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Space
Most experts recommend that you have an area of your home that you can dedicate exclusively to your business if you’re going to work at home.

• From a psychological standpoint, having a separate work space helps create a boundary between your work life and your personal life.

• From a financial standpoint, having a space that you use exclusively for your business allows you to take the home-office deduction on your taxes.

If you don’t even have a spare corner where you can set up a desk and you plan to work from your couch, bed, or dining room table, it may be difficult to get out of the relaxation mindset and work effectively or to get the distance from other family members that you need in order to focus.

Peace and Quiet
If your current job schedule means that you’re always away from home at the same days and times, it’s difficult to know whether those days and times will provide the peace and quiet that you need to work once you substitute home-based employment for outside employment.

• If you live in an apartment, for example, you may have neighbors home during the day who will distract you with their noise or their social visits.

• Or perhaps there’s a construction site near your home that’s perfectly quiet in the evenings and on weekends, but unbearably noisy during regular work hours.

• Maybe you live on a busy street where the daytime traffic is noisy.

Of course, if you’re the type of person who can block out noise or distract yourself from it with some music, a white noise machine, or the drone of the TV in the background, you won’t need to worry about these things. Other people, however, need near-complete silence to work effectively.

Also, if you expect to spend a lot of time on the phone with clients, background noise can detract from your professional image. If you have kids or pets, you’ll also want to make sure they can’t be heard while you’re on the phone. This includes noise and distraction from family/roommates as well.

Family/Roommate Distractions
If you live with others, will they be around during the hours you plan to spend working? If so, their activities or even their presence can be a major distraction. If you have a spouse who works at home already, do both of you have the self-control to spend the day working efficiently on your respective assignments, or will you be too distracted by having someone around to talk to all the time?

Kids
Kids are such a significant distraction that they deserve their own category. By working at home, you can inadvertently become a stay-at-home parent. During the school year, you’ll have about an eight-hour window to work without interruptions, and less if you have to drive the kids to school and pick them up yourself. It may be worth it to hire someone to provide transportation to and from school as well as after-school snacks and homework supervision to give yourself plenty of uninterrupted time to work each day. Or perhaps you can barter your way into a carpool in exchange for the product or service your business offers.

As far as vacation goes, you’ll need to plan to largely take those months off from work or arrange some activity to keep your kids entertained during the day. The latter can be expensive, and may create conflict with kids who want to enjoy their vacation by staying home. You may be able to solve both problems with a compromise — the kids only leave the house for half a day, for example, or they spend half of vacation at camp and half at home. If your kids have a friend with a stay-at-home parent, perhaps you can pay that parent to “babysit” your child several times a week. If children can play with their friends, they will be less likely to feel neglected.

Dependents
Are other people depending on your self-employment income? It’s one thing to go broke when you’re single, but if you have kids and/or a spouse, putting your finances at risk may mean putting their finances at risk. You don’t want to lose your retirements savings, money that was earmarked for your child’s college education and the house in an attempt to start your own business.

Conclusion
Personal characteristics and your life situation will have a major influence on your potential to succeed as an entrepreneur. Before taking a financial and career risk, make sure to assess whether your personality and home setup will contribute to or hinder your prosperity.

If you’re unhappy with your job — and everybody around you probably already knows it — it might be time for a career transition. Results from an Experience.com survey provide some insight into making the change. According to the survey, the top signal that it’s time to transition to a new job is not the boss yelling at you. In fact, the number-one warning sign is:

