Voxy Announces Unique Referral Incentive, All-expense Paid Vacation

Voxy Announces Unique Referral Incentive, All-expense Paid Vacation Education technology company, Voxy, recently announced its unique approach to the employee referral scheme. The company is offering an all-expense-paid immersion trip to anyone who recommends a friend to work at Voxyregardless of whether the referrer works for the business. The company explained that it is looking for talented engineers interested in working on game-changing, innovative technology that empowers people around the world to achieve their goals by learning English. Learning a new language within the context of real-world experiences is a key underpinning of Voxys approach so it made sense for us to offer this reward, which reflects our mission and spirit as a company, Gregg Carey, Voxys VP of People Operations, said.The Fine Print details includeTotal trip expenditure not to exceed $4,000Winner will have to cover an y taxesReferral must work at Voxy for 90 days before prize is awardedNo requirements to applyInterested parties should have their friend(s) apply through Voxys online job postings page,ensuring that the job seeker lists their name on the application where it says how did you hear about this job.For more information on the new referral incentive, visit here.

Night Flying Regulations for the VFR Pilot

Night Flying Regulations for the VFR PilotNight Flying Regulations for the VFR PilotWhether we fly frequently or hardly at all, its easy to forget some of the regulations surrounding specific flights and specific operations. Pilots flying at night are often guilty of forgetting some of the basic regulations surrounding night flight. Heres a quick checklist of FARs to review to make sure youre legal to fly at night, including pilot currency and aircraft equipment requirements. Pilot Currency Pilots are required to maintain nightcurrency every 90 days to carry passengers at night. Specifically, 61.57(b) states that,no person may act as pilot in command of an aircraft carrying passengers during the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise, unless within the preceding 90 days that person has made at least three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop during the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise, and- That person act ed as sole manipulator of the flight controls andThe required takeoffs and landings were performed in an aircraft of the same category, class, and schriftart (if a type rating is required). Aircraft Fuel Reserves FAR 91.151(2) states that No person may begin a flight in an airplane under VFR conditions unless (considering wind and forecast weather conditions) there is enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and, assuming normal cruising speed (2) At night, to fly after that for at least 45 minutes. Aircraft Equipment All of the equipment required for day VFR (which some of you may know from the acronym TOMATOFLAMES) is required for night VFR flight, plus a few extras (some use the acronym FLAPS). Specifically, FAR 91.205 states that For VFR flight at night, the following instruments and equipment are required Instruments and equipment specified in paragraph (b) of this section.Approved position lights.An approved aviation red or aviation white anticollision light system on all U.S.-registered civil aircraft.If the aircraft is operated for hire, one electric landing light.An adequate source of electrical energy for all installed electrical and radio equipment.One spare set of fuses, or three spare fuses of each kind required, that are accessible to the pilot in flight. By the way, the FLAPS acronym goes like this F- FusesL- Landing lightA- Anticollision lightsP- Position LightsS- Source of electrical energy Aircraft Light Usage You have to use the aircrafts position lights at night. Its required by FAR 91.209, which states that No person may, (a) During the period from sunset tosunrise Operate an aircraft unless it has lighted position lightsPark or move an aircraft in, or in dangerous proximity to, a night flight operations area of an airport unless the aircraft- Is illuminatedHas lighted position lights orIs in an area that is marked by obstruction lights

