Have a safe and Happy Halloween from everyone at eRichards!

Job seekers are not limited to the internet or other traditional routes to find employments. Job seekers need to start getting creative and finding new ways to get noticed. Nonprofessional places and events can be considered as career opportunities because you never know when striking up a conversation with someone could turn in to a job opportunity down the road. Some people have been known to talk with fellow alumni at sporting events, or strangers at farmers markets. A relaxed atmosphere in community places allows for introductions and sharing your career status and experience. Another creative place is to attend a conference that is not related to your expertise. Attending industry events and seminars outside of your industry is a good way to regenerate your network. Building new contacts and meeting new people with different networks in important for your pursuit.

Courage at work is essential, and it is something that most managers think about encouraging in their employees. However, in most business success courage is the vital tool to thrive. Not adapting to changes in your current environment, and not taking chances can hurt not only your “team” morale, but also your business on a whole. If all the businesses around you are changing with the times, and you aren’t ultimately your productivity and your profits will fail. Inspire your workers to move beyond comfort zones, think outside of the box, and embrace a little bit of risk in their day to day activities. It will be beneficial to all parties.

Halloween night is one of great fun, but also can be one of great concern as children of all ages head out to go trick or treating. As this week begins, it is important to start thinking of some safety precautions for the big night. Having a fun and safe Halloween will make it all worth while.

• Know the route your kids will be taking if you aren’t going with them, but the best bet is to make sure that an adult is going with them or a teen aged sibling.


• Make sure you set a time that they should be home by and make sure they know how important it is to be home by that time.


• Make sure that if your child is carrying a prop of some sorts that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury.

Teaching your kids the basics of everyday safety such as not getting in to cars or talking to strangers, and looking both ways before crossing the streets all help make them safer when they are out Trick or Treating!

When your laptop computer starts blinking that the batter power is running low, and there is no outlet in sight here are a few steps you can take before and during your unplugged times to help stretch out the battery life. First, be sure to keep your laptop battery away from extreme heat. Defrag your hard drive regularly so the computer will run more efficiently. Using rubbing alcohol to periodically clean your battery contacts will also help in energy conservation. Lastly, use the “hibernate” rather than the “standby” mode if you will be away from your computer for a period of time. If you suddenly realize that you don’t have enough batter strength but need to tie up a few loose ends try dimming your display, the less bright the screen the less power consumed. Try to close down any unnecessary programs, remove USB or other devices you are not using, and keep graphic usage to a minimum.

The summer months are over, but that doesn’t mean that we can cut back on the amount of water we drink. Even if the weather is cooling off, our bodies still need to stay hydrated. Think of the following…

• One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University study.


• Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.


• Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.


• A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen.


• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Everyone needs to be motivated, even if that motivation comes from you. I often find myself stuck between knowing what to do, and why I should be doing it but sometimes I just need the additional push. That is when I started to think about how I accomplish goals. I figured out that it is best to break down a big goal in to smaller tasks, that way the challenge of completing the goal won’t be too overwhelming. Also, chances are there are always going to be resources or people around to help you, or if anything support you. Look to them for additional guidance and inspiration. Then start to align yourself with those that want to help you and taking each step as it comes. All of this will help you in preparing yourself to accomplish the big goal.

There are certain times of the year when companies are at a stage of promoting people. However, if you work for a company with a tight budget or low turnover, chances are your company isn’t in a position to promote you. Opportunities to move up may be limited, but if a bigger paycheck isn’t a possibility, consider asking your boss to acknowledge your work in other ways. A new job title does not cost the company a lot of money, and you may be able to get other benefits such as access to a company parking sport or a larger workspace. Be sincere and creative when asking for what you want and you might be surprised with the result.

Bilingual workers come to the rescue of many industries. About 80% of the United States uses only English at home which leaves the remaining 20% speaking a language other than English. There are also a signficant number of international travelers around the United States. Therefore, speaking a second language definitely makes you a valuable asset in any line of work. If you speak more than one language or have ever thought about learning a second one, now could be the time to seek jobs in industries where those skills will come in handy. Although all industries benefit from bilingual workers, the following find bilingual workers extremely necessarily for everyday work.