• Your job has become boring. Most people are not in it just for the money. On the contrary, they’re
  looking for something that gives them the chance to make a difference. If, in fact, you’re finding a lack of intellectual stimulation and challenge, you have lots of company — nearly 30 percent of respondents cited this as their biggest indicator it’s time to leave a job.
• Another warning signal to workers that it may be time to make a transition is the lack of growth opportunities. If you’re in a dead end job, with no place to move (unless a lot of people grow
  old and retire), you’re in trouble. Twenty-two percent of respondents felt trapped in a position with little room for career progression.
• Others felt they were receiving inadequate pay or benefits. It may not all be about money,
  but some of it certainly is. Do you feel underpaid? Do you have lousy (or no) benefits? Seventeen percent of employees feel the economic pinch, and when that happens, may have to decide whether their job is really worth it.
• Work friends are very important. If your relationships with co-workers have gone bad, that’s a definite sign that it’s time to move on. Seventeen percent of those surveyed agreed — if you’re not getting along, you’re going to feel like you’re suffocating.
• Lack of investment in the company’s goals/mission.
  This is more than just a self-esteem thing, but was mentioned by 13% of the respondents as a key factor indicating a career change. You need to be part of the big picture, or you’re not in the picture at all.

Once you encounter the warning signs that it might be time to make a career transition, how long do you wait before you leave?

Most people (52%) said they would wait at least a year to see if it improved. Others were not as patient and hopeful. Thirty-two percent of respondents said they would quit as soon as they found another job, while 16% reported they would stay no longer than six months.

“When you clearly communicate you are under-challenged, wait a few months to see if your superior
responds, and if not, it’s time to take your knowledge and expertise to a company that will let you grow,” one respondent said.

1. Don’t rely on one resume and cover letter. The longer the job search, the more custom resumes and cover letters you will need. Your resume and cover letter should match your skill set to that particular job’s qualification requirements.

2. Don’t expect a response from every company. Long gone are the days when the hiring agent would inform you that you’re not the right candidate. Today, if the company is interested in you, the hiring agent will let you know.

3. Don’t harass the hiring agent. Do not make more than one inquiry into the status of your application. If they tell you they will get back to you, believe them whether they do or not.

4. Don’t expect immediate results. Finding the right job takes a lot of effort and time. Even when the company decides you’re the best candidate, it may take weeks or months to be processed.

5. Don’t limit your possibilities. Unless it’s drastically lower than your job expectations, a lesser title, pay or benefits may at least get you in the door. Once you’ve landed a job you will have a chance to prove yourself. If at all possible, also be flexible in where you can work.

6. Don’t get discouraged. Discouragement is only in your mind. The reality is every day you look for work is a new day. What happened the day or week or month before is history. Shake off disappointments with a quick “pity party” and then let it go.

7. Don’t focus on the rejection. Treat it as information. At least you know that for now that company does not have a job for you or that your skill set is not a match with that job or company. If possible, find out why you were rejected. The more specific the feedback, the more specific your changes and improvement.

8. Don’t compare yourself to others. If your colleagues are finding work faster than you, or you’re in an outplacement group and you’re the last one left, don’t compare their situation to yours.

9. Don’t spend all your money. Pace yourself and your budget. Take a temporary or part-time job to pay your bills. Try to find something at night or on the weekends so you’re available to interview during the normal workweek.

10. Don’t go sloppy. This is not the time to gain weight, grow lots of facial hair, or wear sloppy clothes. How you look is how you feel. Be kind and respectful to yourself.

11. Don’t stop looking until you actually have the job. Because stuff happens, keep your job search going until you have a contract or start date. Too often, candidates stop looking once they have an interview!

12. Don’t panic and exaggerate. If your resumes are not getting results, don’t even think of enhancing your resume with exaggerations and untruths. Character still counts.

Workplace evaluations can evoke similar feelings. What if your worst fears become a reality in the way of a poor performance review? Read on for what one career coach believes you should do.

1. Remain calm.

Hallie Crawford, a certified career coach, says, “First and foremost, breathe and relax.” You may feel blindsided, but stay calm and take in what your supervisor is telling you without getting defensive. Focus on what you’re being told — you can even take notes. But save your rebuttals for later.

However, if your supervisor is getting angry or being unprofessional, you can try to steer the review to facts and practical information. Crawford, the founder of HallieCrawford.com, advises workers, “Tell your boss, ‘I appreciate your candor, but I’d like to get constructive feedback that will help me improve.’” She adds, “You want her to know that you understand there’s a problem, but assure her that your focus is solution-oriented.”

