The Perfect Career for Your Personality

Choosing a career path is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make-but how do you decide what is right for you? You may take a career path that uses the skills you have or the education you've gotten. You may even choose a career based on what you think you "should" do-because of what your parents or teachers have told you is right for you. But you may not know that you are naturally more suited for some careers than for others. Why? Each of us has an individual personality type that affects how much we'll like a job.

Think, for instance, about a carpenter versus a counselor. A carpenter works with concrete objects, according to specified procedures, and has a tangible result. A counselor works with people and their feelings; she has to judge success and the results of her work based on abstract concepts. Which of these sounds more appealing to you? Do you have a strong preference for one or the other? 

Now, imagine if you had to make your less-preferred choice your career, and you will get an idea of the impact that your personality has on your job satisfaction. There is quite a bit of variation in how people think and process information, what they see as important, and how they make decisions. All of this variation can affect how happy or unhappy someone is in a work environment. Each one of us has different criteria for what a great job is, and to find your own perfect career, it is crucial to identify what is important to you.

The first step is to figure out your personality type. The most common personality test used for career counseling is called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This personality test measures four facets of personality:

• Extroverted/Introverted-Do you get your energy from being with people, or being alone?
• Sensing/Intuition-Do you see what's actual, or what's possible?
• Thinking/Feeling-Do you make decisions with your head or your heart?
• Judging/Perceiving-Do you like to make decisions, or keep your options open?

There are many ways to find out what your personality type is. Some people prefer to read about the types and choose what seems to fit best. There are also free quizzes on the internet based on the principles of the Myers-Briggs that can give you an idea of where you may fit.

However, if you are serious about finding out what type you are, the most reliable and accurate method is to take the official Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This is a scientifically validated instrument that will identify where you fall in each of the categories. This assessment can only be administered by someone trained in its application, and must include a consultation with a trained coach or consultant according to its licensing guidelines. You can take the personality tests through a career counselor in your area, or online. If you take it online, you will typically get the results the same day, and you can usually request a special report that will go into detail about what is important to look for in a career. 

Once you have figured out your personality type, you will want to look at the careers you are considering and evaluate whether they fit what's important to you. Some questions to ask yourself:

• How much time will I spend interacting with people? Will it be too much/too little?
• To what extent will I be expected to follow standard procedures? Will I feel restricted by too much structure? Will I feel frustrated by too little?
• Will this job require me to use logic and reason things out? Will it require me to use compassion and consider how decisions will make people feel? Am I comfortable with the extent to which I will have to act based on thinking or feeling?
• How much latitude will this job give me to make my own schedule? Is it too little? Too much?

It's important to be realistic about what a job entails, and to ask as many questions as possible about prospective jobs so that you can evaluate how well they'll fit you. As you learn more about yourself, you will become more able to judge which jobs will bring you satisfaction. 

If you're spending a lot of time online, you may be noticing a lot of websites with links to RSS feeds, and you may not be certain what these are. If you're looking for current information or if you want to provide information, you may be missing out on a great tool.

There are a couple opinions as to what RSS stands for, but basically what you need to know is that it allows the content from a website to be syndicated. For visitors, this makes it easier to keep up with what is happening on a website; for webmasters it provides one more way to keep in contact with your visitors.

Even if you are not familiar with RSS you might have used it already. Yahoo, MSN and Google all have pages you can personalize to include information that is of interest to you. RSS is how this is generally done. With each of these services there are items they have listed that you can easily add as well as a way for you to select an RSS feed so that exactly the things you are interested in appear on your page.

One of the most common uses is in blogs. The feed is a very popular way to encourage people to come back and visit regularly, as they are automatically notified of new content.

Some websites are also using RSS as a supplement to email newsletters. RSS has the advantage for the user that it is easy to subscribe or unsubscribe to, and there is no spam. For the website owner, RSS ensures that their messages do not fall prey to spam filters or spam complaints.


Subscribing to an RSS feed is very easy if you have a My Yahoo, My MSN or a personalized Google homepage. Some sites have buttons you just click; other times you need to get the URL of the RSS feed, then find where you add content to your pages and put in the URL.

You might also choose to use a feed reader on your computer. There are free and paid versions; a quick search on your favorite search engine should find one that is suitable to your needs.

If you have a website and want to take advantage of RSS, there are several possibilities. One is, of course, the aforementioned blog. Content management systems such as Joomla also provide you with an RSS feed for people to subscribe to. You can also create an RSS feed on your own, although that requires more effort.

