Life Skills Edge

Imagine ... you are going to a job interview and at the end the Hiring Manager asks you the question "What is your salary expectation?" Have you thoroughly thought about how you are going to answer this question? You want to be perceived as confident and determined. How are you going to make sure that you will get your desired salary?  Watch this video and get some really good advice on your salary negotiation strategy.  If you know someone who could also benefit from this video,  please feel free to share.  Thank you. 

Imagine .... you are taking an elevator and notice from other people's behaviours that they feel annoyed by your presence. You don't really realise where the problem lies. Watch this video and see whether you find any familiar situation that happened to you. Learn from your mistakes.   If you know someone who might also be interested in this video,  please feel free to share. Thank you. 

Imagine ... on a Saturday evening you go to a disco with your friends. You are having a lot of fun. Since you feel very thirsty, you decide to order a nice drink. After ten minutes you suddenly feel dizzy and very unwell. It is highly likely that your drink might have been spiked.  Watch this video and find out what the symptoms of drink spiking are, how to stay safe and what you need to do in case you become the victim.  If you know someone who could also benefit from this article and video,  please feel free to share it. Thank you. 

Imagine .... someone approaches you and asks, "What are the most important lessons you've learned in your career?" In response, I'd like to share my top 40 career lessons accumulated over the past 30 years. Throughout my journey, I've traversed various roles, industries, and even countries, each offering unique insights and experiences. Find out if any of these top career lessons resonate with your own experiences.

Imagine ... you are invited to a wine tasting session but you have no clue about wine etiquette. You don't want to feel embarrassed, so you make sure you are best informed about what is appropriate and what would be a faux pas. 

Imagine ... you are in a rush and send someone a short email written in capital letters only. The receiver reminds you that doing this is equivalent to shouting at someone. You were absolutely not aware of it and apologise. You feel embarrassed.  After this incident, you are determined to learn more about proper email etiquette rules in order to avoid any future awkward situations. 

Imagine ... you go to a job interview or to a corporate meeting. You greet everyone, you shake hands and get down to business. You hope you get a second chance for a further interview or that you are able to close a deal with the other party. Sadly, nothing of all this happens. By chance you come across a video where they talk about handshakes. You suddenly realise that it could have been your weak handshake that has put people off. How would you feel? 

Imagine ... you are talking to someone face to face and the other person just picks up their phone without apologising to you. How would you feel? This is just one scenario of poor phone etiquette.  Learn more about the do's and don'ts when it comes to using your mobile phone, whether you are somewhere alone or in the presence of others. 

Imagine ... you make a lot of mistakes on various  occasions  in your life. You  realise  that this is based on the fact that you don't do your research properly and you don't ask those meaningful and crucial questions. How would you feel? 

Imagine ... you are talking to someone and you feel so bored about what they are saying. Your eyes are focused on the clock. You are wondering when the person has finished talking. Then suddenly the person asks you "What do you think about it?" You have basically no clue because you where focused on the tasks that you need to get done on that day. Surely an embarrassing situation! 

Imagine ... you want to know if your partner is a good fit for you or not. These are 16 things you should ask yourself before you decide to engage in a more serious and intimate way with this person. 

Imagine ... in a world where many people want to be like someone else, you will turn out to be just like anyone else. It's time to stand out. 

Imagine ... you need to meet your sales target at the end of the month. There are only 10 days left and you only achieved 45% of your sales so far. How are you going to attract and convince new buyers to buy your product/service?

Imagine ... you are so busy with work that you have no time to look after your house. You decide (and luckily can afford it) to hire a domestic helper. By the way, when I was in India I learnt that it was normal for  middle class and high class families to have domestic helpers who support them in running their household. I would like to share some tips when it comes to dealing with domestic helpers.

Imagine ... your self-confidence has been knocked down by other people and since days you are feeling a bit down. In the media you heard about the power of positive self-affirmations. You want to give it a try and find out if it really works. Is it going to make you feel better in the long-term? Keep reading. 

