Get the Salary You Deserve

When you seek an improved salary, you are doing so to improve your lot in life. That is why you need to let salary negotiations work for you as opposed to working against you.

Far too often, people will go into a salary interview without really taking the clear steps to understand the interviewer's body language. This can lay the foundation for a lot of problems. Also, I should point out that the type of body language that you, yourself, display during the salary negotiations will often play a major role in whether or not you will get that raise you seek. So, let's look at a number of basic body language components you will need to embody when venturing into salary negotiations:

When you walk in the door of the office to negotiate salary, the first thing people will notice is your body language. You definitely do not want to have your body give the impression of being stressed or nervous. If you are nervous on a simple interview, why would you be worth the premium pay? These are the thoughts that run through the interviewer's head whether fair or not. So, you need to walk through that door in a manner that works to your advantage.

Here are some helpful body language points that will improve your chances from the outset: keep your shoulders up and back, smiling, and maintain an open body posture. This will present you as upbeat and enthusiastic about the job.

Enthusiasm also translates into motivation and that is another major plus. So, always show confidence and open body postures as they will help you. However, dominant body postures such as hands on hips or, worse, thumbs in the pocket should be avoided. Such postures display arrogance, overconfidence, and dismissive behaviors. Certainly, that is not what you want to embody when looking for a boost in salary.

When you are seated during the negotiation process, keep your shoulders up. When the person is speaking, you can lean forward as this will show interest. You can also put one hand under your chin to show interest and contemplation. All of these postures will add to the ability to present enthusiasm. It also makes you look like someone that is confident enough to land a job anywhere. That puts you in a much better position to negotiate.

Examining the body language of the person conducting the negotiations on the company's behalf is vital as well. Is the person upbeat and positive? Or, is the person presenting downbeat postures. Does the person try to stare through you, keep his arms folded, or presents false facial expressions designed to feign interest. While there is no standard way of reversing such problems, the mere fact that you know that the issue exists can allow you to deal with the scenario. As the saying goes, to be forewarned is to be forewarned.

It may take quite a bit of time to develop body language interpretation and development skills. As such, you cannot rely exclusively on job interviews and salary negotiations to learn about body language.

You will need to do what is necessary to learn as much about body language as possible in your daily life. That means you need to pay attention to your own body language at all times while also trying to learn as much as you can about other people's body language.

It is as simple as that.

This is a guest post made by a friend of mine who has created a great website about body language. For more information on body language check out Simply Body Language - Body Language without the Psycho Babble. Or check out Body Language Blog

Final Project for EDCI 559

The final project for my most recent grad class has taught me more than I could have ever imagined. The class is on Cultural Diversity in the classroom. What intensified the whole experience was that this course was a 15 week course crammed into a 3 week timeframe. Like most of the other students in class, I nearly lost my mind trying to complete all of the assignments, but I managed it with numerous hours to spare. ;)

The homework consisted of reflections on a variety of articles regarding cultural intolerance in America from the earliest days of the settlers until very recently as well as many other assignments. The reflects were certainly thought-provoking. It is astounding to me what one person can do to another in the name of fear, greed, hatred and/or ignorance.

In the classroom, sometimes children can feel "less" because their parents don't have as much money as others. The "haves" make fun of and alienate the "have nots". What we need to do as educators is help students to understand that wealth is not a measure of "good", "happy", "right" or "better".

T.S. Elliot has a quote that goes something like this: "Most of the world's problems are caused by people wanting to be important." I think that this can be taken a step further to say that, "Most of the world’s problems are caused by people who think they are more important than those around them."

Of course, the topic of diversity brings with it more than wealth and/or a desire for importance; it includes race, ethnicity, color, culture, geographic upbringing, disabilities and on and on. What teachers, parents and neighbors need to do is learn themselves how to live side by side with people who are different than they are and the children will learn from our examples.

Anyway, it was a very interesting class and I'm glad I took it - and equally glad that it's over. ;)

Herbs with Antibiotic Properties

There are several herbs that are known to have antibiotic properties. These herbs can be used to resolve existing medical issues as well as pre-treat health problems before they ever occur.

Echinacea is an herb that keeps you from getting ill. It can boost your immune system.

Garlic is an anti-inflammatory and an antibiotic. Keep some handy and partake of it daily.

Goldenseal works as an antibiotic and heals wounds.

Elderberry strengthen the immune system. It can also break fevers and reduce inflammation.

When used correctly, herbs are safe medicines. They are as natural as our own bodies.

