADAPTABILITY. Being flexible enables you to adapt to changing circumstances readily. Resist doing things the same old way. Be willing to consider new options.

21. CURIOSITY. An inquisitive, curious mind will help you seek out new information. Don't be afraid to admit you don’t know it all. Always ask questions about things you don’t understand.

22. INDIVIDUALISM. Do things the way you think they should be done, without fearing somebody's disapproval.

23. IDEALISM. Keep your feet on the ground -- but have your head in the clouds. Strive to achieve great things, not just for yourself but for the better of mankind.

24. IMAGINATION. Geniuses know how to think in new combinations, see things from a different perspective, than anyone else. Unclutter your mental environment to develop this type of imagination. Give yourself time each day to daydream, to fantasize, to drift into a dreamy inner life the way you did as a child.

Meet the Founder of the Million Dollar Wiki

I usually don't hype up podcasts in advance, but I'm really psyched about episode number 69 of the Working Podcast that is dropping this Sunday.

If you subscribe now you'll get to hear an interview with Graham Langdon, the 21-year-old founder of the Million Dollar Wiki.  For those of you who haven't read about the MDW yet, you'll get the skinny on the podcast.  In a nutshell, it's a pay-per-page version of Wikipedia where you can buy a page (keyword or phrase of your choice) and set it up with anything you like.  Each page is $100 bucks and you own it for 15 years.

I know it sounds simple (aren't most good ideas!) but I really see a lot of value in owning a page.  In fact, I bought the PODCAST page.  Right now I'm using it to promote this Web site, however, in the future I will probably lease out space to other podcasts.

In any event, the chat I had with Graham was one of the most enjoyable interviews I've had since we launched this thing back in April '05.  I encourage you to check it out to learn:

- How he came up with the idea
- Why success has knocked him out of UCONN
- what's next for the creative entrepreneur
- Advice on how you can run with your idea

I mean, the kid has sold 381 pages as of this post.  That's over $38,000 in about a month's time.  So obviously, there's a lot we all can learn from this interview.  Please download the show when it becomes available this weekend.

Also, our version of Office BINGO is doing amazingly well.  We knew you were bored at work!  Special thanks to the folks who have been kind enough to link to it.  If you do, please let me know and we'll send you a special shout out.

Bored at Work? Play Office BINGO!

Finally, a new way to pass the time at work: Office BINGO.  Play alone or play with friends.  Regular BINGO rules apply!

PRINT A BINGO CARD NOW

Most of the squares are self-explanatory, however, since we don't want any of your co-workers to cheat you out of victory, let's clarify what must be seen/heard to claim the box.

ROW B

Awkward Silence: Offices are loaded with it. Whether it's the lunchroom, the conference room or simply at your desk, you'll know it when you hear it!

Community Food: Common examples are the obligatory bagels and birthday cake.  Any edible item dumped on a public table for the vultures to consume qualifies.

Fridge Cleaning: It doesn't happen often, but some do-gooder always posts a sign on the refrigerator door warning that all unmarked items will be tossed by 4pm on a given date. (Subsequently, this leads to people angrily marking their salad dressing bottles with bold initials.)

Popcorn Nuker: The smell wafts through the air, causing a distracting paralysis. Often, you can set your watch to this activity.

Stinky Lunch: Natto, curry, onions and fish.  Yummy for them, hellacious for you.

ROW I

Unsolicited Bathroom Talk: You pull up to a urinal or escape into a stall to do your business, yet someone has to break the unwritten code of silence and shout over the divider.

Coffee Spotting: An easy square to acquire.  Just locate someone gulping down java.

Asked for Office Supply: Get your own stapler, damn it!  People are always borrowing supplies rather then walking over to the cabinet and getting their own.

Office Whistler: Beware, the psychological profile of this person is probably frightening.  Awkward, annoying and out of tune, this person thinks an empty hallway is an amphitheater for their mouth.

Temperature Issues: "Who touched the thermostat?" Cold. Hot. Cold Hot.  Can't we all just get along?  To get this square you must overhear someone complaining about the interior temperature.  

ROW N

Random Body Pain: Your sitting at your desk clanking on your keyboard, minding your own business.  OW!  Some striking pain hits your body for no good reason. You spend about 5 minutes wondering if you're gonna die, then you forget about it until the next one comes.

Awkward IT Moment: They're good with technology, but they're not so good at communicating with "laypeople." Whether it's the way they ask you to fill out a trouble ticket or magically appear behind you, you'll know this moment when it happens.

FREE

Smokers Return: Like wolves, these tobacco fiends run in pacts.  After blockading the company entrance, they return, spreading the smell of fire and mint gum throughout the office.

Ran Out of Post It Notes: Duh!

ROW G

Day / Time Confusion: Statements to look out for - "It's only 11am?" or "All day I thought it was Friday!"  Especially prevalent after a three-day, holiday weekend.

