How dangerous is your Career?

For many, a career is a way of life. It's an aspect of our lives that is required in order to support ourselves and our families. It's an important factor in determining the types of purchases we can make, where we will live, and what types of things we can purchase. A career is one of the most important aspects of an individual's life, so choosing the best career for your lifestyle and interests makes a huge difference when considering how successful and happy you will be within your career.

For some, a career can be physical work which requires strength and persistence. Manual labor can be a lifestyle in which some enjoy. It allows them to build things, potentially exercise, and spend their time moving around and engaging in physical movements. For others, a non-manual occupation may be the best option since it allows them the ability to think logically, enjoy time indoors, and doesn't require a large amount of physical work. Most of these employees will find themselves working in front of a computer screen, or potentially traveling to and from various business meetings and sales presentations. This may be the most suitable career for many.

Regardless of the option you choose, there are things that can be dangerous, or potentially hazardous to your health when working within each of the career options.

Physical Occupation Hazards

Physical occupations may present the most obvious dangers because of the nature and scope of the work required of employees. For these types of occupations, employees are regularly required to have the ability to lift and move heavy or large objects. With this being said, it's important that the employee is in good physical shape, and has the strength and ability to move items around without any issues. Furthermore, it's important they do not have any pre-existing health conditions that may limit their ability to perform the scope of the work required for the position.

These types of options may also require the employee to spend time outdoors,with the potential to be exposed to mother nature's creations. With this being said, it's important that physical employees have the knowledge and ability to keep themselves safeguarded from weather conditions and extreme heat or cold temperatures. Wearing jackets when it's cold outside, or keeping themselves dry by using ponchos when it rains are some of the common practices one should take when working outdoors. For construction workers, it's important they safeguard their body from harm by wearing protective hard hats and safety equipment to prevent any threat for injuries while on the job. OSHA guidelines have been set forth to require safeguard practices, however, it's important that these types of employees remember these practices at all times.

Non-Physical

Non-Physical types of occupations tend to have a much lower associated risk factor when weighing the differences between physical occupations and non-physical. When reflecting upon these types of occupations, many individuals may have a more difficult time determining some of the risk factors that come alongside these types of occupations. However, there are a few risks that should be discussed.

Employees working desk jobs, or office positions may require a great deal of time to be spent in front of a computer screen. As a result, there is a great deal of time spent staring at a computer screen monitor on a daily basis. After several weeks, an individual's eyesight may need to be re-evaluated as vision ability can change based upon this type of work. Furthermore, sitting in the same position for an extended amount of time doesn't allow the body to circulate blood throughout the body as quickly. It's important to stretch regularly, and take short breaks from time to time. Additionally, individuals working a desk or office job may find themselves having a sloped posture, or curvature of the back, from their position in front of the computer. This can lead to serious back issues down the road. Your posture while sitting in front of a computer should always be remembered.

Weighing Your Options

There are plenty of pros and cons that come about from each type of position. Though some may be more apparent or obvious, it's important to consider how your health and well-being could be negatively or positively impacted by the type of occupation you choose. Weighing your options, and taking careful consideration into your lifestyle and what's most important to you is the first step when considering if a job is right for you. In what ways can you improve upon your current occupational practices to improve your safety and reduce your risk?

Social Security Payroll Taxes

Here's one reason why the first quarter of 2013 isn't going to be a good quarter for a lot of retail companies:

From the AP:

President Barack Obama isn't talking about it and neither is Mitt Romney. But come January, 163 million workers can expect to feel the pinch of a big tax increase regardless of who wins the election.

A temporary reduction in Social Security payroll taxes is due to expire at the end of the year and hardly anyone in Washington is pushing to extend it. Neither Obama nor Romney has proposed an extension, and it probably wouldn't get through Congress anyway, with lawmakers in both parties down on the idea.

Even Republicans who have sworn off tax increases have little appetite to prevent one that will cost a typical worker about $1,000 a year, and two-earner family with six-figure incomes as much as $4,500.

Pre-Interview Planning Checklist

-Here are the top ten thing you should do before going on any interview. Remember to focus on yourself and think positive before going into the interview.
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1. What do I know about the company?
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2. What do I know about the job?
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3. What do I know about the interviewer and the selection process? Who am I meeting?
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4. What is my 30-word response to "Tell me about yourself?"
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5. What points are unique about me and support my application?
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6. What achievements will the interviewer(s) be most interested in?
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7. What possible problem areas are there in my application and how can I
put them positively?
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8. What possible question areas will I have for my interviewer(s)?
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9. Have I prepared well for the technical part of the interview?
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10. What lasting impression do I want to leave with my interviewers(s)?

