List of Fake Job Scams and Examples

List of Fake Job Scams and ExamplesList of Fake Job Scams and ExamplesAre you job searching and worried about getting scammed? Many scams involve fake job listings. With a fake job scam, a scammer lists a job, but the job doesnt exist. The scammer uses the job listing to get job seekers to provide personal information, including their Social Security number, credit card information, and bank account information. The information is then used to access yur bank account or your credit cards and to steal your identity. Fake job scams often attempt to get job seekers to wire money from their bank, send money via Western Union or otherwise send money to the scammer. Some of these job scams were on Craigslist.However, Craigslist isnt the only job site where there are scam job postings or where your emaille address may be collected to attempt to scam you. Fake Job Scam Examples Its important to be able to differentiate legitimate job opportunities from fake opportunities that could resul t in you being scammed if youve decided to pursue them. It can happen. Heres how to tell if a job email is a scam. Be sure review examples of different types of fake job scams. Credit report scamHeres an email sent to a Craigslist applicant. The company would like to take this moment to thank you for your response to our Craigslist job posting, as well as inform you that, after reading through your resume, we are interested in discussing this job opportunity with you in person. To proceed to the next step of the hiring process, you will need to get your credit score checked. The applicant is directed to a website where they will input personal information including name, address, Social Security number, etc. Fake job application scam This email asks to complete a job application online. The link takes you to a website where you are to fill out all info needed to steal your identity. The email says something like We look forward to reviewing your application and bringing you in for a n interview, but can not do so until you complete our company application.Pay for Background Check Scam With this scam, a job seeker is told a position has just opened up, and aphone interviewor an instant message interviewis conducted. The applicant is notified that they would be responsible for the cost of the background check. Then the applicant is told that they have to purchase pre-paid $75 Visa debit card and send it to the interviewer to pay for the background check. Pay for startup kit scams These are also called work at home assembly job scams. Companies may offer to sell you a kit you can use to assemble products to sell. Youll most likely end up paying for a kit, and you wont make any money.Pay for software/programs scam The company asks applicants to tischset up a Yahoo Messenger account for the job briefing and interview. The company then explains that the applicant will need to buy programs in advance and say they will reimburse the candidate.Bait-and-switch Scam- PR/M arketing This job description isnt what it seems Start entry-level, develop transferable skills, work with the worlds leading corporations, advance to new positions, make money, and along the way, figure out what you want to be when you grow up. It sounds good, but the job is door-to-door sales. Pay for training materials scam The company asks candidates to complete interview tasks such as testing on accounting questions. Then they will tell you that they are going to set you up with software so you can work at home. Instead of a package, they send a cashiers check. They ask the applicant to deposit the check into their bank, then withdraw funds, and then send those funds via Western Union to get the training materials.Pay for online training scam In this scam, the job seeker receives an email from a person about a job they applied for that was filled. They had another job that the person was qualified for, but they had to pay to do some online training. This scam used the name of a legitimate company and an email address similar to the real company name. Direct deposit before interview scam The applicant is offered the job via email and told that all employees are paid via Direct Deposit with the companys banking institution with no additional cost for you. The applicant is sent to a website to sign up and told After registering your Direct Deposit confirmation, please respond back to this email with your ideal interview date/time. Remember, you need your Direct Deposit account info before your interview, as we will be processing your payment information at that time. Trial employment scam The applicant is told that they were selected as one of two people to go through a three-week trial period. The name of the company and the website seem legitimate, but they ask you to fill out a contract with personal information including your Social Security number. How to Avoid Job Scams As you can see, it can be hard to tell if a job is a scam or legitimate. Use th ese tips to learn how toavoid scams, how to check out companies and jobs, and what scams to watch out for when you are job searching. How to Report a Scam If youve become a victim of a job scam, or youve identified a scam, there are a number of methods you can use to report a job scam.