Imagine ... one of your colleagues seems to be so popular among people. You start feeling a bit jealous. You wished to be like her. Find out 10 things that make people in general more likeable than others.  It's a fact, people love to do business with people they believe in, like and trust. The Global Employability Survey conducted some years ago by Emerging, a consultancy company in France, which surveyed 2,500 recruiters in 20 countries also confirmed that likability is an important ingredient for consistent career and business success. So, do you think you really have it, I mean the likability factor? 

Imagine ... you are thinking of buying your first own home. You realise that it's important to take your time, do your research and be clear about what your expectations are. Also finding the right strategy on how to look for it, is crucial. Do you want to approach a Real Estate Agent/Specialist or do you want to look for it privately? This is a one in a lifetime investment, which requires considerable time and large amounts of money from your side. Taking a wise decision is therefore important. 

Imagine … you feel that your new friend is not always behaving the way you wished they would. You start having mixed feelings. You are trying to figure out how good they are as a friend. You do some introspection and ask yourself some questions. Find out what the signs are that indicate that you have a great friend.    

Imagine ... you get an email saying you should verify your details in order to be able to keep your bank account. Or, let's say they ask you to click on a link so that you can redeem your prize money (for a competition you never took part in the first place!!!). Would you instantly know what is a scam or what is genuine?  Sadly, more and more scams are popping up every day all around the world. 

Imagine ... you are walking along the street and suddenly someone attacks you from behind. Or someone tries to grab your handbag, or wants to rob you of your phone. Also in the media we occasionally hear of incidents where women get harassed, attacked or even killed. Self defence is an important skill you need to learn to master. 

Imagine ... you got an invitation for a job interview. You are all over the moon. You want to make sure that you are best prepared for it. What are the things that you need to research in advance in order to feel highly confident during the job interview? Find out what the 6 things are that are important.   

Imagine ... you don't find any joy doing your job anymore. You start thinking about the cause of your unhappiness and dissatisfaction. This is surely a dilemma that many people are facing at some point in their career. Getting the timing right is not always easy. 

Imagine … you are going out for a date with a nice guy for the second time. You are trying to figure out whether this person is the right partner for you or not. What mistakes should you avoid? Maybe it’s time to take off your pink glasses, and look at things how they are.   

Imagine … you know that you have to go to a meeting where you don’t know anyone. How do you feel about that, are you looking forward the event or does panic strike? 

Imagine ... you are going to Germany and people use hand gestures that you are unfamiliar with. How would you feel? Not knowing whether it is a positive hand gesture or a negative one? It's time to find out more about the real meaning of some unspoken communication.

Imagine ... spending more and more money on petrol every month. Indeed, with petrol prices as high as they are, it is surprising that more drivers don’t work a little harder to stretch their petrol mileage.  Here are 10 tips that can make a genuine difference in the mileage that you get from your car. Perform them and save a bundle along the way.

Imagine … you are applying for a job and you get one rejection letter after another. It’s nothing unusual. You will find many people around the world who are sitting in the same boat and could tell you a similar story. The question is: How do you deal with it?  

Imagine ... you need to make some important purchases very soon and you realise that you don't have enough money left from your last salary. You decide to apply for a credit card, thinking it's free money! BIG MISTAKE! 

Imagine .... you are on holiday in Italy and you notice that the locals talking to you are using extensively hand gestures (which they are very well-known for!). You start feeling uncomfortable and nervous because you are not absolutely sure what certain hand gestures actually mean. Are they supposed to be polite or rude gestures? Thus, you decide to learn more about Italian body language so that you will always feel confident and at ease. 

Imagine ... you need to iron a shirt, a blouse, a skirt or any other type of clothes. Until now it was always your Mum doing it for you. But now the time has come where you have to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. Would you know how to do it properly without damaging your clothes? 

Imagine ... you have been invited to a formal dinner in a posh restaurant. The moment you look at the table setting you start to panic. What cutlery are you supposed to use for what dish?