Random HR Memo: Whether they're changing who handles your 401K or reminding you about the dress code, HR sure is proficient at wasting our time.

Repeated Story: We all deny it, but we're all guilty of this one.  Check off your box if you're hearing a story for the second time and don't have the heart to interrupt.

Mention of the Weather: The ultimate in office small talk.  "I can't get over this rain!" I'm confident you'll acquire this box quickly.

Last-Minute Assignment: Whether you're off to lunch or leaving for the day, projects have a magical way of appearing at 4:55pm on a Friday.

ROW O

Called by Boss: Nice and simple.  Your boss phones you, you get this box.

Hallway Shuffle: Mix a narrow hallway with an indecisive walker, and the rest is history.  You go one way.  They go the same way.  Next thing you know, you're doing the Hallway Shuffle!

Printer Jam: Duh!

Unidentified Person: Routine is what makes your office such a horrendous place to be.  Isn't it amazing the attention a random workman or visitor from another company gets? Find a stranger and win.

Yawning Epidemic: As contagious as negativity, your job is to find at least two people yawning consecutively.

We hope you have fun.  Please help spread the word about Office BINGO and the Jobacle.com blog/podcast.  If you like what we do, please subscribe to our feeds:

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Your Job Can and Will be Rated Publicly

It's back to school time and the Website Rate My Professor is soaring.  Over 6.8 million college students have spread the word about over a million professors.    Students can find out about workloads, potential mood disorders and the ever popular, is the teacher hot.  

About 10 years removed from college I really have no use for the site (except to see how certain ex-girlfirends are performing and if some of the old timers are still alive.)  However, it brings up an interesting issue: how would YOU like it if your career now had this kind of transparency?

Sure, there are similar sites, like ones for health professionals, etc.  But what if people were allowed to publicly grade what you do - regardless of what it is.

Dave's a horrible waiter.
John's a clueless IT guy.
Brandy gives the worst massages.

As the Web grows, it becomes harder and harder to control what people say about you.

Famous people have always dealt with public scrutiny as part of their job description.  Hell, they make enough money to cover the embarrassment.  But what about the regular joes pulling in $50k a year?

As you know, this can be detrimental to your career. A recent survey showed that 77 of 100 recruiters  use search engines to check out job candidates. I know I sound like a broken record, but I think you need to regularly survey the Web landscape and see how you're being represented.  Here are five quickie tips:

- Buy YOURNAME.com.  Even if you don't plan to do anything with it, it could be the best defensive move you can make for six bucks.

- Survey social networking sites.  Don't just search yourself, search your friends too.  A single lapse in judgement by a peer could cost you big time.  While you might not be a user, I would sign up for every single one.

- Sign up for Google Alerts. Any time someone posts your name or selected phrase, you will receive an e-mail with the link and the specifics. Rather than spend hours searching for a needle in the haystack, let the 411 come to you.

- Sign up for a ClaimID.  This will provide people who are searching you a real picture of your identity along with Web assets that are truly yours.

- Solicit LinkedIn recommendations.  I guarantee almost anyone you ask will say yes.  As LinkedIn grows, these results will return early in people's searches.

Plenty of other articles have already covered the issue of protecting your online reputation.  But after having a few people reference RateMyProfessors over the past few days, I wanted to at least skim the subject.

I look forward to your tips in the comment section below.

Boredom Overtakes Intern

Here's what happens when boredom gets the best of you:

So, I'm an intern at a local unnamed company's IT department. This is what happens when I am not given any work to do and also have plenty of PC & monitor boxes sitting around and am also supplied with duct tape from an equally bored coworker. Needless to say, My boss wasn't too thrilled.

Check out the pics. 

Online Game: Cramped Work Conditions

I'm working on a fun office game that we'll be launching later this week. For now, why not play a little game I like to call, "Things Could Be So Much Worse!"

Create your game | Share | Play games | Pictogame

Working Podcast: Talk to Strangers

Here it is friends, episode number 68 of the Working Podcast. Listen below or download it. Here's what you'll hear:

- Why talking to strangers can be the single most important thing you do for your career.

- An interview with Keith Ko, founder of WurkPal.com, a Web site that lets you chat anonymously with your co-workers .

- The Career Filter features:

PayScale Gig Zig, a Web site that helps you see your potential future.

StandoutJobs.com, a place where you can view video job classified ads.

JobVoices.com, a site that culls career videos from YouTube.

If you're interested in sponsoring a future epsiode, or just want to share your feedback and/or ideas, please contact me here.

I'm experimenting with different Flash players. It appears this one, while not as nice looking as the previous one, loads must faster.

Forward of the Week: Cubicle Wars

This week a video seems to be making the inbox rounds. It's by a 23-year-old Canadian named Zach Lipovsky who was booted from the reality show On the Lot. The film is about two co-workers who are bored stiff in their cubicles. So what do they do? Declare war, of course! A battle of epic proportions ensues.