Copywriting

CopywritingCopywriting

How to get people involved in and committed to company goals

How to get people involved in and committed to company goals How to get people involved in and committed to company goals The concept of work has undergone a fundamental shift.People no longer want to go to their jobs every week, put in exactly 40 hours, and repeat that pattern for 20 or 30 years. Instead, everyone is searching for purpose.They’re searching for self-actualization through their marriage, work, life.So, as a leader, you can’t just send out memos with a list of goals and expect everyone to band together and commit to them.You have to harness the desire for purpose and commitment in a way that brings people together around your company goals.That sort of commitment - passion, excitement, dedication - only comes from people who are truly engaged with their work. It comes from a community that sees a future where everyone benefits from what’s being done. It comes from people who feel their job has a meaning and a purpose beyond 5 o’clock in the evening.And you’re responsible for building that community.Here’s how to do it:Purpose has to be discovered and nurtured â€" you can’t implement it.You can’t announce purpose at an all-company meeting or put up a billboard.The desire to work together and commit to goals often develops from a single spark. In that sense, creating a sense of purpose is very similar to starting a bonfire. All it takes is a single match. The challenge is that you can’t just decide to strike a match. But you can architect the right conditions and environment for when the spark happens.At the most basic level, a group that comes together has to like each other. They have to respect each other’s professional skills and knowledge, and they may even bring shared values to their work environment.As the CEO of a biotech company, Morphic Therapeutic, I find those shared values revolve around wanting to do good science. The act of discovery is core to the human condition. People want to be in a place with integrity and a commitment to the science we’re working on.When shared values are in place, the conditions are right for a sense of purpose to develop. People begin to bond. They have conversations about shared life experiences, mutual interests, and long-term goals. Eventually, something clicks and the spark begins to create an entity far greater than a company - a community.The community and purpose draw people in.Finding a common purpose causes people to come together within an organization.And once everyone begins to see their futures as intrinsically linked, work stops being a zero sum game. People cease to see themselves as an individual who can “win” or “lose” depending on the situation. They begin to view success as something that is achieved by the entire group.In many situations, it’s natural to feel as though you’ve lost when someone else wins an award or achieves a major goal. And there are plenty of companies out there where the culture never progresses past that mentality.But when a company has evolved to the point where people really feel as though they’re part of a group working toward a common set of goals, everything changes. At this point, if a team member does something great, people recognize it as an achievement that helps move everyone forward. While you’re always pivoting between your individual needs and those of the group in a community, the fundamental aspect of this collective mentality is that you don’t feel you lost because someone else gained.No one’s keeping score anymore. If a colleague has a victory, it was just their turn. Yours will come soon enough.Purpose has to be actively pursuedYou can’t implement collective purpose in a company by decree. But you can’t just wait around and hope for it to occur, either.That’s why building a community is about getting to know people on a personal level, understanding their challenges, and having conversations about values and goals.It’s about creating the conditions for the collective mission to emerge.Something I’ve noticed is that people almost universally seem scared of networking and getting to know other people. So at Morphic The rapeutic, I emphasize helping people network so they can create an external community for their own career paths. I do that first and foremost because I want them to have successful careers. But I’m also hoping some of that networking ability translates into how they think about community within the company as well.Because if people spend time building their own personal communities, see the value, and live their lives outside of work with a sense of purpose, that’s going to translate to their work lives. You have to understand others and amplify what they feel capable of. Be a force multiplier.You can’t simply give speeches or implement your way to a purpose-driven community within your company, but you can give people the tools and support for it to emerge on its own.This article originally appeared on Medium.com.