RSS is tremendously helpful in making content more accessible. A well planned RSS feed benefits both webmasters and visitors. Choose a way that is easy for you to subscribe to RSS feeds and let the information come to you. 

It's Better to Make Mistakes Than To Be a Perfectionist

Some people waste their lives trying to avoid making mistakes, but cripple their careers since perfection isn't attainable. They ultimately make fewer mistakes but accomplish less because they waste so much time trying to make things perfect. Time is money in business. Doing a good job today is more profitable than doing a great job tomorrow.

Rock star Jon Bon Jovi's career might have ended before it started had he not understood this principle. He was only 21 when he won a contest with a radio station to record his first song in 1983. He quickly formed a band and released a debut album that went gold the following year. Suddenly they were opening a concert for ZZ Top at Madison Square Garden. They were rushed to record a second album and strike while the iron was hot. It was released in 1985 to poor reviews. Jon was unhappy with the album and wanted to do better, but timing was critical. The band moved past this bump in the road and released a better written and produced third album in 1986. Jon still wasn't happy with the album because he didn't think one particular song was good enough to be included. Fortunately for him, he listened to the people who knew the business side of music. That song was "You Give Love a Bad Name". It became one of the band's most well-known singles and helped send the album straight to number one. This launched them into super stardom and they went on to sell more than 100 million albums. Had they waited until the second album was perfect, they might have lost the support of their record label before they got to the third.

This is what happened to rock legend Tom Scholz. He's often referred to as the smartest man in the history of rock and roll. He holds a masters degree in mechanical engineering from MIT and is listed as an inventor on 34 U.S. patents. The 1976 debut album by his band Boston sold over 16 million copies and remains the biggest selling debut album in history. It's also considered one of the best-produced albums in rock history. Scholz played every instrument on every song and produced the album himself. He's brilliant and talented. He's also a consummate perfectionist who took eight years to finish the third album. CBS/Epic Records got tired of waiting for it, sued him for breach of contract, and dropped Boston from their label.

It's okay to have high standards as long as they're realistic. It's not okay to procrastinate until everything is exactly the way you want it to be. Your employer doesn't have time to wait around until you get things perfect even if you are a genius inventor or legendary rock star. Deadlines must be kept and payroll must be met. An electrical engineer who attended my management seminar in Orlando once told me that he has to constantly remind the engineers he supervises that sometimes 90 percent is good enough. 

Highly valued employees don't necessarily make fewer mistakes than run of the mill employees. In fact, they often make more mistakes because the number of mistakes increases as productivity increases. They just know the right way to do it. Making mistakes is okay as long as:

1. They're reasonable mistakes to make.
2. You catch your own mistakes.
3. You correct your own mistakes.
4. You accept responsibility.
5. You don't blame others.
6. You don't make excuses.
7. You don't hide your mistakes from your boss.
8. You learn from your mistakes.
9. You don't repeat the same mistakes.
10. You apologize when it's appropriate.

Frasier (Season 2) DVD Review

Much like the shows Seinfeld and Friends, Frasier, the Kelsey Grammer Cheers spin-off, dominated the NBC prime time TV lineup throughout the 1990s. Grammer stars in the title role of Dr. Frasier Crane who, recently divorced, moves back to his home city of Seattle, Washington. Landing a gig as a radio psychiatrist, Frasier reluctantly agrees to let his father Marty (John Mahoney), a Seattle cop recently shot in an attempted robbery, move into his new bachelor pad. Both Frasier and his younger brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) make a concerted effort to mend the relationship with their estranged father whose beer guzzling friends, plaid shirt wardrobe, and weathered recliner strike a dramatic contrast with the boys and their pretentious social circles. Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves) acts as Frasier's live-in housekeeper and Marty's personal physical therapist.