2. Act, don’t react.

If you’re feeling defenseless and caught off guard — or (and especially) if you’re feeling angry — try to buy some time to react to your review and answer criticisms. Crawford, whose practice is based out of Atlanta, believes professionals should request the opportunity to mull things over. “Explain to your manager that you’d like to take a day or two to develop a plan of action to address these issues,” says Crawford. “The fact that you’re willing to come up with solutions will get your boss on your side, as will soliciting ideas from her as to what you should do in the immediate.”

3. Remember that perspective is subjective.

You don’t have to accept every criticism of your performance as fact. In fact, you can dispute some parts — if you do it with kid gloves. Crawford, a specialist in career transition and helping workers find their ideal jobs, says, “You’ve got to keep things civil and polite, but you don’t need to roll over. Acknowledge the valid points of your review, but you can dissent by saying, ‘There are just a few things that I have a different perspective on; this is what actually happened.’” Doing so will allow you to direct the conversation back to your point of view rather than attacking the quality of your evaluation.

4. Get real.

So, you’ve gotten a poor review and you may or may not agree with it. You now need to decide if you want to stay at this job or move on. If you love your job, it’s worth working on things, even if you disagree with your evaluation, believes Crawford. “But,” she adds, “most people have a gut sense that a job isn’t a fit yet they’ve ignored that instinct.” If that’s the case, she believes in moving on to another opportunity.

She reminds workers, though, “Don’t decide whether to stay or go from a place of fear. You need to come from a place of power and confidence in yourself. If you’re afraid, you won’t be able to make the best decision for your career.”

5. Learn from your mistakes.

When you land at your next job, you may feel extreme anxiety about your first evaluation. You can prevent this — and getting another negative review — by opening the lines of communication with your manager from day one.

Crawford, whose book “Flying Solo: Career Transition Tips for Singles” comes out in June 2008, says, “You don’t ever want an evaluation to be a big surprise! But you can ensure against that by asking for feedback often and checking in with your boss and coworkers.” Find out how often you’ll get an official evaluation but also solicit informal reviews after big projects. She adds, “People who communicate openly from day one on a job set the stage to receive feedback naturally. So be that person in the first place.”

Your character is on the line when you sanction someone to another professional, and if she’s got shortcomings you could be shooting yourself in the foot if you recommend her. Read on for four ways to handle this sticky situation without risking your reputation — or your friendship with the reference-seeker.

Just the Facts

Because of a fear of lawsuits or retribution, many people are afraid to offer up any kind of information outside of confirming the facts about an applicant’s employment history. Employers are aware of this, so you may be able to act as a reference merely by verifying an individual’s title, dates of employment, and salary. If a hiring manager asks for additional information, you can say that you’re not comfortable discussing the matter.

Short and Sweet

If you’d like to (or feel you may be forced to) go beyond confirming a cursory list of facts, be prepared by coming up with a list of the individual’s strengths ahead of time. Choose her positive traits carefully and sincerely and then compile a short list of areas in which she needs to “grow.” Explain them in a constructive manner, leading with a positive trait and segueing into one that needs improvement. For example, say, “Jane is a solid team player, but the opportunity to work more independently might help her grow professionally.”

Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word

You don’t have to tell your job-seeking friend that you don’t think you can be a good reference for him. Rather, you can tell him you’re not comfortable being a reference at all. You can mention a fear of legal action or the fact that you hate talking on the phone, or are unreliable when it comes to returning phone calls. Whatever excuse you use, tell your associate that it’s nothing personal; you’d just really prefer not to be anyone’s reference. It’s a white lie, but one that may save your friendship while allowing him to save face with potential employers.