10 body language myths that limit your success

10 body language myths that limit your success 10 body language myths that limit your success Body language plays a key role in your career  -  from your first job interview to the ongoing process of building professional relationships to being perceived as having leadership presence. But not everything you’ve heard about body language is accurate. Don’t limit your success by buying into these ten myths: 1. Using body language to make a positive impression is inauthentic This is a myth I hear expressed whenever I give a speech or seminar. And it often comes from the same participants (managers, leaders, executives) who understand the value of spending hours creating, reviewing and rehearsing what they are going to say to make a positive impression in an important meeting or negotiation. I ask them to consider this: In any business interaction you are communicating over two channels â€" verbal and nonverbal â€" resulting in two distinct conversations going on at the same time. While a well-written speech or well-designed bargaining strategy is obviously important, it’s not the only important message you send. In a thirty-minute business discussion, two people can send over eight hundred different nonverbal signals. And it is no more (or less) inauthentic to prepare for this second conversation than it is to prepare for the first. 2. Body language is 93% of communication On the other hand, if you think that all you have to do to be an effective communicator is to watch your body language, you’ll underestimate the power of your verbal message. The 93% myth is based on this misquoting of a classic study by Dr. Albert Mehabrian: “The total impact of a message is based on: 7% words used; 38% tone of voice, volume, rate of speech, vocal pitch; 55% facial expressions, hand gestures, postures and other forms of body language.” But Mehabrian never said that. His research was focused solely on the communication of emotions - specifically, liking and disliking. 3. Liars don’t make eye contact The biggest body language myth about deception is that liars avoid eye contact. While some liars (especially children) can find it difficult to lie while looking at you, other deceivers, especial the most brazen or habitual, may overcompensate to “prove” that they are not lying by making too much eye contact and holding it too long. If you correlate lack of eye contact with deception, you will misread cues from people who are shy, introverted, or come from cultures where extended eye contact is considered rude or threatening. 4. The “Superman” or “Wonder Woman” pose changes blood chemistry The concept that two minutes of “power posing” (for example, standing feet apart with hands on hips) increased testosterone (a power hormone) and decreased cortisol (a hormone associated with stress), was popularized by Amy Cuddy’s TED talk about her 2010 social psychology study. These impressive results were quoted in various body language blogs and speeches (including mine). But recent backlash from Dana Carney, Cuddy’s co-researcher, and the inability of other universities to replicate the results, have thrown doubt on this assertion. What you can still rely on however, is that good posture (standing or sitting tall with head held high, both feet firmly on the floor, and shoulders back) makes you look and feel more confident. 5. Crossed arms always means resistance Of course, crossed arms often does indicate resistance, but it can also mean many other things - or nothing at all - depending on the individual and the situation. If a person sits in a chair that doesn’t have armrests, it increases the likelihood of crossed arms â€" as does a chilly room temperature. If someone is deep in thought and pacing back and forth, crossing arms is a common way to increase concentration. The problem with believing the crossed arm myth is that you may not realize the gesture is coming from someone who is cold, concentrating, or simply assuming her normal, most comfortable arm position. 6. Eye direction is correlated with lying In Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP), the idea was proposed that looking to the right indicated deception while looking left suggested truth-telling. This, however, has been disproven by research. The University of Edinburgh conducted three separate studies and found no correlation between the direction of eye movement and whether the subject was telling the truth or lying. 7. You can tell what someone is thinking by analyzing their body language No, you can’t. Neither can I. We are not mind readers. While body language can offer insights into the emotional state of someone (angry, sad, happy, disgusted, fearful, contemptuous, etc.), it can’t tell  why  the person is exhibiting that emotion. Here is how John Sudol, an acting coach describes the danger in assuming we know what’s behind a negative expression: “In a business interview or acting audition, what you read on the interviewer’s face can provoke a variety of unwanted responses, such as anxiety, self-doubt, and insecurity. If enough stress is produced it can trigger a limbic response and put you into a freeze-fight-or-flee state.” Sudol later told me that he has adopted a personal mantra to decrease the negative impact of an angry or hostile expression:  What’s on their face is not about me! 8. Body language is an effective tool for disguising your true feelings The problem with buying into this myth is that research has shown that attempting to suppress genuine emotion requires so much conscious effort that it is rarely successful. Whenever you attempt to conceal any strong feeling and fake another, your body almost always “leaks” nonverbal cues that are picked up consciously or subconsciously by your audience.Stanford University’s research on emotional suppression shows why it’s so difficult to hide your true feelings: Subjects instructed to conceal their emotions reported feeling ill at ease, distracted and preoccupied. And this was validated by a steady rise in their blood pressure. But another, quite unexpected finding showed a corresponding blood pressure rise in those listening to the subjects. The stress of suppression wasn’t just palpable; it was contagious. 9. Talking with your hands is unprofessional If you respond to this myth by keeping your hands still when speaking, you are limiting your effectiveness as a communicator. Not only do gestures help listeners track and interpret what you are saying, brain imaging has shown that gesture is integrally linked to speech. Gesturing as you talk can actually power up your thinking. Whenever I coach clients to incorporate gestures into their deliveries, I find that their verbal content improves, their speech is less hesitant, and their use of fillers (“ums” and “uhs”) decreases. 10. Increasing communication effectiveness takes major changes in nonverbal behavior This is my favorite myth, because it is so easy to dispute. Just try smiling more and see how much it improves the dynamics of your interactions. A genuine smile not only stimulates your own sense of well-being, it also tells those around you that you are approachable, cooperative, and trustworthy. A genuine smile comes on slowly, crinkles the eyes, lights up the face, and fades away slowly. Most importantly, smiling directly influences how other people respond to you. When you smile at someone, they almost always smile in return. And, because facial expressions trigger corresponding feelings, the smile you get back actually changes that person’s emotional state in a positive way. Not bad for one small nonverbal change. Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D., is an international keynote speaker and leadership presence coach. She’s the author of “The Silent Language of Leaders: How Body Language Can Help â€" or Hurt How You Lead” and creator of LinkedInLearning’s video series: “Body Language for Leaders.” For more information, visit  CarolKinseyGoman.com

