Top tips to save money before Christmas

Top tips to save money before Christmas by Michael Cheary It’s no secret that the festive season can take a toll on our finances…Let’s face it, no matter how many times we try and tell ourselves that this year will be different, after the fun of Christmas is over, many of us will be left facing the same hefty bill in the New Year.Saving effectively in the run-up will help soften the blow in January. To find out how, we spoke to the Money Advice Service for their top tips to save money this Christmas:Work out your Christmas budgetThe average Christmas spend per household is around £500, which includes food, presents, travel and decorations, among other expenses.To start your budget, make a list of the friends and family members you’ll be buying presents for and allocate an amount for each person. If you’re hosting Christmas dinner, consider how many people will be coming and how much you’ll need to spend on food and drink.From there, you should be able to work out how much money you would need to put aw ay each month. For example, saving £50 a month from the start of the year will get you £600 to spend at Christmas.Use the Money Advice Service’s  Christmas money planner  to help create your own budget and see how much you can save in time for Christmas Day.Shop aroundWhen it comes to Christmas, it always pays to shop around.Check on the high street and online to save on presents and groceries. Websites like Money Saving Experts MegaShopBot and mySupermarket.co.uk will let you compare prices for the same item from different online retailers.Buying online will sometimes be the cheapest option but you may not be able to try before you buy. In most cases you have the right to cancel until seven working days after you receive your goods. If you are buying online, think about postage and packaging as these costs can stack up.It could be cheaper to go to a different store if you find you’re spending a lot on your groceries. It’s also smart to avoid smaller supermarket convenience stores as these can be more expensive.Book train tickets in advanceTravelling home for Christmas?If your loved ones are scattered round the country, take a look at booking your tickets now and you could score some cheaper deals.The key to bagging yourself a bargain is to start looking about 12 weeks before Christmas. This is when advance tickets are typically made available by train operators, although some cheap advice tickets might still be available to day before you travel.Start saving earlyIt’s difficult to pay for Christmas out of December’s pay packet alone, so it makes sense to save up as much as you can beforehand.The earlier you start saving, the less you need to put aside each month. Even a small amount over a few months can make a big difference.Commit to saving a regular sum each month or week rather than relying on whatever you have left over, which may be nothing. And always try to be realistic â€" it’s better to commit to a manageable amount than to aim too hig h and give up.Not sure how much you can afford to save? Start small â€" put your spare £1 or £2 coins into a jar every few days. If that works, try setting aside a bit more on a regular basis.Use the Money Advice Service’s  Christmas money planner  to help create your own budget and see how much you can save in time for Christmas Day:Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Features Money saving tips

Writing a Resume For Someone Who Dropped Out of High School

Writing a Resume For Someone Who Dropped Out of High SchoolWriting a resume for someone who dropped out of high school? That's a tough one to get past. Unfortunately, as a former high school teacher, I know how difficult it is to even begin.The first question that pops up is: How did you get to where you are in life, and where did you go after? Do they ask about your educational experiences? Do they want to know why you left school? Were you eligible for the GED program?We all know what happens next: They ask for your transcript and diploma. In order to decipher your answers, I need to lay out exactly what happened to me in order to help you understand why writing a resume for someone who dropped out of high school is very difficult. However, this does not mean that it is impossible!What happened was that I took four years of schooling, and then enrolled in college, so that I could get my Associates Degree, but I did not get my diploma until I was a senior in high school. At this poi nt, I was accepted into a four-year university. In order to make sure that I got into the best school, I had to apply for several places at the same time. This meant that I applied to four schools, and that a lot of applications were filed by college staff.Once the application process began, I went to visit each college to look over their curriculum, and to see if I could qualify for admission. I went to each college, took a tour, and sat in on lectures. To me, this meant nothing. I had already done everything possible, so what was the point of visiting each college?The point is that it is fine to lose hope. I did. However, while I was there, I found out that the four colleges I applied to had something in common, and I will share that with you later.You see, when I dropped out of high school, I never attended class. Instead, I worked full-time, was married for eight years, and sent money home to my parents. I was a certified cashier and earned a reasonable wage, and the only reason I was accepted into any college was because they were only requiring a GED.The reason I was able to get my GED so quickly, is because I spent many years as a student. I attended classes, did homework, and passed tests. So, I was able to get into the best college and major, and I ended up earning my Associates Degree!