How to Find Work as a Session Musician

How to Find Work as a Session MusicianHow to Find Work as a Session MusicianThe hardest part of getting started as a session musician is finding your first few jobs. These tips should help you narrow your session musician job hunt down and kick start things, so the work starts pouring in. Work Your Contacts A lot of things in the music industry are about who you know, and getting to work as a session musician is no different. Do you know any musicians who are getting ready to record that might be able to use an extra pranke? Do you know anyone who works in a studio? Even if you dont know anyone who can give you some work right off the bat, get the word out in your circle that youre available for hire. Hit Up Your Local Studios Studios are often in the position of telling musicians where they can find a good such and such player. You need to be on their radar. If you live in a place with a healthy music scene, youll be facing a lot of competition, and there are likely to be es tablished players that get the first phone calls when a job needs to be done. Thats ok. You just need your one chance to get in there and do a good job, so stick with it. When youre introducing yourself to a studio, play up any past experience - it will let people know that youre professional and understand the recording process. Let the Labels Know Are there any labels operating in your area? Make sure they know youre available to hire, so they can mention youre anthroponym when one of their bands need a player for recording or someone to fill in for a show. Advertise Advertise your services on Craigslist, local papers, flyers in record shops and studios, message boards frequented by musicians - anywhere you can think of it. Think about especially targeting websites and message boards that are read by songwriters who may need a musician to record demos of their songs or vocalists who need a backing band to record their demo. Find Your Niche OK, maybe your dream is to ma ke a living playing the guitar as a session player. Take a number. If you play a mean glock/pedal steel/theremin/insert betriebsmittel here, that could be your way of opening the session musician door. It doesnt have to be a particularly outlandish kind of instrument - horns, double bass, mandolin, cello - its much harder to find musicians who can play these instruments than it is to find a session keyboard player, which makes those musicians in higher demand. Even if you want to move to a different instrument later, work your unique skills to get in the door. Do Some Recording If youre having a hard time getting the studios to pay attention to you, consider booking a recording session. Dont blow a lot of money, but if you can get in for a few hours, youll build a relationship with the people working there while showing off your chops. This is more of a workaround than an ideal situation, but sometimes creative thinking is key to getting your break If at First, You Dont Succe ed Breaking into session musician work can take time and patience. Just like everything in the music industry, it is competitive and requires a lot of self-promotion and a little bit of luck. Continue to put yourself in situations where youll meet fellow musicians and where people can hear your playing, and keep spreading the word. It may be hard breaking into this kind of work, but the flip side is that once youre in, youre IN. The time and effort you invest in establishing yourself will have been well worth it when youre the go-to player in your town.