Tag, You’re It

Despite the extreme popularity of PDAs and mobile phones, it’s become harder than ever to get people on the phone. If you can’t bring yourself to act as a reference or be honest with your friend about your reluctance, avoidance may be the best bet for you. You can choose to ignore a recruiter’s call and then conveniently “forget” to return the call. Or you can return the call at an hour when you’re certain the recruiter won’t be at his desk.

This approach is a bit cowardly, but keep in mind that most folks have multiple references and it may take just one compelling endorsement to land a job. However, if a recruiter is phoning repeatedly, as is your frantic job-seeking friend, then pick up the phone and at least confirm facts (see first tip above) rather than hold up the hiring process.

RISK: Going Back to School

Making the financial and time commitment to go back to school for an advanced degree or certification can feel overwhelming. Factoring into the equation family responsibilities or not being able to quit your job to focus on school can make furthering your education feel like a heavier burden.

Weighing your options:
First you need to know your end goal and what you are trying to achieve by going back to school, such as a raise or changing career paths. Next, determine if going back to school helps you achieve this goal by talking to your boss and mentors. In some fields an advanced degree matters, in others it really doesn’t.

RISK: Changing Careers

So many people hate their jobs yet toil away daily because sticking with the familiar feels safe. There are a number of reasons why people are unhappy on the job, including being in a profession that does not utilize their passions and interests.

Weighing your options:
With increased company layoffs, no one is immune to losing a job. Finding work that you love should be a priority in your career. Mitigate the risk of career change by doing research before you make the leap so that you’ll know what to expect from your new career in terms of salary ranges, and what the work is really like.

There’s always some amount of risk, but if you are truly unhappy the risk is worth it.

RISK: Saying ‘No’ to Added Responsibility

If your boss is saddling you with more responsibility with a project or promotion, be sure you understand exactly what that will mean for your success. Not all promotions are created equal, and you can quickly become the office doormat if you constantly take on projects that may not have high enough visibility to move your career forward.

Weighing your options:
Saying no to more money or recognition is often hard to justify. Your friends, family, and colleagues may think you’re crazy for passing up a promotion. But you have to follow your gut instincts. In weighing your options, ask yourself if this project or promotion will really move your forward.

RISK: Starting a Business

More people are going into business for themselves than ever before. Many dream of being their own boss but find the risk of giving up a regular paycheck, health insurance, and retirement accounts too high.

Weighing your options:
Do your research, save money, and build contacts in your industry while you’re still working in your current job.

Business ownership is a risk and it’s not for the faint of heart. However, the risks can be mitigated by financial and mental preparation. If someone wants to learn about business ownership, they should work part time in a small business to get that reality check.

We have now started syndicating the latest jobs via RSS (Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary or RDF Site Summary)

You will be able to receive the latest jobs posted on the website as soon as they are posted without visiting the website.

All you need to do is to add the file located at [http://ugandajobline.com/rss.php] to your RSS Reader and this will collect the latest jobs posted at Uganda Jobline i.e the Job title, Role, and a link to the website for the full job description.

What do you need to read RSS & where you do you get it?
You have a lot of choices and Some are free, some are not, all have a variety of different features. To help you make a choice, here are the feed readers most frequently used .

Bloglines (web-based)
NetNewsWire (Mac desktop-based)
Mozilla’s Firefox browser (Windows, Mac, Linux desktop-based)
Pluck (web-based or Windows desktop-based edition)
NewsGator Online (web-based)
FeedDemon (Windows desktop-based)
SharpReader (Windows desktop-based)
My Yahoo (web-based)
iPodder (desktop-based, Windows or Mac)
NewsGator (Windows desktop-based)
Mozilla’s Thunderbird email client (Windows, Mac, Linux desktop-based)
RSS Bandit (Windows desktop-based)
NewsFire (Mac desktop-based)
iPodderX (Mac desktop-based)
Sage (add-on for Mozilla Firefox)
FeedReader (Windows desktop-based)
RssReader (Windows desktop-based)
LiveJournal
Opera RSS Reader (desktop-based, Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile, others)

How to add the feed.