• Health care
• Hospitality
• Education
• Law enforcement
• Customer service
• Social services
• Finance
• Communication

In the spirit of staying organized, some people find that going beyond scheduling things by time, that scheduling by activity can save you even more time and give you a bigger feeling of accomplishment after completing tasks. That means that making all of your phone calls together, catching up on all reading, paying all the bills, or preparing all of your correspondence at a certain time can be an even more streamlined and efficient means of doing day to day activities.

Writing things down, keeping a calendar, or even a pad of paper in a convenient place could be an easy way to keep everything in order. If you can keep a running list of important names, dates, appointments, deadlines and special occasions from the get go it will help reduce the amount of time spent looking for specific information and make your day to day routine less stressful.

Performance reviews are a great way to show how valuable you are to your company. They are also a great way to pin point your strengths and weaknesses so that you are constantly adapting to new things that are going on and keeping up with the changes in your work environment. Therefore, the best thing you can do is be prepared. Have a list of things that you would like to talk about, and think about what aspects of your job will be the main topics of conversation. Be confident and able to clearly talk about the things you have done, outline the thought process behind why you did things one way rather than another way.

Name one or two things that you expect of yourself today. This can be something that is not necessarily on the "to do" list. It is something that you can write down on a paper that you place in a visible location and at the end of the day, see if you have accomplished your goals. You can feel empowered and by not making the list more than you can handle in a given day you will be sure to finish all of it.

Organizations, as a whole, are under increasing pressure from the board of directors, executive management, and business unit managers to demonstrate and improve the business value of their investments- IT organizations are no different. However, IT organizations struggle perhaps a little more than the others. Therefore, firms that strive for best practice in IT portfolio management need to evaluate, develop, and apply a standard methodology. This standard methodology should be implemented to measure whether the business value of investments is sound when proposed and throughout the process to the end when it is delivered.

With an ever changing and somewhat struggling economy more and more people are turning to graduate schools and higher education. This means that as more people are out of jobs, they are beginning to reconsider their priorities and direction in life or their careers, and many are doing so by way of the internet. Taking graduate classes online is very accommodating for people because it allows you to work at your own pace in your own time frame without having to dedicate a full day to your schooling, and with the price of gas not commuting is becoming even more popular. Knowledge is power.

Ever heard of "green collar" jobs? They are the hottest ticket for everyone looking to make more "green". As environmental concerns increase causing more and more consumers to buy eco-friendly products and services. Organic clothing lines and food to natural vacation spots are on the rise; as well as socially responsible investments are opening up more and more "green" opportunities in industries across the workforce spectrum from eco-friendly furniture building to financial anlaysts specialized in socailly responsible investing.

When an organization is facing hard times, it is important that managers do not show the fears they feel to their team. Sending the wrong signal to employees will have a negative effect. Leaders need to control the situation, and continue moving forward with everyday work. However there are some things a leader can do to deal with the situation.

Be realistic, confide in a friend and sift through the possibilities. Just be sure that you are talking everything out with a friend and preferably not a subordinate. This way you are gaining another’s perspective and framing the situation in ways that can lead to a more clear answer. Look for inspiration such as exercise to keep your mind off of things, and lighten up. Yes, during hard times fear is the ever present emotion, but that doesn’t mean that everything can crumble in its wake. Show your effective leadership skills and stand up to resolving the problem and moving forward.

School is in full swing, the leaves are changing, the weather is getting colder, you can hear cheers coming from the local football games and all of that means that cold season is right around the corner. There is no absolute cure for the common cold, prevention is key. Here are some tips to prepare you and your family, so that you can enjoy the fall season without a runny nose, headache, and persistent cough!

Be sure to:

Wash your hands

Eat fruits and veggies

Make sure you get enough rest

Productive meetings are necessary in all different aspects of our lives. Whether they be for work, school, or other extracurricular activities you need to stay out of the “trap” of talking too much and saying too little. People have the misconception that the length of his/her response to an issue being raised in the meeting is as important as the quality of the answer. This is most definitely not true, and most of the time people are just repeating what someone else has already said in different words. Try to remember that everyone else in the meeting has other “to-dos” and be as concise and to the point as possible when explaining your position.