5 ways you can use visualization to achieve top performance

5 ways you can use visualization to achieve top performance 5 ways you can use visualization to achieve top performance I’ve always been afraid of water. To confront those fears, I decided to learn how to scuba dive, even before I learned how to swim! I would to use visualization to achieve top performance if I hoped to get out alive.One of the requirements of a scuba dive certification is to descend ten feet under water, take off your mask and mouthpiece, and then put them back on again. I was afraid I would drown in those few moments underwater and without oxygen.What if I lost my mask? How would I get back to the surface? After all, I couldn’t even swim. My instructor was with me, and during practice he had helped me several times. On the day of certification, however, I would need to do it all on my own.My fear of water had not subsided as I hoped it would. I did not feel safe in the water, especially when I was ten feet under.The night before the test, I walked myself through the exercise many times. How could I use visualization to achieve top performance in my situation? Here were my steps: 1. Take a deep breath and let go of my mouthpiece. 2. Pull off the mask with my left hand and hold it tightly as my right hand came around and pulled it back over my face. 3. Keep salt water out of my eyes by keeping them tightly closed. 4. Grab hold of my mouthpiece and bring life-giving oxygen back into my lungs.I visualized the sequence dozens of times. And when it came time for my scuba dive certification, I performed the underwater portion exactly as I had visualized it. Two days later, I dove 100 feet down a seawall!I’m a hard-nosed realist who used to look at things like visualization as woo woo New Age. Little did I know at the time that I could use visualization to achieve top performance and point to solid science to explain why it worked. Achieving my goal was about more than work and discipline- it was also about physiology.Whenever we use visualization to achieve top performance, our brain releases a neurotransmitter called dopamine. That is the chemical that becomes active when we encounter situations that are linked to rewards from the past. Dopamine enables us to not only see rewards, but also to move toward them as well. So every time we visualize our achievement, our brain stores that information as a success.Visualization goes beyond my example of scuba diving. Here are 5 ways you can use visualization to achieve top performance:1. Clarify what you wantThis is more important than most people think because once we identify the things that are important to us, it’s easier to notice them. Once we have clarity about our goals, we start to look for ways to accomplish them. Opportunities might have been there all the time but we didn’t look for them, so we didn’t see them.When you visualize your goals, it forces you to get serious about what you want. Otherwise, there is nothing to visualize but a bunch of half-baked dreams about your future. Visualization takes a hazy idea and turns it into a clear goal. It’s more than a quick fix.How To Make It Work For You: Clarity requires precision, so it doesn’t do any good to be content with vague ideas of how you want to live your life. Vague goals sound a lot like this: I want to be rich. I want to travel the world. I want to be respected. This is the pseudo-goal crap that will never lead you to success because it’s not based in reality. To gain clarity, you will need to sit down and think about how you want events or relationships to unfold, exactly where you want to end up, and exactly what you need to do to get there.2. Get specificWhen you use visualization to achieve top performance, you see your own ability to perform in difficult or stressful situations. It can help move you beyond your current circumstances. Visualizing encourages leaders to ask “What if?” or “What else?” These types of questions open doors of possibility and opportunity. It’s an invitation to move past the status quo.The very act of giving your brain a detailed and specific portrait of your end goal ensures the release of dopamine, the powerful tool to steer you toward success. If dopamine is associated with rewards, leaders can use this knowledge to help their teams find ways to create a more satisfying work environment. Research has determined that dopamine is produced in anticipation of reward, not as the result of the reward.How To Make It Work For You: Visualizing the outcome of an event is enough to trigger the production of dopamine. Ask yourself a simple question such as “What do I want this meeting to look like?” and then visualize your performance. Visualize every objection and/or question that is likely to come up in the meeting, and your response to it.If you want to use visualization to achieve top performance, you will need to visualize the entire process- the beginning, middle, and end. Take your mind through a situation and simulate how you plan to start, what you will experience, and how you will do it.3. Remove uncertaintyUncertainty can rear its ugly head at any time. It may be rooted in lack of confidence, lack of experience, or self-limiting beliefs. It is impossible to use visualization to achieve top performance if we move forward with a timid heart and weak voice.The FBI Academy ta ught me to respect uncertainty when it popped up in stressful situations. I never ignored it; instead, I found ways to break its crippling cycle of repetition. It was essential for my job as an FBI agent.It’s also important for your job as a leader, entrepreneur, or business owner. Your confidence is a by-product of your success, not the cause of it. Uncertainty can sabotage your best efforts to move forward unless you nip it in the bud.How To Make It Work For You: The more familiar