The Frasier (Season 2) DVD offers a number of hilarious episodes including episode #40 where Sam Malone (Ted Danson) visits Frasier in Seattle. Sam fills Frasier in on what the various members of the Cheers gang are now up to. In the next to last episode of the season, Frasier and Niles (against Martin's advice) purchase a restaurant they enjoyed during their youth and rename it "Les Freres Heureux" or "The Happy Brothers". The two inevitably run the operation into the ground (on opening night, nonetheless)…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Frasier (Season 2) DVD:

Episode 25 (Slow Tango in South Seattle) Air Date: 09-20-1994
Episode 26 (The Unkindest Cut of All) Air Date: 09-27-1994
Episode 27 (The Matchmaker) Air Date: 10-04-1994
Episode 28 (Flour Child) Air Date: 10-11-1994
Episode 29 (Duke's, We Hardly Knew You) Air Date: 10-18-1994
Episode 30 (The Botched Language of Cranes) Air Date: 11-01-1994
Episode 31 (The Candidate) Air Date: 11-08-1994
Episode 32 (Adventures in Paradise: Part 1) Air Date: 11-15-1994
Episode 33 (Adventures in Paradise: Part 2) Air Date: 11-22-1994
Episode 34 (Burying a Grudge) Air Date: 11-29-1994
Episode 35 (Seat of Power) Air Date: 12-13-1994
Episode 36 (Roz in the Doghouse) Air Date: 01-03-1995
Episode 37 (Retirement is Murder) Air Date: 01-10-1995
Episode 38 (Fool Me Once, Shame on You, Fool Me Twice…) Air Date: 02-07-1995
Episode 39 (You Scratch My Book…) Air Date: 02-14-1995
Episode 40 (The Show Where Sam Shows Up) Air Date: 02-21-1995
Episode 41 (Daphne's Room) Air Date: 02-28-1995
Episode 42 (The Club) Air Date: 03-21-1995
Episode 43 (Someone to Watch Over Me) Air Date: 03-28-1995
Episode 44 (Breaking the Ice) Air Date: 04-18-1995
Episode 45 (An Affair to Forget) Air Date: 05-02-1995
Episode 46 (Agents in America, Part III) Air Date: 05-09-1995
Episode 47 (The Innkeepers) Air Date: 05-16-1995
Episode 48 (Dark Victory) Air Date: 05-23-1995 

No GPS for Lindbergh

Although flying from New York to Paris is no big deal today, Charles Lindbergh flew his 3,600 mile, 33 1/2 hour flight in 1927 without a telegraph, radio or Global Positioning System (GPS). In his plane, The Spirit of St. Louis, Lindbergh packed a few sandwiches, a couple canteens of water, 451 gallons of gas and a few maps. Several men had attempted to fly the same distance as Lindbergh, but failed only weeks before he made his record-setting flight. Lindbergh made a seemingly impossible journey come true.

In order to maximize gas mileage, Lindbergh traveled as lightly as he could. He wore a light jacket compared to a traditional leather pilot's jacket, which made him more vulnerable to the elements. He used a thinner seat in which to pilot the aircraft, which compromised his comfort. Since he opted to travel solo, he had The Spirit of St. Louis built as a one seat airplane. If he fell asleep, he could crash in the Atlantic. Lindbergh also excluded night flying equipment and a parachute, which sacrificed his safety. Some could argue that Lindbergh literally bet his life on flying from NY to Paris.

Charles Lindbergh proved to the world that someone can succeed without needing to use luxuries. Lindbergh did not use luxuries in 1927 or electronic navigational devices.

How many times have we complained that our desktop or laptop is running slowly? How many of us have said that our office equipment is not the greatest? After what Lindbergh endured with his record flight, just how big do your problems really seem?

Here are some of the great things that Lindbergh taught us:

1. The Spirit of St. Louis was designed and built in 60 days

Many of us complain that we don't have enough time to do things. A single-engine airplane that was going to be flown across the Atlantic Ocean, which was never done before, was built in two months. Lindbergh, Donald Hall and a crew of 35 other men worked on the airplane. Hall worked an average of 90 hours per week. At one point, Hall worked on the plane for 36 and 20 consecutive hours. Many of us think that life was so much easier in yesteryear. History provides the contrary.

Lindbergh knew his time was limited. A $25,000 prize was offered to the first one who could fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Others had perished attempting to set Lindbergh's record. A few weeks prior to Lindbergh's start of his flight from New York, a couple of Frenchmen had died attempting to fly from Paris to New York. Charles Lindbergh was determined enough to have a plane built in two months and fly the plane over the Atlantic Ocean. How determined are we in a time crunch? Although we may not feel the same pressure as Lindbergh did when he attempted to set a flying record, we still have situations where more time would be needed

Are we asking for help like Lindbergh did? Lindbergh's dream may have been impossible without the help of Donald Hall and the 35 men that built the Spirit of St. Louis. Asking for help is no disgrace. If asking for help was good enough for Lindbergh, it can be good enough for us.