Assessment centre group exercise. Watch out for.

Assessment centre group exercise. Watch out for. So, your assessment centre is coming up â€" and it’s your dream job, you want to nail it, how do you approach the group exercise? Well, we’ve given you plenty of great advice on this before, for example  have a look  here. I thought I’d take a slightly different approach. Who are you going to meet there and how do you deal with them? This is a bit of fun but it might just give you some confidence on the day! Ms I’m taking over. The person who leaps in the moment reading time is over, offering to chair the discussions or explaining why it is essential that the group decides for whatever point of view she is supposed to be propounding. This person is forceful, ruthless and determined and can be very intimidating. The good news is that not many employers are actually looking for someone like this in their organisations. She might well be talking herself right out of a job. Don’t let her forcefulness sway you. Keep calm, smile and wait for your turn to speak. Mr I don’t listen to women. I’ve actually seen this character at an assessment centre. He isn’t prepared to listen to the views of any women in the group and just talks over the top of them, making sure that he winds up the decibels to ensure that he is louder. Now obviously this is tricky if he isn’t letting you say anything. The good news is that the exercise is being observed and organisations employ women as well as men! This guy isn’t going to get the job, but shouting louder isn’t the way to deal with him. If you’re a man then you can let the women in and demonstrate that you are a team player. You’ll get points for that. If you’re a woman and no tactics are working then resort to hand signals. Most people will stop talking if you hold up the palm of your hand in a stop gesture. It’s a strong statement, but what else is a girl to do? Ms Active Listener. This woman has really done her homework on active listening. She knows how to lean in, to nod encouragingly and to mirror your movements and expressions and she’s going to do it. Sometimes she’s so busy listening that she forgets that she is also supposed to be expressing views. When there is heated debate on a point she can end up agreeing with both sides. Try to draw her in by asking her what her view is, if she doesn’t take the hint then leave her be. Employers need staff able to take decisions. Mr I’m at the wrong assessment centre. This is the person who attends the City assessment exercise where he’s being asked to comment in detail on something to do with law or finance and who thinks he’s at a centre for some creative marketing job. He’s really keen to think “outside the box” rather than answer the question that’s been set. Obviously this can happen the other way round too! Don’t be deflected from your approach. You’ll have done your research and will know whether the employer wants detail or creativity in the particular role you are being assessed for. Make sure you continue to show the right skill set for the job! Ms I’ve no idea what’s going on! This character can be in a mess for all sorts of reasons. She might not have the underlying knowledge she needs for the post, she might not have read the brief, she might be panicking so much that she’s lost the plot. She ends up either saying nothing or making a series of irrelevant or incomprehensible points. If she’s not talking try to draw her in, always looks good from a teamwork point of view. If she’s just totally off brief and you can’t draw her back, then try not to roll your eyes in exasperation every time she speaks! A good tip here is also to make sure that you have read the question. You’ll be amazed by the number of assessment candidates who manage to miss some fundamental part of the question! Mr Incomprehensible. I find this one really tricky. You may find that someone at the centre has a strong accent that you struggle to understand and it can be very embarrassing to have to keep asking what has been said. Sometimes other members of the group will be understanding more readily than you and you may be able to work out what has been said from their comments. On other occasions keep calm! Your brain will gradually tune to the cadences of the speaker and you should find it easier to follow what has been said. Ms Stopwatch. This is the character who has taken on the role of time keeper and takes her role so seriously that you find you are receiving time checks every few minutes. It can get really distracting. Try suggesting that while it is great that someone is keeping time, it would be most helpful if updates were perhaps  5 or 10 minutes apart. Mr Dream to work with. The ideal candidate with whom you are able to work effectively to find good compromises. It’s always nice to feel that there is someone “on the same page” as you. Just make sure that you don’t get so carried away in discussion with your perfect companion that you forget the rest of the candidates. You could risk not demonstrating a sufficiently inclusive approach to teamwork. I’m sure that there will be other candidates at the assessment centre too, the personalities above are, of course, caricatures, but I guess that you will recognise some of them. Why not leave some feedback about your experiences?