you become with the situations, conversations, or events that produce your uncertainty, the calmer you will be able to approach the situation. Grit up and acknowledge your doubts so you can excavate the significance of their timing.Write down  when  you experience uncertainty. Explore what triggers it. Trace the roots all the way back to childhood if needed.4. Experience the right emotionsEmotions are very important if you want to use visualization to achieve top performance. Your brain learns better w ith emotions. The memories and experiences that are freighted with emotions stick in your mind. Visualization is a mental simulation of your future performance so you need to cast the right emotion into the equation.The idea behind visualization is to plant false positive memories into your brain. To be successful, you must remain positive. Your brain will perceive your future performance as more achievable if they are accompanied by a positive emotion.How To Make It Work For You: When you use visualization to achieve top performance,    you’re better prepared for it in real life. You will feel prepared because you’re doing something you’ve already rehearsed many times in your mind. Here are some tips: Don’t give negative emotions the space to fester. Feel positive emotions like enthusiasm, pride, happiness, and satisfaction on every step of the way. Let them become ingrained in your psyche. Don’t ignore the obstacles, but don’t give negative emotions the space to fester. Visualize the obstacles you expect to encounter so you’re prepared for them. Imagine what it will feel like when you succeed. From Victor Frankl: “There’s one reason why I’m here today. What kept me alive in a situation where others had given up hope and died was the dream that someday I’d be here telling you how I survived the concentration camps. I’ve never been here before. I’ve never seen any of you before. Nor have I ever given this speech before. But in my dreams I’ve stood before you in this room and said these words a thousand times.”Like Frankl, you can be successful because you’ve done it a hundred times before- if only in your mind.5. Visualize massive success, but never fantasizeThere is an important caveat about visualization- never fantasize. Your brain is smart enough to tell the difference between peak performance and fantasy.    A study published in the  Journal of Experimental Social Psychology  suggests that positive fantasies can actually sap energy.The same study found that shifting into fantasy mode is most effective when we need to decrease our energy because anxiety is getting the better of us.How To Make It Work For You: You can dream of becoming a rock star, but make sure you have the talent to make it happen. It’s great to have dreams, but have the self-awareness to know the difference between you at your very best and a fantasy version of what you dream of becoming in life.This article was originally published on LaRae Quy. 5 ways you can use visualization to achieve top performance I’ve always been afraid of water. To confront those fears, I decided to learn how to scuba dive, even before I learned how to swim! I would need to use visualization to achieve top performance if I hoped to get out alive.One of the requirements of a scuba dive certification is to descend 10 feet under water, take off your mask and mouthpiece, and then put them back on again. I was afraid I would drown in those few moments underwater and without oxygen.What if I lost my mask? How would I get back to the surface? After all, I couldn’t even swim. My instructor was with me, and during practice, he had helped me several times. On the day of certification, however, I would need to do it all on my own.My fear of water had not subsided as I hoped it would. I did not feel safe in the water, especially when I was 10 feet under.The night before the test, I walked myself through the exercise many times. How could I use visualization to achieve top performance in my situation? Here were my st eps: Take a deep breath and let go of my mouthpiece. Pull off the mask with my left hand and hold it tightly as my right hand came around and pulled it back over my face. Keep salt water out of my eyes by keeping them tightly closed. Grab hold of my mouthpiece and bring life-giving oxygen back into my lungs. I visualized the sequence dozens of times. And when it came time for my scuba dive certification, I performed the underwater portion exactly as I had visualized it. Two days later, I dove 100 feet down a seawall!I’m a hard-nosed realist who used to look at things like visualization as “woo woo” New Age. Little did I know at the time that I could use visualization to achieve top performance and point to solid science to explain why it worked. Achieving my goal was about more than work and discipline; it was also about physiology.Whenever we use visualization to achieve top performance, our brain releases a neurotransmitter called dopamine. That is the chemical that becomes active when we encounter situations that are linked to rewards from the past. Dopamine enables us to not only see rewards but also to move toward them. So every time we visualize our achievement, our brain stores that information as a success.Visualization goes beyond my example of scuba diving.Here are five w ays you can use visualization to achieve top performance:1. Clarify what you wantThis is more important than most people think because once we identify the things that are important to us, it’s easier to notice them. Once we have clarity about our goals, we start to look for ways to accomplish them. Opportunities might have been there all the time but we didn’t look for them, so we didn’t see them.When you visualize your goals, it forces you to get serious about what you want. Otherwise, there is nothing to visualize but a bunch of half-baked