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Re: 3 Tips to Get Promoted Faster | WhatCollegeForgot.com

Gale Bowman, WhatCollegeForgot — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 22:24:08 -0000

You raise a good point, Tony. Think of sense of urgency as the opposite of dragging your feet. You want to plug along at a decent (but not frantic) pace the majority of the time, focusing on valuable projects. When something lands on your desk that's considered a fire drill, sense of urgency kicks into overdrive because you have to make sure you show your boss that you're willing to do what it takes to get the job done. If this is happening all of the time, that's a problem! In that case, I would speak to a mentor you have within the organization (that you trust) and ask what he/she would do in that situation. It sounds like you're no longer in that situation, which is good!

Re: How to Write a Resume for Job #2 | WhatCollegeForgot.com

Gale Bowman, WhatCollegeForgot — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 22:19:49 -0000

Great point about hobbies! In business school, they say to do the same thing.

Re: Retirement Planning Guide – 5 Steps for the Young Professional | WhatCollegeForgot.com

Gale Bowman, WhatCollegeForgot — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:58:03 -0000

Thanks for your comment! The 8% return is the average expected return over many years. Over a period of thirty years, you can expect about a 10% return on your investment (some years will be bad, some will be really good). You'd need to remove a few percent for inflation (typically about 3%). We could have used 7% in the example above, so you're right...we may be slightly high!

I tend to trust the info at GetRichSlowly if you'd like to read more about the average expected return of the stock market: http://www.getrichslowly.or...

Thanks again,
Gale

Re: List of Kitchen Essentials: How to Stock Your First Kitchen | WhatCollegeForgot.com

Gale Bowman, WhatCollegeForgot — Tue, 11 May 2010 22:22:28 -0000

Hi Gretchen - you're right...kitchen scissors are essential :) I would also add that a wine key/bottle opener combo and a handheld can opener are some good tools to have from the get-go

Re: Saving for Your Future Purchases | WhatCollegeForgot.com

Gale Bowman, WhatCollegeForgot — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 23:10:01 -0000

Thanks for sharing, Allison!

Re: Prevent Exit Interviews - Talent Management

Gale Bowman, WhatCollegeForgot — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:44:33 -0000

I love the concept of "stay" interviews! My best managers have informally kept a pulse on how I've felt about my job and the company, but it's true that most leaders just ignore the issue & hope everything is okay with the members of their team.

A formal system that implements stay interviews would be a huge morale boost for most companies (definitely the two I have worked for!) Thanks for sharing this info.

Re: Planning a Move | WhatCollegeForgot.com

Gale Bowman, WhatCollegeForgot — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:02:48 -0000

Thanks for the addition, Dena! Jessica mentions a company called Pods in the article, which sounds similar to U-Pack. I've actually never heard of either of these companies, but the idea sounds pretty interesting. Let us know if you use one of the relocation cube services and how you like it!

Re: 5 ways to manage better without cheap recognition tricks

Gale Bowman, WhatCollegeForgot — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:02:27 -0000

Great article! I just read a book called "I Hate People" that focuses on these types of sanity saving measures. Reduction in meetings is a GREAT way to add some sanity back to the worker bee life. Here are some other tips managers can try with their teams to free up time for more productive work:

-Ask employees to block an hour each morning or afternoon during which NO ONE is to interrupt anyone else's work. Even emergencies can wait. An hour chunk of time can help employees get projects done.
-Turn off your automatic email pop-ups & find a time each day when you focus your attention on e-mail. Forget about it for the rest of the day! Interruptions like e-mail keep us from getting real value-added work done.
-Keep meetings to half an hour and always use an agenda (as stated in this article)
-Allowing employees to work from home actually increases their productivity levels. It's also a great way to boost employee morale right now.

Re: 4 Steps for Effective Online Networking

Gale Bowman, WhatCollegeForgot — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:22:28 -0000

Excellent article! Networking can be tricky to get the hang of, but it is definitely worth the time and effort (and can be fun!)

Asking the other person what you can do for them is key. I try to start with this when I can, but when the other person beats me to it, they're always happy when I pose that question.

I also like to send contacts in my network relevant information that I come across that they might like to read (for example, I saw a HelpAReportOut request looking for a fashion expert; I forwarded this email to a woman I recently met that owns a personal stylist business). Thoughtful and relevant gestures like this will (hopefully) create a valuable touch point for your contact, which makes you more salient the next time they come across something that might be helpful for YOU!

Re: Twitter 101 – How to Use Twitter | WhatCollegeForgot.com

Gale Bowman, WhatCollegeForgot — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:15:42 -0000

A few more things I've learned about direct messaging:

-You can only direct message someone that follows you.
-Instead of using "direct message" link and drop-down menu to select who you'd like to DM, you can type the following in your tweetbox: d username start networking on twitter soon!

Re: Choosing the Best Car Insurance for You | WhatCollegeForgot.com

Gale Bowman, WhatCollegeForgot — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:01:27 -0000

Great article, Jessica! I have one more tip to share -

When selecting insurance, consider talking with a local underwriter. After Progressive increased my six-month premium by over twenty percent, my underwriter suggested I switch to another company. I save almost $100 over six months for the same coverage.

Re: Getting Ready for an International Trip | WhatCollegeForgot.com

Gale Bowman, WhatCollegeForgot — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:24:51 -0000

Three more tips:

Always call the airline right after you book online and request to sit by a window so you don't get stuck in the middle seat.

Download two or three movies on your iPhone for long international flights - the time passes much more quickly.

Don't forget to research restaurants before you go - I wish I would have had a list of five or ten options per city that were either recommended by friends or had good online reviews. It's really hit or miss when you pick a restaurant on the fly.