Unemployment Insurance

The Unemployment numbers look good for Massachusetts:

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 20 were in California (+20,866), Kentucky (+13,337), Michigan (+8,160), Missouri (+7,091), and Indiana (+6,795), while the largest decreases were in Massachusetts (-4,016), Georgia (-3,525), New Jersey (-1,866), Tennessee (-1,649), and Illinois (-1,194).

Mental Training 2

Connecting with your Goals: Creating a road map for success

• Challenge yourself to work on areas that need improvement
• Goals should be challenging, measurable, self-referenced, and within your control
• Technique goals, practice goals, competition goals, mental training goals, strength/conditioning goals, etc.
• Goal Planning (begin with the end in mind, develop specific action plans and strategies for achievement)
• Set short term goals (daily/weekly, monthly) in relation to long term objectives (Career)
• Balance outcome goals with performance goals
• Outcome goals (Bonuses)
• Performance goals (In order to win the big accounts, we need to commit ourselves to …)
• Write your goals down and specify timetables for achievement
• Monitor, evaluate, and adjust your goals based on the progress you are making (adapt and persist)
• Get in habit of using weekly journals
• Think of creative ways to quantify and measure your goals
• Take Pride and Ownership over your goals - be accountable to yourself and to your teammates
• Finally, have a passion for you are doing - challenge yourself to raise the bar in your pursuit of excellence

Mental Training for Engineering

Putting Your Mind in a Position to Think Confidently and Compete Well

Motivation and Commitment

• Personal Meaning and Incentives (what drives you to reach your goals)
• The Psychology of Personal Excellence (Terry Orlick, 2000, "In Pursuit of Excellence")
• Knowing where you want to go (having a vision)
• How much you really want to get there (commitment)
• How strongly you believe in your ability to arrive at your desired destination (belief)
• Connecting with each step in front of you (focused connection)
• Ask yourself "what type of engineer do I want to become here at XXX, and what is it going to take for me to get there" (vision and commitment)

Massachusetts Economy Grows

There are four segments in the Massachusetts Economy, and last month all four areas show growth for the first time in years:

The four areas are: (In the order of Economic Impact)

1. Health Care
2. Education
3. High Tech
4. Tourism

High Tech was one of the areas of the economy that hasn't shown strong growth in a while.

Don't change the rate!

Alan Greenspan and his colleagues on the Federal Open Market Committee will be meeting tomorrow to talk about raising the short term rate about a quarter of point. However, this is a very bad idea:

1. Oil prices are close to hitting $45 a barrel and could cause another spike in gas prices. An increase in gas prices has a negative effect on businesses, and many will probably hold off spending in anticipation of raising gas prices.
2. Unemployment numbers are still not great. The last two unemployment reports have fallen short of analyses expectations.
3. Retail sales in June were below analyses expectations.

The Federal Open Market Committee should just keep the rates as they are and issue a warning that rates may increase in September. Remember its always easy to cool off a hot economy, but it takes a while to heat up a cool economy.

Economic Recovery

This mornings AP Labor Wire, contained this statement:

The quarter-point increase was the first change since the funds rate was cut to a 46-year low of 1 percent in June 2003.

That had marked the 13th Fed rate cut in a series that began back in January 2001 as the central bank battled to jump-start an economy staggered by a series of blows, from a plunging stock market and the 2001 recession to terrorist attacks and two wars.

So what this is saying is that this is the first time in George Bush's administration that the Feds increased their rates. Why did George Bush want to Allen Greenspan to stay on?

Inflation Report

There's a report out this morning that predicts that the inflation rate in the United States will be higher than originally reported.

"Rising prices of energy and other industrial commodities are contributing to the higher inflation, but so too is robust growth," said the group's president, Duncan Meldrum, chief economist at Air Products and Chemicals Inc.

I believe that the rapid increase of energy cost (Oil) is the main factor in the inflation rate. This weekend I saw that the price for gas at the pump at Meeting House Pond in Orleans cost $2.99 a gallon. This high gas price not only effect the weekend boater, but also the day to day New England Fisherman.

George W. Bush will be on the air tonight addressing the American Public in a prime time speech, not on the sudden fuel surcharge, but on the situation in Iraq.