dreams about your future. Visualization takes a hazy idea and turns it into a clear goal. It’s more than a quick fix.How to make it work for you: Clarity requires precision, so it doesn’t do any good to be content with vague ideas of how you want to live your life. Vague goals sound a lot like this: I want to be rich. I want to travel the world. I want to be respected. This is the pseudo-goal crap that will never lead you to success because it’s not based in reality. To gain clarity, you will need to sit down and think about how you want events or relationships to unfold, exactly where you want to end up, and exactly what you need to do to get there.2. Get specificWhen you use visualization to achieve top performance, you see your own ability to perform in difficult or stressful situations. It can help move you beyond your current circumstances. Visualizing encourages leaders to ask “What if?” or “What else?” These types of questions open doors of possibility and opportunity. It’s an invitation to move past the status quo.The very act of giving your brain a detailed and specific portrait of your end goal ensures the release of dopamine, the powerful tool to steer you toward success. If dopamine is associated with rewards, leaders can use this knowledge to help their teams find ways to create a more satisfying work environment. Research has determined that dopamine is produced in anticipation of reward, not as the result of the reward.How to make it work for you: Visualizing the outcome of an event is enough to trigger the production of dopamine. Ask yourself a simple question such as “What do I want this meeting to look like?” and then visualize your performance. Visualize every objection and/or question that is likely to come up in the meeting, and your response to it.If you want to use visualization to achieve top performance, you will need to visualize the entire process: the beginning, middle and end. Take your mind through a situation and simulate how you plan to start, what you will experience and how you will do it.3. Remove uncertaintyUncertainty can rear its ugly head at any time. It may be rooted in lack of confidence, lack of experience or self-limiting beliefs. It is impossible to use visualization to achieve top performance if we move forward with a timid heart and weak voice.The FBI Academy taugh t me to respect uncertainty when it popped up in stressful situations. I never ignored it; instead, I found ways to break its crippling cycle of repetition. It was essential for my job as an FBI agent.It’s also important for your job as a leader, entrepreneur or business owner. Your confidence is a byproduct of your success, not the cause of it. Uncertainty can sabotage your best efforts to move forward unless you nip it in the bud.How to make it work for you: The more familiar you become with the situations, conversations or events that produce your uncertainty, the calmer you will be able to approach the situation. Grit up and acknowledge your doubts so you can excavate the significance of their timing.Write down when you experience uncertainty. Explore what triggers it. Trace the roots all the way back to childhood if needed.4. Experience the right emotionsEmotions are very important if you want to use visualization to achieve top performance. Your brain learns better with emot ions. The memories and experiences that are freighted with emotions stick in your mind. Visualization is a mental simulation of your future performance so you need to cast the right emotion into the equation.The idea behind visualization is to plant false memories into your brain. To be successful, you must remain positive. Your brain will perceive your future performance as more achievable if they are accompanied by a positive emotion.How to make it work for you: When you use visualization to achieve top performance, you’re better prepared for it in real life. You will feel prepared because you’re doing something you’ve already rehearsed many times in your mind. Here are some tips: Feel positive emotions like enthusiasm, pride, happiness, and satisfaction on every step of the way. Let them become ingrained in your psyche. Don’t ignore the obstacles, but don’t give negative emotions the space to fester. Visualize the obstacles you expect to encounter so you’re prepared for them. Imagine what it will feel like when you succeed. From Viktor Frankl: “There’s one reason why I’m here today. What kept me alive in a situation where others had given up hope and died was the dream that someday I’d be here telling you how I survived the concentration camps. I’ve never been here before. I’ve never seen any of you before. Nor have I ever given this speech before. But in my dreams I’ve stood before you in this room and said these words a thousand times.”Like Frankl, you can be successful because you’ve done it a hundred times before, if only in your mind.5. Visualize massive success, but never fantasizeThere is an important caveat about visualization - never fantasize. Your brain is smart enough to tell the difference between peak performance and fantasy. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology suggests that positive fantasies can actually sap energy.The same study found that shifting into fantasy mode is most effective when we need to decrease our energy because anxiety is getting the better of us.How to make it work for you: You can dream of becoming a rock star, but make sure you have the talent to make it happen. It’s great to have dreams, but have the self-awareness to know the difference between you at your very best and a fantasy version of what you dream of becoming in life.This article first appeared on SmartBrief. If you enjoyed this article, sign up for SmartBrief’s free e-mail on leadership and management, among SmartBrief’s more than 200 industry-focused newsletters.