#MeToo movement finds an unlikely champion in Wall Street

MeToo movement finds an unlikely champion in Wall StreetMeToo movement finds an unlikely champion in Wall StreetIf you were worried that the MeToo movement might fade away, fear not. It has been carved into one of the most immovable objects in human history.Legal boilerplate.And not just any boilerplate. But the language in giant merger agreements, used when one company is buying out another company.Basically, corporate lawyers have been adding a sentence that forces companies to disclose allegations of sexual harassment. On Wall Street, it has come to be known as the Weinstein clause.Thats new. In my years as an employment lawyer, I worked on mora than 50 corporate acquisitions. The work somehow managed to be both boring and stressful, as I rapidly sifted through masses of personnel documents to figure out what needed to be disclosed.Although it welches common to disclose ongoing lawsuits or threats of litigation, allegations or even internal complaints of harassment were not on any ones radar.The arrival of the Weinstein clause signals how important MeToo has become not just as a social movement but as a business risk.When employment law welches small potatoesThe Weinstein clause appears in a section of the agreement called the representations and warranties, where the seller attests that it has complied with certain laws or denies certain liabilities.For example, the agreement might say that there are no ongoing lawsuits against the company. If that statement is untrue because the company is litigating a discrimination case in federal court, then the company needs to list the name of the case in a huge side document called a disclosure schedule.Previously, employment-related stuff, like harassment or discrimination, was considered small potatoes in a corporate acquisition. These cases are usually not worth more than US$100,000 or $200,000, which is practically a rounding error when youre talking about a merger worth hundreds of millions or even billions of d ollars.So in large mergers, the representations and warranties tend to only call for the disclosure of big ticket liabilities. A disclosure schedule in those deals is like the All-Star Team of massive liabilities. Its where We dont own any of our intellectual property goes to hang out with We bribed foreign government officials and Our only liquid assets are fidget spinners.As an employment lawyer on a large deal, I was essentially a benchwarmer. I was pumped if I got a lawsuit or two added to the disclosure schedule that was my two minutes of playing time.A mere harassment allegation? Please. That wouldnt even make it into the memo I prepared that no one would read.The advent of the Weinstein clauseBut sometime around March of this year, lawyers started adding so-called Weinstein clauses to their merger agreements.For example, in a $4.9 billion deal in June to acquire health care analytics company, Cotiviti, the merger agreement called for the disclosure of any allegations of sexu al harassment against officers, directors or employees who supervise at least eight other employees if it would result in a material adverse event.The term material adverse event means so bad that it would noticeably affect our profits, keeping in mind that were worth 4.9 billion dollars.The inclusion of this language is remarkable because it assumes that an allegation of harassment might actually turn out to be more than a blip on the radar of a big company.That would have been unthinkable a year ago. And yet now is firmly within the realm of the plausible after Harvey Weinsteins $200 million entertainment company went bankrupt and shareholders of Wynn Resorts lost $3.5 billion in value in the wake of harassment scandals.Other mergers compel similar disclosures, regardless of whether the allegations are material. In some cases, they ask about allegations against high-level employees going back five, eight or 10 years.Thats way past the statute of limitations. In other words, were n ot talking about legal risks any more. This is about the seismic risk of a brand tainted by misconduct.A new normal for complianceThe arrival of the Weinstein clause may seem inconsequential, but it signals recognition that harassment qualifies as a massive liability. And massive liabilities command attention and resources before a merger is even in the cards.In a business environment where anfangsbuchstabe public offerings are few and far between, a merger may be the best way for early investors to profit. Investors and venture capitalists will now care a lot more about how companies handle their harassment complaints, because it affects their ability to cash out. These players will then put pressure on startups and other fast-growing companies to clean up their acts.Thats the best performance Ive seen from boilerplate in a long time.Elizabeth C. Tippett, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of OregonThis article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the orig inal article.

Obese workers who drive to work have a higher risk of death

Obese workers who drive to work have a higher risk of deathObese workers who drive to work have a higher risk of deathIf youre obese and you drive to work, youre at a significantly increased risk of premature death, new research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow, Scotland, in a release. The research, from the University of Glasgow, showed that obese car commuters had a 32% higher risk of death in comparison to people at normal weights who commuted by bicycling or walking. Being obese and driving to work was also shown to double the risk of fatal heart disease, as well as present a 59% increase in non-fatal heart disease.Previous studies have shown that active commuting, like bicycling, to be linked to a 50% lower risk of death in comparison to driving.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe new research, using anonymized statistics of over 160,000 British peop le via UK Biobank data, looked to discover how different types of commuting might improve outcomes for the obese. Fifty-seven percent of men and 66% of women in the UK are overweight or obese.Researchers at the British Heart Foundation Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Glasgow drew their conclusions from data on selected participants in the UK. Biobank who reported they commuted to work by car, on foot, or by bicycle. The participants were followed up on over five years.On a hopeful note, the people in the study with obesity who did not commute by car who cycled or walked instead had a risk of death that was similar to the risk of commuters of normal weight. (The risk of heart disease was still there for the active commuters with obesity, however. It was increased by 82% in comparison with active commuters of normal weight).Our findings, if causal, suggest that people with overweight or obesity could potentially decrease the risk of premature mortality if they engage in active commuting, wrote the studys authors.However, this might work a little better in Britain, whose obesity tarif is 27% compared to the United States 40%.Commutes have been shown to be detrimental in a number of other ways. Long commutes have been linked in other research with poor health, like obesity, sleep deprivation, high blood pressure, and back and neck pain. Theyve also been shown to be potentially dangerous for pregnant women, with the risk of having babies born premature or underweight the longer the commute.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