2. "Why shouldn't I fly from New York to Paris?"

Lindbergh was quoted as saying, "Why shouldn't I fly from New York to Paris? ...I have more than four years of aviation behind me, and close to two thousand hours in the air. I've barnstormed over half of the forty-eight states. ...Why am I not qualified for such a flight?" Lindbergh put possibility out there for himself and did it!!

What is keeping us from thinking the same way? There is no reason why we cannot make a trip of our own.

3. Lindbergh did not compromise his goals

Initially, a company offered Lindbergh a plane for $15,000, but the company's president wanted to choose the pilot and Lindbergh was not the president's choice to fly it. Another company offered to build Lindbergh a plane for $6,000. Ultimately, Lindbergh accepted the deal and within 60 days, the plane was completed.

How often have we compromised our goals? Many of us have always wanted to write a book, an article, a poem, prose, fiction or nonfiction. Unfortunately for many of us, we have settled for what we are doing instead of making our dream of what we could be doing happen. What is stopping us from making that dream happen? We give all kinds of reasons as to why we cannot devote a few minutes a day to obtaining our goals. Fortunately, goals do not have to happen overnight. Only three percent of the population writes down their career dreams, goals and aspirations. How many of us are writing down our dreams?

"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it." - Goethe

What goals do you have and how determined are you to attain them? What goals have you accomplished that initially seemed impossible? Although the magnitude of your goals may not seem as impossible as Lindbergh's transatlantic flight, they are still your goals. How many of your goals have you compromised and how many goals have you achieved? Lindbergh did not settle for anything less than his goal of flying across the Atlantic. Although some of your goals may initially seem impossible, you also should not settle for anything less than achieving what is important to you.

The Potential Of PS3 Games Console

The word wars between Sony and Microsoft just won't die down. With Microsoft's Peter Moore's ragging about the PS3 games console's price, surely, people don't expect the Sony CEO, Steve Howard, to turn the other cheek. It's pathetic to see two guys in power suits and power ties bicker like two kids in a playground. Sounds to me like they're fighting about who could spit the farthest. But since Moore has been hounding publicity, well, we might as well give shy Howard a chance to defend his PS3 games.

It can be recalled that Peter Moore of Microsoft used Sony console's price as a spring board in launching a new Xbox 360 marketing campaign. Moore released statements that gamers get more value in buying a Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox 360 for the value of a single PS3 games console. No doubt that the statement made even hard-core Sony fans hesitant about buying a PS3. After all, $600 is big money. Plus, the possibility given by Moore is a no-brainer: it is a choice between two next-gen consoles and more gaming options or one PS3. Sony has to act; and the usually quiet Steve Howard finally broke his silence.

In a recent press conference in Tokyo, Sony Corp's Steve Howard released a statement justifying the new Sony console's price. He claimed that the in buying a PS3 games console, the consumers are actually buying potential. Such a vague statement needed further clarification and Howard obliged. According to him, though the PS3 console is admittedly pricier ($599) than Microsoft's Xbox 360 ($300) or Nintendo's Wii($250), it provides users Blu-ray technology-- touted to be the technology of the future. Further, if the new Sony console's performance reaches its full potential, users would benefit from higher technology and longer years of use. Howard also implied in his statement that Xbox 360s and the Wii's are cheaper because they are merely "transitional" consoles with inferior technology when compared to the futuristic PS3.

However, market analysts and yours truly, seriously doubt this claim by Howard. Times are hard, and people are sure to think about whether the PS3 games console deserves its price tag. This can look bad quickly for Sony because reviews show that PS3's Blu-ray-supported graphics are only equal to that of the cheaper consoles. If there are differences, these are highly indistinct, unless you want to spend game time analyzing the graphic pixels. Even the controller is deemed inferior to that of the PS1 from seven years ago. In fact, the Wii sports a much better controller. Also, Howard's potential-based argument is stretched too thin and poorly supported. What if the new PS3 didn't reach its full potential? Then, there is the case of disappointed consumers whining over their loss. What about the long years of use? I doubt that five years would pass before the gaming giants come up with a new console prototype. Surely, Howard can come up with something stronger than an argument based on "potential". PS3 games enthusiasts need more fuel for their cause. Meantime, do you know what I'm excited to hear about? Peter Moore's response to Sony's "potential".

Rosehip Seed Oil - A Foundation For Beauty!

