With the job market slowly coming back to life, many job candidates are so eager to land a position that they don’t stop to think about the corporate culture in their potential workplace. Interviewers have so much on their own plates, even they don’t always know where to start as they ponder whether or not a candidate will be a good fit for the job. In turn, candidates want to know what they’re walking into before they’re offered a job, so they don’t end up with the workplace equivalent of buyer’s remorse. That’s why job-hunters need to be fully engaged, interactive, and ready to ask pertinent questions that will help them make informed decisions about job opportunities.

These questions help job candidates to find out what the company’s corporate culture is really like, so they’ll have a better chance of finding a dream job instead of a rude awakening:
 

We're starting off 2011 with another guest blog post from our friend and colleague Homero Herrara of Latin American Cargo. We think you'll be as moved by Homero's words as we were.

APPRECIATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE

A little girl was full of pride and excitement; she had just finished her masterpiece. It was a beautiful drawing made out of shaky lines and bright colors -- a portrait of her innocent and vast imagination­­­ -- a pure and noble creation of a five-year-old child. She went running to show it to her Dad, but he was “too busy” to appreciate her work of art; right then and there, an artist had just started to die...

Isn’t it true that we all have a dormant child living within us? It is a child who craves appreciation and a bit of attention. As well, it is true that every human being is an artist in what she (or he) does. What can be the worst for an artist than not to be recognized? Every day in the world, there is an artist who starts to “die” for lack of recognition: at the office, at home, at the schools, at the stores, at restaurants; it happens all over. It is the type of “death” that crawls over its victims slowly, as if the worst of all poisons was fed to them every time they are ignored. I once came across an inspiring quote by the English author, Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784): “The applause of a single human being is of great consequence.” At that moment I started to wonder how many times I had forgotten to clap, how many times I had forgotten to say thank you. Most likely some of us forget this from time to time. Appreciation is the main pillar on which all human relations are built. But perhaps the fast pace of our daily lives make us ignore this most fundamental human reality. A simple “Thank you” or a simple “Great work” can make all the difference in the world to someone.

There is a story about an Italian boy whose dream was to become a singer. His teacher would always discourage him. He would always tell him he could not sing. But his mother, a very poor woman, supported and appreciated her boy`s singing; she went barefoot in order to have enough money to pay for her boy`s music lessons. That mother`s appreciation for her son’s talents had a tremendous impact on the boy`s life. His name was Enrico Caruso (1873 – 1921)   and he became one of the most famous opera singers of his time. Let`s not forget that most stories of success are not only a by-product of a person’s qualities and dedication, but a direct consequence of the opportunities that person encountered along her journey. Appreciation is a way of offering someone an opportunity to succeed or simply to become better.

Today I’d like to present my colleague Homero Herrara of Latin American Cargo as our Guest Blogger with a timely message!

A NEW YEAR`S RESOLUTION 

Another calendar year has almost gone. The unfailing yearly ritual has already started. Sounds of “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year” echo through the air—parking spots at the shopping malls are becoming a treat of pure luck—gigantic line-ups waiting at every store—nature has dressed the city in white—gifts are the epitome of the season—and among these customary proceedings, there is one I call “The New Year’s resolution virus”. As December 31st gets nearer, the virus spreads more rapidly and it gets stronger than ever. It will soon infect us all.

I always enjoy Jim Fay’s e-newsletters. He always does a great job getting to the point quickly. I’m running Jim’s latest blog post below, because it resonates with people of all ages.

Why Do Questions Make Our Kids Think?

How can we make sure that our kids are doing their fair share of the thinking? How can we keep ourselves from getting pulled into working harder on their lives than they are? How can we help them become prepared for a world full of decisions and consequences?

Free Sales Webinar
How to Ask Great Probing Questions:
Discover What Physicians Are Really Thinking

When: Fri, January 28, 2011
Time: 1:00 pm Eastern  (10:00 am Pacific)
Duration: 60 min (including 15 min Q&A)
Presented by:  Paul Cherry, Patrick Connor and
John Kuchna, President of Stategic Outcomes

Event Description

Have you noticed that certain questions can elicit a great response from one physician and a closed response from the next physician? It is very difficult to state that one great question works on all physician types. Some doctors are agreeable but never take action. Others are quantitative and critical, putting you on the defense. But if you know what questions to ask—based on a physician’s specific thinking style—your results can skyrocket.