The Most Ignored Answer for Resume Template Word Free

The Most Ignored Answer for Resume Template Word Free If you are in possession of a standard resume that you use for different jobs you will probably have to adapt it to showcase the particular soft skills consulting firms start looking for. Sometimes all you will need is a timeless style vorlage thats clean, clear and right to the point. Among the best resume templates from design shop JannaLynnCreative to acquire you noticed big moment. Key Pieces of Resume Template Word Free One other great issue is that you find it possible to supply a great deal of info in an easy and cool way. Theres no correct or wrong means to create your resume since, at the conclusion of the day, the primary purpose is to become hired and your updated resume is only one of the numerous tools that could be utilised to impress prospective employers and big businesses. There are lots of beautiful resume templates out there, but nevertheless, it can be simple to feel as a lot of the greatest cost a ri diculous quantity of money, require special design programs in order to edit, or both. A template can spare you lots of time. Resume is the very first thing when employers get to understand about you. Theres no doubt that a resume which is both cohesive and professional will have a much better likelihood of standing from the crowd even supposing its made utilizing a template. A complete alternative for candidates with lots of experience who desire to have a really good one-page resume template. Its also excellent to distitel there are several job portals on the offering, and you may find almost any type of website you are searching for. Dependent on the businesss requirement developer has to develop the computer software. There are lots of free resume templates readily available online but sometimes it can be quite hard to choose the best one that is most suited to you. You may also read more on the ideal approach to use our resume samples here. Depending on the kind of applic ation process youre addressing, it might be appropriate to include samples of your work in your CV. Make certain that you have replaced all the information from the template with your own, personalized info. Utilizing a template can cut the quantity of time you must spend formatting your document, which makes it possible for you to concentrate on adding content and polishing your resume. The majority of the templates are supplied by named, resume writing specialists and thus the quality is extremely excellent. Utilizing a resume template is getting an acceptable and smart practice for quite a few reasons. The upcoming free resume template was created in the shape of a brochure. As soon as you have modified the standard resume template that you found on the internet, make it simple on your upcoming self and save a number of versions of your resume. For instance, a template can demonstrate how to lay out your CV. The resume template will be published in HTML version. Uploading t o our resume database requires you to make an account. Lines under the primary section headings are advised. A resume should only be one page long, so its crucial that you include only the best suited info. After you have put together a very first version of your resume you should ask for feedback to improve it. Resume Template Word Free Features Whats also cool about our hand-picked selection is the simple fact that lots of packages include bonuses like cover letters or company cards. The times you need to use a creative resume are fewer than when you need to use a formal resume. Keep on reading to learn where youre in a position to come across examples of appeals letters that can provide you a little bit of inspiration. So reviewing plenty of times will help you perfect your resume layout presentation until youre finally happy with the output When applying for employment in a big company that you may find they use specialized software to help weed out candidates. If you w ould like to receive a work answer is NO. Much like everything in life, locating a job demands an excessive quantity of planning and preparation for the work hunter to produce the absolute most out of every application. Make certain you didnt miss whatever could cost you the job that you dream about

Top Secret Facts About Help Writing Executive Resume Revealed by Industry Leaders