Rosehip seed oil has become widely recognized as an effective skin and beauty care agent in the last decade, with great interest surrounding its scientifically-validated beauty-enhancing effects. The oil has been heralded as a miracle cure for skin, useful for a great myriad of conditions, from premature aging and sun damage to scarring and other damage. What is this wonderful red liquid, where does it come from, how does it work, and most importantly, can it work for you?

Rosehip seed oil is extracted from the seed within the fruit of the wild thorny rose bush. Native to Chile, the plant is now cultivated elsewhere in South America with many countries producing the oil. Also found under the name 'Rosa Mosqueta', the oil has been used by native people for hundreds of years, but only recently became known to the rest of the world.

The red colored oil can be either solvent extracted or 'cold-pressed' – pressing is the really way to go, as there is no chance of any solvent residues remaining in the final product, and it is easier on the environment. The cold-pressed oil is the closest to nature; it has a high essential fatty acid content, and is considered more delicate than other seed oils. For this reasons, pure rosehip seed oil should be kept in a cool place, out of direct light, and should be used within 1 year of purchase. Otherwise the more fragile of the fatty acids could begin to turn bad, and your skin might not be so fond of them.

Rosehip seed oil is an excellent source of natural vitamin E and natural vitamin A, or 'trans-retinoic acid'. Retinoic acid, the acid derivative of vitamin A, is the active ingredient found in Retin-A or Tretinoin. Retin-A (a pharmaceutical preparation) has been heralded as a wrinkle cure because of its ability to increase skin cell proliferation – or speed the time it takes for your skin to regenerate. In fact, rosehip seed oil has been extensively studied for many of the same actions attributed to Retin-A, and has been shown effective without side effects (like over-drying and peeling – though unlike Retin-A, it should not be used to treat acne).

The first major study on rosehip seed oil was performed in 1983 by a team of researchers at the University of Santiago, Chile. The study's participants included individuals with diverse forms of skin damage: deep wrinkles and other premature aging, UV damage, radiation damage, acne scarring, burn scarring, dermatitis, and other problems of this type. Rosehip seed oil was shown to have significant, noticeable effects in regenerating the skin, reducing wrinkles and scars, and helping the skin to regain its natural color and tone.

Another later study was conducted on women ages 25-35 with extensive premature aging of their skin. Again, rosehip seed oil significantly reduced the appearance of wrinkles and sun spots after daily application for four months. Research has continued on the oil, with one study noting: "On some skin troubles like superficial wrinkles, chestnut spots and ephelides, good results have been obtained. After 16 weeks of treatment, wrinkles and spots become imperceptible." The oil has been used to successfully treat a long list of skin related conditions, including: age spots, wrinkles and premature aging, sun damage, scars from acne, burns, and surgery, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, hyper-pigmentation, brittle nails, and even dry and damaged hair.

Besides its regenerative properties, rosehip seed oil is also an excellent moisturizer. This is most likely due to its high essential fatty acid content (fatty acids that the body cannot produce itself), which are necessary for healthy skin. The oil penetrates the upper layers of the skin quickly and, being known as a 'dry' moisturizer, does not leave the skin feeling greasy or oily.

As for daily use of rosehip seed oil, it is considered extremely gentle and can be applied undiluted to the skin. It may also be blended with other oils like jojoba and sweet almond, and will still have wonderful effects at 10% of the total concentration. Further, rosehip seed oil makes an excellent carrier oil for aromatherapy – blends with essential oils having skin regenerative and soothing properties are highly recommended.

For improvement of scarring, a simple blend of 20 drops of Helichrysum Italicum per 1 ounce of rosehip seed oil, applied daily to the area, can be helpful. Helichrysum is known for its content of regenerative 'ketones'. For a more luxurious beauty blend, try the following in 4 ounces of rosehip seed:

5 drops Helichrysum
5 drops Lavender
3 drops Sandalwood
3 drops Neroli
3 drops Carrot Seed
3 drops Geranium
2 drops Roman Chamomile
2 drops Jasmine
1 drop Palmarosa
1 drop Ylang Ylang

Even simply the Helichrysum and Lavender will go a long way – Lavender oil is very gentle, and is also known to have regenerative properties.

So, whether using rosehip seed oil for healing your skin, or simply giving it a little nourishment, you will almost certainly be happy with the results. This luscious oil, with its broad range of positive effects, is sure to take a prominent place in your natural beauty botanical collection.