On an interview, both parties are trying to make a good impression. The interviewers are trying to frame the company in a good light and make it seem like an interesting and intriguing place to work and the interviewee is trying to explain why he/she would be the perfect candidate for the position. So how does one go about doing all of this? Passion and energy are the two most important things you can do to impress people. Managers want to hire people who are enthusiastic. Regardless of how boring you thought your last job was you can still be passionate about your work, your work ethic, and responsibilities you’ve had. Don’t speak to the negative aspects of your former bosses, duties, or companies. Rise above all of that and put a positive spin on the situation.

What do most interviewers want to know during an interview? Essentially they want to know what benefits, what values you will bring with your employment to the company. Yes, the projects you worked on and duties you performed during the last 10-15 years ago bring context and content to your career and the professional you have become, but most importantly you need to highlight the skills and traits you now possess and how they will help you in your future employment. Concentrate on your current roles and responsibilities.

Marilyn Carlson Nelson, this name is one to remember for the significant contributions she has made as Chief Executive of the Carlson Companies. Named one of the world’s 100 most powerful women as well as recognized in the U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s best leaders she continues to inspire all those who come in contact with her. So what is her secret? In a luncheon symposium co-hosted by the Women President’s Organization (WPO) and the Greater Stamford Chamber of Commerce Carlson addressed the importance of success. As a member of the WPO, President of eRichards Consulting, Doreen Gebbia attended this symposium and was enlightened by the speaker. In her book “How We Lead Matters” she delves further into her experiences of being a successful woman whether in the workplace or at home. She encourages people to be consistent in life, whatever you would do at home do at work, and vice versa because as she said best, “today is what we have.”

Procrastination is a psychological behavior that affects everyone to some degree. Whether it is a minor problem that stress and anxiety take over, procrastination is typically the result of the person knowing what they have to do even if he/she can not bring him/herself to do it. That means, even someone with the most detailed schedule is usually at a lost when procrastination hits.

Some inspiration that will hopefully draw you away from procrastinating and back to your work…

“Whatever you do, do it will all your might. Work it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well as now.” P.T. Barnum (1810-1891) Showman and Circus Founder.

Appointments and meetings are part of the job. So if you have an appointment be sure to arrive a little early, and greet the person(s) with a smile and firm handshake. Keep on schedule for the allotted time, by avoiding sharing your personal challenges this can best be done by setting a typed agenda. Also, refrain from chewing gum and leave people the same way you greeted them with a firm handshake and a smile.

How many times have you made a “to-do list” only to be interrupted by some other pressing matter? An interruption is more than a delay in your to-do list because humans are built to be interrupted; we use it as a means to stay tuned to changes that are happening in the environment around us. However, getting back to tending to our other objectives is the difficult task. If there is something you need to get accomplished without interruption be sure you do everything in your power to limit the possibility of interruption by turning off your phone ringer, and controlling the urge to check your e-mail.

Everyone is talking green and the Federal government is no exception. The Federal Government is looking at many ways to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as new laws, regulations, and incentives to help make our nation greener. So how do the government and other companies sort through all the buzz to make the best informed decision about what it purchases and how to conduct its business? Is the commitment to be more environmentally friendly a passing fad or culture change that is here to stay? And, how does all of this impact you and your sponsors/customers? These are just some thoughts I had regarding the environmental situation in regards to business…what are yours?

As a follow up about how the campaigns are implementing technology to reach a number of people through Facebook, YouTube, e-mail blasts etc. I was reading today that Senator Barak Obama’s presidential campaign actually launched an iPhone application that turns the device into a political campaign/recruiting tool. By having this software on your phone you are able to reach out and make a high impact from the calling standpoint but the application also reports back the number of calls made this way. No personal information is retained only the number of recruiting calls is tallied. Using the other features already provided by the iPhone the campaign has tailored the GPS capability to locate the nearest campaign headquarters and other events and activities that are in a narrow proximity of the device. If there is one thing to be said, it is that technology is changing the face of political campaigns now, and in the future.

The following are just some miscellaneous factoids that will probably shock you, and hopefully inspire you to do your best to go green and encourage others to do the same.

• Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam coffee cups every year, and 2.5 million plastic beverage bottles every hour.
• Americans throw away about 40 billion soft drink cans and bottles every year. Placed end to end, they would reach to the moon and back nearly 20 times.
• Using recycled paper for one print run of the Sunday edition of the New York Times would save 75,000 trees.
• If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees a year.

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