Top Secret Facts About Help Writing Executive Resume Revealed by Industry Leaders Whatever They Told You About Help Writing Executive Resume Is Dead Wrong...And Heres Why If youve sent your resume and cover letter to LOTS of organizations and still no bites, you will need to have a critical look at your resumeyour career is dependent on it. Its also important to think about the type of work you genuinely are interested in being hired to do. When you would like to find the best resume help, youre able to simply follow our lead. You need assistance with making a resume. Where to Find Help Writing Executive Resume You truly cant fail. The very first part of an executive resume should be divided up into three distinct sections. Below, youll find a number of executive and c-level resume samples that weve written for our customers. You may try to look for a seasoned executive resume writer to assist you. Write your executive resume a single section at one time if youve got to. An executive resume ought to be focused on branding yourself for the job you are looking for. He resume is one of the documents used in securing a job. There arent any particular rules on the length of time your resume should be. Its also important to not forget that if writing an application document, youve got to stick to some basic guidelines for your document to be efficient. One other important decision you must make about your resume format is the duration of your resume. Drafting a resume which will truly make you distinguish yourself from the rest is no simple job and with a huge amount of resume examples online, we can run the possibility of adding too much, too little or merely sending out carbon copy resumes which are dull and at times too simplistic. Help Writing Executive Resume - Dead or Alive? The very first thing you shouldnt do with your executive resume is include a whole lot of information unrelated to the job that youre applying to. Youve got to sound interesting for the job and not have to demonstrate that you so much admire the business. You might be asking yourself why you dont secure a work interview, whilst you have all of the qualification appropriate for the job. Always keep in mind that your resume is your very first and last impression on the prospective employer and therefore, it ought to be a lasting one. Luckily, you dont need to. Too many resumes center on job responsibilities, but describing achievements is far more powerful. It is extremely easy to track down examples for resumes which are job specific. Help Writing Executive Resume Explained Its safe to say you are receiving an executive resume writer with a history of receiving their clients results. Try to remember that your resume is your very first line of defense in regards to landing your ideal job. Your resume focus needs to be consistent throughout. Beyond assisting you to focus your search, having the ability to clearly and succinctly communica te just where and how youre add value to a business or organization can help you understand how to tell others how they can help you accomplish your career targets.

5 Mistakes That Can Jeopardize a Job Offer

5 Mistakes That Can Jeopardize a Job Offer5 Mistakes That Can Jeopardize a Job OfferYouve worked tirelessly to find a new accounting job. After sending resume after resume, attending a zillion networking functions and spending countless hurs scouring online job boards, youve received an employment offer. CongratulationsNow, be really, really careful.Job offers arent written in stone, so its important not to mismanage the negotiating process. One wrong move, and that job youve worked so hard to get can slip through your flosses. Here are five common errors and tips for avoiding them1. You dont do your salary research.Yes, its smart to do some salary negotiation, but dont overplay your hand by demanding exorbitant pay thats far above the going rate in your area. Prior to heading to the negotiating table, review current compensation trends for your position and geographic location. Check out resources such as the 2018 Robert Half Salary Guide to learn what salary range you can safely co mmand for the role youre being offered. 2. You dont quit while youre ahead.If youve gone back and forth with the employer on compensation, perks and vacation time, and you end up with all of your requests met, dont keep pushing for more just to see what else you might be able to squeeze out. Greediness is not a trait employers seek or admire in new hires. Candidates create problems for themselves when they overestimate the leverage they have or a busy hiring managers patience for playing games.3. You act arrogant.Negotiations with an employer should be serious but friendly. Remember You are not haggling with a used car salesperson youll never see again. You wont do yourself any favors by taking an adversarial tone or issuing an ultimatum. Saying youre insulted by the salary offered or threatening to walk away if your demands arent met is a badeanstalt strategy. If you take the risk of playing hardball, yo u better at least be poised, professional and pleasant.4. You overshare.When youre mulling over a job offer, be careful about what you divulge online. There are many cautionary tales of people whove shot themselves in the foot by using Facebook or Twitter to comment on would-be employers or publicly weigh the pros and cons of accepting an offer. Simply put, you never know who might see your posts. Even if the lack of discretion doesnt lead to the offer being rescinded, the employer will likely question your judgment - which is not a great way to start a relationship.5. You fib.Some organizations extend job offers before theyve completed all their background and reference checks. In most cases, this is just a formality. But the job offer could be jeopardized if the employer finds that you embellished your resume or fudged some facts in the interview. In addition, never claim to have a job offer from a competing company if thats not the case. More than a few job candidates have had t heir bluffs called and ended up with nothing.Need some help from a staffing agency to prevent making a mistake with a temporary job offer? Work with our Accountemps recruiters.