Asking for AIR - Advice, Insights, and Recommendations - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Asking for AIR - Advice, Insights, and Recommendations - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Frequently, when people use their contacts to try to change jobs or careers, they make one of several mistakes: They spend the whole time talking about themselves They spend the whole time asking questions the other person doesn’t feel comfortable answering They squander the opportunity and forget to meet their primary objectives. How you present yourself to the people who are helping you furthers your personal brand. If you make one or more of the mistakes above, then you’ve communicated that your personal brand is self-centered, unprofessional or scattered. Whereas if you’re focused, clear and appropriate, that’s what your interviewee is going to walk away saying about you. Let’s say you are looking for a new position. You want to check out this hot new startup. You did your homework and received an introduction to one of the managers, who we will call Jeffrey. Do you ask for an informational interview? No.. What you want to do is ask for A I R. You will ask for advice, insights and recommendations. •       A Advice When you ask for advice it is a compliment. Rarely will anyone ever turn you down when you ask advice.   In an e-mail to Jeffrey, ask for 30 minutes of his time to ask for some advice. It could be about how to pursue a position at the company or to learn more about the company. The magic word is advice! •       I Insights Once you meet Jeffrey ask for his insights into how the company functions, the culture and management structure. You might ask him how he was hired or does he like his job. You will want to ask very open ended questions to give Jeffrey to talk. This is NOT ABOUT YOU. •      R Recommendations This is the part that many people forget. Ask what should I do next?   Is there anyone else you would recommend I talk with?   Can you introduce me to anyone else within the organization? You will ask Jeffrey questions and only talk about yourself when asked. It is not about you! This is all about building the relationship. Asking for advice, insights and recommendations is a great way to initiate and cultivate a lasting relationship. You have not asked for help to get a job, but you have asked for help in understanding the organization and for further networking opportunities.   You are networking to build relationships and not to find a job. The opportunity to interview for a position will come later after you have established relationships. Jeffrey will likely provide an introduction to at least one person, if not two, if you made it clear you were interested in him and his perspective. You will ask for advice, insights and recommendations from each of the individuals that Jeffrey made introductions. When each meeting is complete who you gonna call? Jeffrey. Well maybe not call, but at least send him an e-mail and let him know how it went. You will also tell him if you received any more introductions. People love to know that they’re helping and that the time they spent with you had some value. They also appreciate knowing that you’re grateful and recognize the time and effort they contributed to your career search. Now, if a position opens up at this hot startup, Jeffrey will think of you.  If you made a favorable impression, he might even call you before the position is posted. I was hired exactly this way at my last two tech startup companies.   Author: Marc Miller is the founder of Career Pivot which helps Baby Boomers design careers they can grow into for the next 30 years. Marc authored the book Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for Baby Boomers, published in January 2013, which has been featured on Forbes.com, US News and World Report, CBS Money-Watch and PBS’ Next Avenue. Marc has made six career pivots himself, serving in several positions at IBM in addition to working at Austin, Texas startups, teaching math in an inner-city high school and working for a local non-profit. Learn more about Marc and Career Pivot by visiting the Career Pivot Blog or follow Marc on Twitter or Facebook.

CV and Resume Writing Format - How to Use a Resume Template For Perfect CV and Resume Writing

CV and Resume Writing Format - How to Use a Resume Template For Perfect CV and Resume WritingThere are several things that you need to consider when it comes to writing your CV and resume, and the best way to avoid any possible mistakes is to put all your thoughts in writing. With this said, you must make sure that you do not just list your information as you find it on your resume, but rather, use a template for your CV and resume writing format.Your resume format must be very professional and neat, with details listed in order and neatly, without any spaces or unnecessary words. It should also be colorful and readable, as well as clear. The last thing you want is to have many illegible pages on your resume, as it will take time and effort to go through it and proofread your resume.You can choose from hundreds of different resume templates that are available online and in job sites, but the key to choosing the right one is to ensure that it has the following:A good resume template w ill have a heading on it that identifies what position you are applying for, what industry you are in, and where you live. This is a basic requirement, as this gives the potential employer enough information to get an idea of what kind of person you are. Also, the introduction is usually written to introduce yourself in a professional and specific manner.Another important point that you need to note in your resume template is the end. In the template, there will be a brief summary of your skills and experience that are concise and understandable. You will find that there are examples of resume examples for different types of resumes.When using this resume template, make sure that it includes the following: contact details; contact number; name; email address; telephone number; any achievements, awards, or degrees; work experience; hobbies; types of licenses or certifications you have, etc. In addition, you will find examples of why these documents are important, as well as examples of resumes that do not include them.It is also important to look at your resume writing format carefully before you get started. This is because some forms may include sections or bulleted lists, and you may find that you need to change your resume to include them if you are writing this format. Some forms may require you to spell your name correctly, and this could pose a problem if you do not have experience writing resumes.However, the advantage of using resume templates is that you can use a variety of different templates for CV and resume writing format. If you have no experience writing resumes, this will help you find out the most effective styles, and you can then go on to practice and perfect your own style. This is a great way to improve your CV and resume writing format and become an expert in this area.