The Resume Hunter: 3-Minute Review #1

Every career site seems to yammer on and on about "What to Avoid on Your Resume." Jesus. If you don't get it by now, odds are you never will.

While trolling Scribd.com I came across Kevin Cantrell's resume. I have no idea who he is. But a quick glance revealed several crucial resume mistakes. The information below is not to pick on Kevin. Rather it's to help him (and you) see the error of his ways. Besides, if you're going to post your resume for the world to see, you should make sure it's polished.

Please Scam Me. Just like you never put your Social Security number on a paper resume, you should never put all of your contact information on the Web. I would use an e-mail address specific to that resume so you know where your inquiries are coming from. Also, I would use a service like GrandCentral and avoid using your true, everyday phone number. Do not include your home address.

No Errors, Period. I won't bore you with this one but the resume below is missing hyphens and has some serious casing issues.

The "ED" Problem. Directed. Restored. Supported. Compressed? Kevin's resume is littered with action verbs. While useful when used sparingly, every item does not to begin with a word ending in "ed."

Lapse in Judgment. This resume was just uploaded yesterday, yet the work experience ends with September '06. That was almost a year ago! It appears Kevin might have a valid excuse. When scrolling down I see that he's "working towards degree in Microbiology." That's something that should have found its way to the top to explain a year on "inactivity."

Strategic Omission. With experience at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan, why on earth would this dude include a 30-day, 2003 stint at J Crew? I can let the Sea World gig slide since it might tie into the whole microbiology thing. But J Crew?

Look, Kevin's resume isn't horrible. I've seen ones in much worse shape. But the Resume Hunter is out on the prowl. His/Her job is to scour the Web and make examples out of people who put their stuff out there for the universe to consume. We'll be looking for the good, the bad and the ugly in the world of resumes - so prepare accordingly! We can learn something from everyone's' resume, so please subscribe now.

A lot of HR professionals and headhunters check out the Jobacle career blog daily. I encourage them to dish their advice/feedback on this resume below!

Why We Should All Be Like Richard Simmons (I'm NOT Kidding!)

I fell asleep with the TV on last night and woke up this morning to a frightening image: Richard Simmons on the Today Show.  While not really the first thing I want to see in the AM, I had a mini-epiphany.  Richard Simmons, born Milton Teagle Simmons, is THE MAN!  In a world where the media builds people up, only to tear them down, Richard has stood the test of time, all while performing an amazing feat - helping Americans lose close to 3,000,000 pounds.

Aside from trying to make work a better place, I believe that readers of this blog are hungry to achieve a certain level of success.  Let's see what Mr. Simmons can teach us.

Humble Beginnings.  Born in New Orleans, RS's first job was selling pralines, fattening confections made from nuts and sugar syrup.  Needless to say he might have been the best customer.  He turned things around and eventually lost 123lb.  Boys and girls, that's motivation.

Height Is Irrelevant. The average height of a Fortune 500 CEO might be six feet tall but at 5' 6" Richard has debunked the theory that only tall people can be wildly successful.  Only 3% of CEOs are below 5'7" - and I'm sure they all look up - I mean down - to RS.

Creative Chances.  RS is always made fun of for his flamboyant nature, but there's no denying that the man is not scared to take creative risks.  His first exercise studio was called The Anatomy Asylum and featured a salad bar.  It's this uniqueness that helped put him on the map.

Consistency Is King.  Madonna always gets credit for evolving with the times.  However, there's something to be said for people who never change.  You can Google images from the past three decades and in everyone, RS looks the same.  Pushing 60, that's an impressive feat.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG.

Look Different.  So shorty shorts and tank tops encrusted in Swarovski crystals might be a bit much. But hey, it's a look!  Marketing 101 told Larry King to sport the suspenders, The Donald to never re-style his hair and Gene Shalit to let that mustache take over his face.  What's your gimmick?

Laugh at Yourself.  A little self-depreciation goes a long way.  people who take themselves to seriously rarely rise to the top of the ladder.  RS has had Howard Stern mock him and David Letterman almost light him on fire, nut that hasn't stopped him from appearing on their shows.  Sure it's good promotion, but a true champion always comes back for more.  (in my opinion, this is the funniest Simmons clip on the Web.)

High Energy, Always.  A self-proclaimed morning person, Richard Simmons practices what he preaches.  While sometimes initially scary, his morning television appearances are infectious.  No Red Bull and no BS.  That's just Richard being Richard.  And it rubs off.

Count Your Blessings.  We don't preach religion on the Jobacle blog but I do believe that believing in something - anything - can help you keep things in perspective.  Did you know that for some time RS studied to be a priest?

Now it's your turn!  Share your observations on Richard Simmons and how he can help anyone's career.  

“I might as well be gay. And not just because I love rhinestones and Barbara Streisand. But because I'm a sensitive person who is supportive of gay people the same way I'm sensitive to grossly obese people and ugly people.” - Richard Simmons

P.S. - I can't believe I just blogged about Richard Simmons.