4 Ways to Build an AWESOME Virtual Network

4 Ways to Build an AWESOME Virtual Network4 Ways to Build an AWESOME Virtual Network38Everyone knows its important to network. In fact, a recent survey from Jobvite found that 40 percent of job seekers found their favorite or best job through their personal connections. But even if youre not looking for a job right now, its critical to have a good network. But does that mean you need to drag yourself to in-person networking events every week? No way Although these in-person events are important, its not realistic for everyone to attend them on a regular basis. Whether youre finding new clients or new opportunities, virtual networking is crucial to your success.You have a life outside of work, and we get that. Thats why we compiled a list of virtual networking alternatives for you.Check out these ways to build an awesome virtual network (all from the comfort of your couch)BloggingWhether youre looking for a new job, or youre trying to build up your client base, maintaining a blog is 1 00 percent necessary for building your online brand. This is the distributions-mix where you can brand yourself, your skills, and your expertise.So, how does blogging help you network? Well, chances are, youre in a particular niche, right? You can use your blog as an excuse to reach out to like-minded professionals and clients. You can ask for article interviews, guest posting requests, or even content partnerships. This is an easy, fun way to build relationships with people in your industry. Not only that, but youll build your brand as an influencer in the industry- this proves that youre committed to your field of expertise.LinkedIn GroupsWhen you first got a LinkedIn profile, you probably joined a bunch of LinkedIn groups. What have you done with them since then? Probably not too much.Well, turns out, LinkedIn groups are a great way to find and connect with people who share your interests and expertise. Whether its sharing a relevant article or engaging in discussion with another member, make an effort to contribute to your groups at least once per week. Check out this post for more tips on using LinkedIn groups to your advantage.Virtual Networking EventsIts no surprise that virtual networking events are growing in popularity. Not only is it convenient, inexpensive, and less awkward than in-person networking events, its also a blast Its a great option for those who value flexibility. For the most part, you can join when youd like and leave when you want.Mingle, a virtual networking event powered by CAREEREALISM and Brazen Careerist, is a fun, easy way to jump into the virtual networking world.Social MediaIts amazing what you can do today thanks to social media. You can follow influencers like Richard Branson, tweet Jimmy Fallon, and like Mindy Kalings Instagram photos. Thanks to social media, we have the power to reach out to virtually anyone we want. Crazy, right?With these tools, you can be fearless in your networking. You can take your networking efforts into your own hands and reach out to people you probably never would have had the opportunity to meet 25 years ago. Take advantage of itCheck out this article to learn how you can network more effectively via social media.What are some other ways to get into virtual networking? We want to know Please tell us your favorite virtual networking tools in the comment section below.Ariella Coombs is the managing editor of CAREEREALISM. Shes a wicked career nerd, and loves finding ways to make career more fun. Follow her on TwitterAriellaCoombs