How to Spot Fake or Spammy Job Offers Job Search Tips CareerMetis.com

How to Spot Fake or Spammy Job Offers Job Search Tips CareerMetis.com Spam mailing with offers of work has recently become more common. Internet users note a sharp increase in the number of fraudulent letters, which are often difficult to distinguish at first glance from a real business proposal.We are going to tell you about the tricks used by intruders, how to distinguish a malicious letter and why it is not worth responding to dodgy proposals.1) False responses to a CVevalPhoto Credit â€" majorgeeks.comFor job seekers who are actively posting CVs, the greatest danger is the spam letters with work responses. In this case, the searcher gets the message that a large company is interested in his CV.evalWhen clicking on the link indicated in the letter, there are usually two options: either the user goes to the site of the “black” employer, or the computer becomes infected with the virus.When you are really looking for a job, it can be difficult at first glance to distinguish a scam from a real company response.2) Offers of Online EarningsInternet ea rnings get a great interest and excitement among regular users of the Network. However, there are cases which turn out to be a fraud of intruders.Never click on links in letters that promise to work online. Most often, the transition to that site guarantees the computer infection, and if the transition is made from business e-mail, then in a matter of minutes the entire system can be infected.However, even if the link does not prove to be a virus, one should not expect to earn easy money. They can offer you to send the similar spam, but most likely, a naive user will be asked to pay money before starting work. Proposals can be very different â€" for example, to pay for registration on a training course, but the result is always the same â€" the lost money.3) “From reverse” methodAs classic spamming becomes recognizable and many users ignore it, scammers can use other tactics. For example, recently the so-called “from reverse” method has been circulated, when criminals tell t hat they personally faced dubious offers of Internet earnings, lost money, but still managed to find a way out and now they earn millions.The letter usually begins with a general greeting and a story about why one cannot respond to questionable sentences that come by e-mail.evalThis technique is used to get the trust of the user, after what the brainwashing starts. Scammers make a link to a site that supposedly is the only real way to earn, and then everything goes according to the standard scheme. As a result, the users either lose money or catch a virus.4) Trainings and seminarsQuite often e-mails can contain offers of professional trainings. The scheme of the attackers is usually reduced to the fact that the user receives the first video for free, the rest is sold for money. You would say this is an adequate work of the manager, however, the “professionalism” of remote business coaches remains questioned.Under the guise of such “unique” materials they offer videos that ar e publicly available on the Web and are of no value. The work of scammers is to convince the addressee that he has a unique chance to undergo a remote training for a small amount.eval5) Business OffersevalOne more popular spam business offer comes with the proposal to ship Gold, to transfer money from the bank account or to share with you a huge inherited amount. About one of such offers James Veitch is telling at his Ted talk in a very funny way.General tips to avoid job spam1.Use a spam filter of course. That will keep you safe from job spam offers.2.Pay attention to the recipient’s address â€" scammers rarely send individual letters, so in addition to the address of your e-mail there will be indicated a few more users.3.Check the contact form of the company, if there is a phone, the legal address and the site. In the letters of scammers there is no phone, but often attached files or a link, leading to a malicious site.4.Google the job name, the company name and anything else th at can be used to identify the sender.5.It is also necessary to pay attention how you were applied to. A real employer is more likely to address you by name, while scammers start communication with a common greeting, and sometimes even without it.6.Bad grammar is also a good indicator of spam. They can misspell a company name, or the letter can be written in a very bad English.7.Sense of Urgency. Some of the scammers use such psychological trick as urgency to get you on a hook: “Hurry Up! This offer will be closed in 10 hours” or “if you respond now, other candidates will be extended this offer”.eval8.Never give your personal information like bank account and passport numbers online even if the letter passed positively for all our previous warnings.9.Be rational. Unless you’ve been actively applying for jobs, it’s unlikely someone is going to find you in the “internet resources” and offer you an amazing job.