There are a number of ways to access RSS feeds. You can install a news reader that displays RSS feeds from the Web sites you select, enabling you to view hundreds of headlines at once. After installing the news reader, you can add each feed manually from the Web site by clicking on the “Subscribe” or the “XML” orange button next to the feed.

An alternative to downloading a dedicated news reader is to use a Web-based news reader. For example, My Yahoo! or My AOL users can now add RSS feeds directly to their personal page.

Regardless of which RSS reader you use, you have to copy the address of the feed [http://ugandajobline.com/rss.php] and paste it into the feeder at the appropriate point.

You may also look for the orange RSS button and put the cursor on the button but don’t click. If you click, you will see the feed’s actual code in the browser not the clean content of the feed. Once you do this, your browser will display the feed URL, which you then need to copy and paste on the URL into the feed reader form.

The bad news: These questions can be quite difficult to answer.

The good news: Because they are so common, you can prepare for them well in advance and give a perfect answer without breaking a sweat.

So allow me to present four of the most common — yet most perplexing — interview questions and how you can best answer them.

1. “Tell Me a Little About Yourself”
Sometimes the most general question can be the hardest. How can you sum up your entire life story in just a couple of minutes?

You don’t.

This oldest of questions is not an invitation to talk about your difficult childhood, your favorite grandmother or how you won the state swim competition in high school. Instead, it’s a request for you to describe what you can offer the company.

In his excellent book 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions, author Ron Fry suggests focusing on:

* Your key accomplishments at previous jobs.
* The strengths demonstrated by those accomplishments.
* How these relate to the job for which you’re applying.

The goal is not to summarize your resume — the interviewer already has a copy of that. Rather, tell how you came to be interested in this particular company and job, and weave examples of past accomplishments throughout to demonstrate why you are the perfect candidate.

2. “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?”
Did you resign? Get laid off? Get fired? Storm out of the office in a huff, never to return? Chances are, you’ll have to explain it in an interview.

The most important point to remember when answering this question: STAY POSITIVE.

The biggest sign of a troublemaker is when someone trashes his or her former boss or company during an interview. It doesn’t matter if your boss was a jerk or if you hated your coworkers — an interview is not the place to vent past frustrations.

Rather, the best way to answer this question is to stay positive and talk about your desire for growth opportunities. This will paint you as a proactive employee who enjoys responsibility and challenges.

Here are some quick pointers for answering this question, depending on your circumstances:

* IF YOU WERE FIRED: Be honest, but quick about explaining it. Don’t get into the political details; rather, explain what you learned from the experience and how it makes you an even stronger employee today. It’s not a good idea to lie about your termination. When the interviewer calls your references, he or she will most likely find out you were fired anyway. So be honest, and explain what you learned.
* IF YOU WERE LAID OFF: This is not nearly as taboo as it was even five years ago, so don’t apologize or act defeated. If a company goes bankrupt or had massive layoffs, simply explain, “Because of the economy, the company decided to eliminate six departments, including mine.”
* IF YOU QUIT: Again, be honest and stay positive. State that the work being offered wasn’t challenging enough, that you are seeking higher levels of responsibility or simply that you are ready to make the next step on your career ladder — and that the job for which you are interviewing is the ideal next step.

The secret is to stay positive and discuss your desire for growth. Hiring managers love applicants who actively seek responsibility.

3. “What’s Your Biggest Weakness?”
What are you supposed to do — tell them why they SHOULDN’T hire you?

The “weakness” question is popular with interviewers not because they want to torture you, but because they’re interested in hearing how you tackle challenges.

The most important thing to remember is that after you name your weakness, you MUST discuss what you have done to overcome it.

Pick a weakness that is real but understandable or relatively harmless. Whatever weakness you pick, be sure that it is work-related (“I have a tendency to overfeed my dog” is NOT an appropriate weakness) and that you present the strategies for how you overcame it.