How to improve yourself to influence your teams

How to improve yourself to influence your teamsHow to improve yourself to influence your teamsHave you heard the old adage, There is no I in team? Well, we beg to differ. Most people equate the I to themselves, but we equate it to influence. Rotary International has a slogan Service Above Self. We agree with the sentiment, partially, because you cannot serve to the best of your ability without first being your best self.We believe that the best way to influence your team is to first be the best you can be for yourself. To accomplish this in todays technologically driven world, you need to understand yourself and the influence the outside world has on you.Slow downThe most common piece of advice we give to people on a daily grund is to slow down.Today, we do things at a pace that is inherently fast. We almost exclusively communicate via email, text message, and social media all of which have accustomed us to receiving answers more rapidly. Hasty replies tamper with our ability to thin k through emotion, meaning that our replies are often emotional and not always indicative of our overall intended reply. Technology has pushed us to move quickly, where we multi-task and navigate through our day at the same break-neck speed we communicate in.The demands our world has on us to respond and move quickly creates a work culture where negative emotion, anxiety, and mistakes dominate. Beyond this, we also see a lack of attention to details and a tendency to not focus on the benefits of stability, growth, and personal and organizational success.If you slow down and focus your mind, you will find that you perform faster. Giving one hundred percent of your brains power to a task will help you complete it quickly and with more accuracy than if you are dividing your brains power. You may be wondering, How do I slow down? The first step is to recognize the areas of your life where you may be forgetful, backtrack, or completely lose track. In those areas, try to create a pause th at will help you reflect on the current situation tell yourself repeatedly to stay in the present.You will see improvements quickly and find that you are more aware and more efficient. Benefiting from the act of slowing down will take time, but if your goal is to influence your team, you need to objectively view yourself with patience, purpose, and an open mind.ichEgo goes beyond instinctual actions. Ego is purely human, and it can be positive or negative. Ego is your sense of identity, and it can help or hinder you. Ego influences your personality, action, communication, and perception.Do you consider yourself to be the best at what you do? Do you rely on this sentiment to bolster your self-worth? Or, do you use this as a means to empower and create a sense of belonging for others? When we use ego for singular gain, it may make us feel good internally, but it degrades what we are using to make us feel good. Its okay to pat yourself on the back and recognize your achievements, but n ever lose sight of who or what else contributes to that greatness.Our advice regarding ego is to determine how ego plays a role in your life and where it may be helping or hindering you. Ego is not always good or bad when ego is understood and kept in context of the present moment, you will begin to live more intentionally.Self-reflectionSelf-reflection starts with being honest and humble with yourself. If you really want to grow, then you need to face your demons. How you control and react to things in your life that you are good at and that challenge you are equally important.During the self-reflection process, you may not like what you discover it may scare the living bejesus out of you. But if your goal is to be someone who you are not today, then you must go through the entire process of understanding who you are so you can be the person you want to be in the future. If you find that living one way and being another is exhausting or creating chaos in your life, begin with being honest about the contradictions you live with and identify which of those you feel comfortable with and which need to be rectified.How to begin self-reflection may be a challenge looking at your internal mirror can cause anxiety. Our advice for self-reflection is writing or documenting a life timeline. Creating a life timeline means documenting your life in a timeline-like fashion with events that occurred over your life and identifying where some of your quirks, anxieties, or temperaments were developed.Questions you can ask yourself to aid in self-reflectionWhy am I friends with ?Why do I live in ?Why did I make the decision to ?What motivates me to ?Why am I influenced by ?These questions will undoubtedly create others. Thats why writing them down on a timeline can help you reach a conclusion to your original question.Self-reflection will be the most intimate thing you will ever do. It may scare you. It may anger you. It will change you. Only you can control what you ask your self. Regardless of who you are now, you will be different tomorrow. That difference, in the end, is controlled by you and those who influence you.Improving yourself through slowing down and self-reflection will allow you to positively influence the people in your life that are part of your individual teams (work, family, friends, etc.). The most responsibility you have as a human being is your influence on others.Dr. Brian Smith?has a PhD in organizational psychology, a masters degree in management information systems, a bachelors degree in accounting, and is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt Consultant. Brian has been helping business owners and managers since 1988. His company, IA Business Advisors (a DBA of Individual Advantages), has helped over eighteen thousand clients since 1996. He is the author of the newly released book Individual Advantages Find the I in Team.