How to Spot Fake or Spammy Job Offers Job Search Tips CareerMetis.com

How to Spot Fake or Spammy Job Offers Job Search Tips CareerMetis.com Spam mailing with offers of work has recently become more common. Internet users note a sharp increase in the number of fraudulent letters, which are often difficult to distinguish at first glance from a real business proposal.We are going to tell you about the tricks used by intruders, how to distinguish a malicious letter and why it is not worth responding to dodgy proposals.1) False responses to a CVevalPhoto Credit â€" majorgeeks.comFor job seekers who are actively posting CVs, the greatest danger is the spam letters with work responses. In this case, the searcher gets the message that a large company is interested in his CV.evalWhen clicking on the link indicated in the letter, there are usually two options: either the user goes to the site of the “black” employer, or the computer becomes infected with the virus.When you are really looking for a job, it can be difficult at first glance to distinguish a scam from a real company response.2) Offers of Online EarningsInternet ea rnings get a great interest and excitement among regular users of the Network. However, there are cases which turn out to be a fraud of intruders.Never click on links in letters that promise to work online. Most often, the transition to that site guarantees the computer infection, and if the transition is made from business e-mail, then in a matter of minutes the entire system can be infected.However, even if the link does not prove to be a virus, one should not expect to earn easy money. They can offer you to send the similar spam, but most likely, a naive user will be asked to pay money before starting work. Proposals can be very different â€" for example, to pay for registration on a training course, but the result is always the same â€" the lost money.3) “From reverse” methodAs classic spamming becomes recognizable and many users ignore it, scammers can use other tactics. For example, recently the so-called “from reverse” method has been circulated, when criminals tell t hat they personally faced dubious offers of Internet earnings, lost money, but still managed to find a way out and now they earn millions.The letter usually begins with a general greeting and a story about why one cannot respond to questionable sentences that come by e-mail.evalThis technique is used to get the trust of the user, after what the brainwashing starts. Scammers make a link to a site that supposedly is the only real way to earn, and then everything goes according to the standard scheme. As a result, the users either lose money or catch a virus.4) Trainings and seminarsQuite often e-mails can contain offers of professional trainings. The scheme of the attackers is usually reduced to the fact that the user receives the first video for free, the rest is sold for money. You would say this is an adequate work of the manager, however, the “professionalism” of remote business coaches remains questioned.Under the guise of such “unique” materials they offer videos that ar e publicly available on the Web and are of no value. The work of scammers is to convince the addressee that he has a unique chance to undergo a remote training for a small amount.eval5) Business OffersevalOne more popular spam business offer comes with the proposal to ship Gold, to transfer money from the bank account or to share with you a huge inherited amount. About one of such offers James Veitch is telling at his Ted talk in a very funny way.General tips to avoid job spam1.Use a spam filter of course. That will keep you safe from job spam offers.2.Pay attention to the recipient’s address â€" scammers rarely send individual letters, so in addition to the address of your e-mail there will be indicated a few more users.3.Check the contact form of the company, if there is a phone, the legal address and the site. In the letters of scammers there is no phone, but often attached files or a link, leading to a malicious site.4.Google the job name, the company name and anything else th at can be used to identify the sender.5.It is also necessary to pay attention how you were applied to. A real employer is more likely to address you by name, while scammers start communication with a common greeting, and sometimes even without it.6.Bad grammar is also a good indicator of spam. They can misspell a company name, or the letter can be written in a very bad English.7.Sense of Urgency. Some of the scammers use such psychological trick as urgency to get you on a hook: “Hurry Up! This offer will be closed in 10 hours” or “if you respond now, other candidates will be extended this offer”.eval8.Never give your personal information like bank account and passport numbers online even if the letter passed positively for all our previous warnings.9.Be rational. Unless you’ve been actively applying for jobs, it’s unlikely someone is going to find you in the “internet resources” and offer you an amazing job.