The following link has more information about: herbal antibiotics

Vegan Recipes - Sauces Galore

I have a friend, Sassy, who makes my cooking look like Easy-Bake Oven kind of dishes. She is a genius at creating vegan wonders, too. One of her especially notable talents is vegan sauces. She has created a book filled with recipes using amazing spice combinations that are both beautiful and delicious.

She explains what makes the foundation of sauces and how to flavor them in healthy ways so that each meal looks and tastes like a delicacy. I had no idea that there were so many options for creating rich, flavorful sauces.

If you want to make your cooking fun again, take a look at this site:

Vegan Coach

If you want to take a look at what's inside her sauce recipe book, follow this link: Get Sauced With Sass

Enjoy!

No Answers, Just Questions

I am reminded more and more of the mistakes that I make on a daily basis. There are many things that I do well, but many other things that I wish I did better - or - perhaps just differently.

Most of my concerns arise from a lack of time. Am I spending enough time with my girls? Am I keeping my house clean enough? Should I be trying to volunteer my time to a worthy cause (other than to the schools where my children attend)?

Sometimes I get irritable because I'm stretched so far between activities, roles, responsibilities and needs. I don't want to take my frustrations out on anyone else. I want to be able to handle whatever comes my way. I wonder if I am doing a good enough job being a mother, neighbor, friend...

Doing enough
Making mistakes

What do I use as a guideline to see if I'm doing ok? What do other people use? I don't want to compare myself to others because there is such a wide array of what people find acceptable. What I expect of myself if much higher than what I see happening around me. So, what do I use as a measuring stick?

Am I doing enough?
Am I making too many mistakes?

There are more questions, but these are the basic two that plague me the most.

And I have no answers.

C

Changing Bad Habits

I have some bad habits. There are a number of things I wish I didn't do and other things that I wish I DID do. It isn't as though I have these problems from time to time, either. They're habits. They are built into my routine now. I wonder, though, if I wanted to change these habits, wouldn't I make more of an effort to do so? Are the trade-offs so unappealing that I don't move forward toward productive changes.

And - making changes isn't easy. Have you ever tried to break a bad habit? Sheesh. I'm not talking about self-destructive behavior here - just bad habits - but they do limit my ability to live a fully productive live - to achieve more - to be happier.

Now, one thing I have given a bit of thought to is my need to control my environment. Perhaps all those times I had to clean my room and watch my mom perform the white glove test (oh, I wasn't even a teenager then), may have caused me to want to be free enough to leave my laundry on the floor. Maybe I don't WANT to put my clean clothes away. The sad part is that my kids are going to adopt my slovenly ways if I don't get this under control. It's only been bad for the last year, but still... I need to work on this.

Ok, so that's one of my bad habits. I have others. I'm not going to share all of them. BUT, I do want to share a site that I think can help people like me (and probably YOU) who need to get some of their bad habits under control.

Change Bad Habits

C'mon, you know you're curious... :)

Carla

From My Friend, Chuck

As you know, for sometime now I have been involved in testing and trial marketing of a NEW line of All Natural Skin Care Products. Thousands of dollars have be invested in perfecting the formulas and test marketing of these products. We have received numerous testimonials from people from all parts of the country who suffer from various skin problems such as; Winter Dry Skin, Cracked and Bleeding Hands, Rough, Raw Elbows, Knees and Heels, Facial Blemishes, Eczema and Psoriasis.

desertwindskincare.com

Without exception, these people reported a dramatic improvement in the condition of their skin AND in some instances almost immediate results were achieved. Desert Wind Skin Care products consists of All Natural Handmade Soaps, Skin Conditioning and Moisturizing Body Lotions, Facial Cream and Hand and Foot Cream. All our products contain Emu oil, a well documented and proven skin conditioner PLUS Cayenne which is recognized as a blood flow stimulator. (There can be NO healing without increased blood flow!) Together, these ingredients provide the ultimate in relief from distressed skin conditions.

We are now ready to market these exclusive products directly to the consumer.

Here's where I need your help.

It would be greatly appreciated if you would pass this information on to your email list of people who might benefit from these skin care products. www.desertwindskincare.com

All our products are fully covered by our 100% Money Back Guarantee. You must feel the difference Desert Wind products makes to your skin or it costs you nothing.

Now for the good part. If you or any of your friends with log on to www.desertwindskincare.com and go to check out you will see a place to insert a coupon code. If you enter 3676 into this block you will automatically receive a 25% discount on your purchases. This introductory discount code will be in effect until November 30, 2009.

My webite is up and running now, although not perfected, it is a safe site and flows fairly smooth.

Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Chuck