Here are a few examples:

* “I used to have a tendency to procrastinate. So now I am always sure to set a strict schedule for all of my projects well in advance and I set personal deadlines. This organization has really helped.”
* “Once in a while, I focus too much on the details of a project. So now, when I’m working on a project, I always make sure at the end of the day to sit back and take a few minutes to think about the general scope of my work. It forces me to keep priorities straight and helps me keep the right mindset.”
* “I used to have some problems with organization. So now I carry a schedule book around throughout the day and I also use this Palm Pilot to keep me on track. It’s worked out great!”

You don’t want to pick a weakness that will torpedo your chances — even your weakness should speak strongly toward your skills. The examples above all address honest weaknesses; here are a few other “safe” weaknesses that are easy to discuss:

* I tend to be a perfectionist.
* I sometimes work too hard, leading to unnecessary stress.

4. “Do You Have Any Questions for Me?”
Yes, you do.

You should always try to ask a thoughtful question or two at the end of an interview. It shows that you’ve been listening and that you’ve done your research on the company.

What should you ask? In his book 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions, Ron Frey suggests some of the following queries:

* Does this job usually lead to other positions at the company? What kind of positions?
What do you like best about this company? Why?
* DO NOT ask about salary, vacation days, benefits or anything else that would make it look like you’re more interested in the compensation package than the company. Also, don’t ask too many questions; just a couple will be fine.

And the most important question of all: Don’t forget to ask for the job!

* I’m very interested in this job. It’s exactly the kind of job that I’m looking for. What is the next step in the interview process

But rather than questions, there are awkward pauses. Stony silences. There’s a seeming lack of interest in the entire event — on the interviewer’s part.

Just because someone is interviewing you, doesn’t mean they’re a good interviewer. Don’t let his ignorance sabotage your interview or your chances at landing the position.

A Day in the Life
As your bad interview lumbers on, don’t wait until your interviewer asks you if you have any questions. Rather, at the first awkward pause, ask him to describe the position for which you’re applying in rich detail. What would your key responsibilities be? What is a typical day like? What time does the workday begin and end? Would you need to be available after hours or on weekends? Is there any travel involved?

Inquire as to which coworkers you’d be working with. Ask about how people work and projects are managed. Are there many meetings? Do people work on projects in teams?

Ask your interviewer what qualities he thinks the ideal candidate for this position would have.

Toot Your Own Horn
A poor interviewer will likely omit asking you many of the “right” questions, particularly those about how your experience makes you a great fit for the position.

So, although it may seem awkward, the only way you’ll get to point this out is to just go ahead and do so. Even if there’s no good time to do it, just do it anyway. You can preface your comments by saying something to the effect of, “I wanted to take a moment to let you know how my experience really complements this position.”

Be direct and to the point. Make eye contact at all times. Talk specifically about how you have the skills and knowledge for the position. Do not ramble or your interviewer could lose interest.

Enough About Me…
The best interviews are often those in which you’re able to forge a real connection with your interviewer. But if he doesn’t know what he’s doing, that may seem next to impossible…unless you start asking questions about your interviewer and his career.

Inquire as to how he came to work at the company, ask him how he likes it. Ask about where he started his career and what attracted him to this particular industry or area of expertise. Try to discover what his professional aspirations are.

At all times, show enthusiasm and interest in his responses (no matter how boring or brief they may be).

Show and Tell
If you still need to buy more face time with your interviewer, ask for a tour of the offices or facility. Again, ask questions along the way, even if it’s about how long the company has been at that particular location.

Try to get your interviewer to introduce you to other people who work there — those with whom you’ll work closely, someone in management, or even just folks you pass during your tour.

Now is an ideal time to use the knowledge you have about the company to offer up insightful observations and flattering acknowledgments about the organization and how it’s run.

Finally, be sure to ask your interviewer when he anticipates making a decision. Reiterate your interest in the position and your enthusiasm for the company. Thank him graciously for his time, both in person and in a prompt thank-you letter