Me 2.0-Personal Branding for the 21st Century Job Seeker

Me 2.0-Personal Branding for the 21st Century Job Seeker Todays job seeker cant develop a successful personal brand without a Web 2.0 infrastructure to support it. Enter Dan Schawbel, author of Me 2.0-Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success.  In his new book, Dan explains the power of personal branding and teaches readers how to create a toolkit of online resources to support and cultivate an authentic and compelling personal brand. He demystifies the power of blogging, social media applications, video, and podcasting and shows readers how to manage their integration into an overall career management strategy. In order to compete for job opportunities in the 21st century, job seekers will need to establish an online career brand that goes past a traditional resume and shows the real you behind that piece of paper. Online tools are not the toys of the millenialsthey are critical to the success of people in mid career as well as executives. The 2.0 phenomenon is not going away any time soon and the momentum and demand for these to ols continues to grow. Dont get left behind. Check out Dans book and learn how to ride the Me 2.0 wave.

How to improve your time at work -

How to improve your time at work - How important is it to be happy? Its an often-asked question lately, fueled by numerous studies exploring happiness and  what makes people happy. According to a recent study of 82 young adults Facebook habits, spending too much time on that social media website might result in declining happiness over time. In a recent article for the New York Times, Sonja Lyubomirsky, psychology professor at the University of California at Riverside and author of The Myths of Happiness, is noted for saying that each of us has a unique happiness set point that doesnt really change much, no matter what we do. How much influence do we really have on our own happiness? Do we control it? How can we improve time at work? Jude Bijou, psychotherapist and award-winning author of Attitude Reconstruction: A Blueprint for Building a Better Life, has found that anyone can learn ways to  boost their mood and be happier. The science is interesting, Bijou says. But whats even more crucial are the small behaviors over which we have control. Behavioral change is the bread and butter of happiness. Since most people spend a majority of their time at work, here are some of Bijous suggestions for how to remain upbeat and positive on the job. 1. Help a colleague or co-worker.  One of the quickest and most effective ways to change a poor me attitude is to reach out to someone in the workplace who could use your mentoring or assistance with a project. Give without expecting anything in return, Bijou says. This instantly shifts the focus from you to another person, and changes your perspective from an attitude based on anger, fear or sadness to one thats positive, helping and generous. 2. Improve your personal brand.  Theres always one person in the workplace whom  everyone is happy to see, Bijou says. Thats the person who smiles when she sees you, takes bad news lightly and gives genuine compliments or support frequently. Bijou says changing how others perceive you will also change how you feel about yourself. People will love to work with you because youre happy. What they dont know is that youre making yourself happier in the process. 3. Become conscious of time-based thinking.  Bad moods, worry, frustration and general unhappiness occur when we fixate on the past (what you did wrong in the meeting or why you got passed up for the promotion) or the future (worrying about making a deadline or wondering if the team will like your presentation). If youre feeling depressed or stressed out, Take a happiness break with an activity that brings you back to the present moment, Bijou says, suggesting that you take a quick, brisk walk outdoors or do deep breathing while trying to  empty your mind of all thoughts. 4. Replace the negative chatter.  According to Bijou, one way to neutralize unhappy thoughts is to find a statement about yourself that is 100 percent true and cant possibly be refuted â€" then keep repeating it until you feel better. This creates a new, positive thought pattern that replaces the negative one. The negative chatter that goes on inside our head is untrue and based on false assumptions derived from anger, sadness and fear, Bijou says. For example, instead of Ill never get all of this done in time, you might say Ill do what I can. If you can find a contradictory statement to repeat thats 100 percent true, it will quickly change your mood. 5. Say no to the negativity.  You dont have to put up with a bad mood or negative thinking, according to Bijou.  You can say no to it, just as you might to a bully or an unreasonable request. The first step is to become aware of when were thinking mean thoughts about a co-worker, client or employee, or when were being hypercritical about ourselves. The second step is to literally say no to that way of thinking. Bijou recommends you find a private place, such as your car, and say no out loud, at a good volume, while stomping your feet. Pretty soon youll be smiling again. This exercise usually ends up making people laugh and feel mirthful. The takeaway is that there are some very simple ways to change ones mood â€" quickly and effectively, Bijou says. Happiness studies are fun to read, but small, deliberate behavioral change is the real key to feeling upbeat on the job. This post originally appeared on U.S. News World Report