Build Your Network and Uncover the Hidden Job Market

Build Your Network and Uncover the Hidden Job Market Build Your Network and Uncover the Hidden Job Market Build Your Network and Uncover the Hidden Job Market Chances are you've heard or seen the phrase hidden job market, which refers to the unadvertised job openings you don't find on major job boards or in print. Especially in a down economy, when greater-than-usual numbers of unqualified candidates apply for advertised jobs, many employers prefer to find candidates through employee referrals, local professional associations, or other hidden channels. You can only find them via word of mouth (or perhaps more accurately with the rise in social media, via someone else's keyboard). This is what I call the new wave of networking. Online or otherwise, networking can pay off big if you're looking for a job, and it should be a part of everyone's job search strategy. Even if you're among the shyest of people, there are ways to get your name and message out without having to undergo a drastic personality transplant. Here are three ways to build your network: Get online now! Do you have a profile on LinkedIn or Facebook? What are you waiting for?!? More employers look beyond the resume and conduct online searches of candidates to determine who can make a good fit for the job and the company. Having a profile on such social networking sites both complements and augments the value you communicate in your resume. Take part in the LinkedIn or Facebook discussion groups that focus on your areas of expertise. That not only shows off your knowledge to a hiring manager, it helps you broaden your network. (Read about ways you can ensure an employer doesn't find anything in an online search that would embarrass or disqualify you.) Get out and meet people. You don't have to hide behind your computer screen. Look around your area for job or industry networking groups, alumni groups from your college, or local chapters of industry associations that meet regularly. Once you're comfortable, interact with the other attendees to share job search experiences and contact information. Got more time to get involved? Take on a volunteer role with the group. Not only can that help build your network, it can serve as an experience you can add to your resume. Offer to help others. Perhaps you've heard of the Golden Rule, Do unto others what you would like to be done unto you. It's a good rule to live by. There are other people out there looking for work, and by giving them a job lead, a contact, or a reference, you're building goodwill among these people and adding to your network. They'll remember and will want to reciprocate when someone gives them such valuable information that led to a job interview or a job offer. But be warned: If you hand out someone's personal contact information before getting their permission, you'll risk ticking them off. So if you don't already have permission, call or email first. (John! I met this guy last night at a networking meeting who could be perfect for that job you're trying to fill. Would it be OK for me to give him your contact information?) Networking is not easy for everyone. But it's an essential element of any job search strategy, and the only way to tap into the hidden job market, which may provide your best chance yet of finding a great job opportunity. What other job networking tips do you find important? Share them with us.