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Archive for August, 2007

8 Easy Ways to Get A Raise and Never Get Fired

Businessman in suit

Want to make absolutely sure you don’t get fired? Want to easily become someone the company can’t let go of? Maybe even get a promotion or at least a raise? Follow these easy steps and you’ll be in the boss’ good graces and set yourself up for advancement.

1. Leave your best work on your desk (or computer screen) when you are away. Every time you get up from your desk, make sure that someone passing by would be impressed by the work that is laying out. Even if it’s a project that isn’t current they will assume you pulled it out to look at for inspiration. There, you’ve got them. They’ve been reminded of how good you are at your job and why you’re working there in the first place. Don’t take this as a sign to only leave the same work open over and over, but switch it up. Every time a project is complete and someone said positive things about it, make sure to leave it up a few times. Even if it’s just to boast.

2. Don’t complain; create a solution. Instead of worrying over something and chatting about it to your coworkers at the drinking fountain, come up with an answer to your problem. Think of all the negative possibilities, all of the positive ones, and anything else that might go wrong with your solution. Then, when you’ve figured out the foolproof way to make the problem go away, bring it up to your boss. He or she will think it’s a great idea and when they realize you’ve thought of every angle to make sure it works, they’ll be doubly impressed.

3. Be invaluable. It’s not as hard as it sounds. When you were hired, they saw something in you. You had something that none of the other interviewees had. Use it. Make your unique quality stand out in what you do and make sure people realize it. Without you, the company would be a different place. Make certain that if you got up and left today, things would not function as smoothly in the company. People would notice. Do this in a positive way, of course, and you will be not only regarded as a cornerstone of the company, but the recognition will make you happier and more successful in the long run. You can read more on how to be good at anything in a previous post of mine.

4. Be busy. Even when you’re not busy, make sure it seems like you are. Now, this isn’t to say you’re lying or deceiving, but rather focusing on the tasks you have at hand. If you have time to work on another project, bring it up. Tell your boss you think you could take on another assignment. However, if you know that you’ve got projects that need your attention and your coworkers are bothering you for chit-chat, just tell them you are busy. Do work. Make sure they know you’ve got things to do and they need your full attention. This not only makes it easier to get things done, but it makes it easier to relax once a project is done and done well. So tell Bob to go away and play minesweeper if he needs to take his mind of things.

5. Leave work at work. I can’t say enough about this. Don’t take your work home with you, finish it at work (that is, unless you work from home). If you have to stay later at work for a project that’s on deadline, then stay. At home there are people, pets, chores, and other things that want your attention. Get your work done at work and you’ll be able to relax at home and not have to stress out over the reports that need to have blue ink instead of green. If you do this, you will be able to do your work at work and be more productive since you haven’t been worrying about it at home.

6. Stay organized. Having a clean desk and being able to find things makes you look and actually be productive. It makes things a lots easier and saves time. You can actually relax mentally when you’re not inundated with clutter and worrying about where things are. Even as a creative I find a decently clearer desk helps me to get things done much more efficiently. Not to mention, people notice a clean desk and a dirty desk and make assumptions. What do you want them to think of you?

7. Be friendly. With everyone. Not just your boss or supervisor, but the secretary, the intern, the mailroom guy, even the guy no one else talks to. You don’t have to hang out with them on the weekends, but you can at least ask how they are and pay attention when they talk. Simple positive interactions with people can lead to many benefits in and out of the workplace.

8. Get everything done on time. Ok, so this seems like a no-brainer, but really it’s important to make your time count. If you can’t get a project done in two days, don’t agree to do it. Getting your project done is important. Possibly the worst thing that can happen in business is things being done late. Deadlines loom over everyone. From your supervisor, to your boss, to the president, to your client, everyone has a deadline. If one step in the line fails, the entire chain breaks. Your job is to make sure the fault doesn’t fall on you.

With these tips in mind you’ll be a staple in your company and have opportunities open for you to advance.

Now go own the world.

-Ravi Vora

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August 31, 2007 | tags: Business, Success, Tips and Productivity.

The 14 Best Sounds on Earth

Rain on a Window
1. Rain on a window/tin roof

Ice Water
2. Ice cracking when you put it in a glass of water

Bubble Wrap
3. Popping bubble wrap

Autumn Leaves
4. Crunching leaves

Pop Can Top
5. Opening a pop can

Waves Crashing
6. Crashing waves

Kitten
7. Kittens purring

Waterfall
8. Waterfalls

Snow
9. Snow crunching under your feet

Car Engine
10. Car/bike engines

Thunder Storm
11. Thunder

Crackling Fire
12. Crackling fire

Brook and River
13. Babbling brook/running river

Bird Songs
14. Bird songs

Now go own the world.

-Ravi Vora

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August 27, 2007 | tags: Inspiration, Happiness, Tips and Creativity.

Top 5 Ways to Own Your Week (Aug 26, 2007)

1. Take a picture of something someone else loves.
2. Try something different than your favorite item on the menu.
3. Go out of your way to compliment someone who seems unappreciated.
4. Watch a movie you’ve seen dubbed in a language you don’t know.
5. Make something to display in your room.

Now go own the world.

-Ravi Vora

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August 26, 2007 | tags: Tips and Creativity.

The 7 Deadly Sins of College Spending

Save money for college

Imagine saving tons of money each semester, buying whatever it is you really want, and being able to avoid the “poor college student” lifestyle. Avoid these deadly sins and you’re on your way.

1. Don’t buy books from the book store. I can’t stress this one enough. I know I’ve gotten screwed enough times at the bookstore along with a lot of my friends. Don’t make the same mistake. Somehow these book stores have conjured up the sales technique of selling you a book for $100 and later buy it back from you for $4, and then sell it back to some other hapless student for $94 marked as “used.” The only thing getting used here is the student. Use services on the internet such as Half.com, Amazon, The Facebook Marketplace, or use comparative search tool like BigWords.com or BetterWorld that actually tells you the best price from a number of sellers. Make sure to order early so that your books arrive on time.

2. Don’t buy books until the first week of class has gone by. Let’s face it, you’re not going to read half of the books anyway. Instead of tossing money away to resell the books back with spine still intact, just sit through the class for a week and find out if the books are necessary. You might even find that you don’t want to take the class this semester anyway and by next year there will be a completely new professor teaching it and new set of books to read. If you miss an assigned reading, so what? It’s college. You will be able to make up for it when you’re positive you need the book. Not to mention you’ll have saved yourself plenty of money by not buying the “recommended reading” book that your prof loved as a child, but has nothing to do with the class.

3. Don’t drive. You don’t need a car. I don’t care how big your campus is or how far away you live. If you live far enough away that you need a car, you’re probably spending more money on gas than you would on renting nearer to your school. For all your other needs you can use public transportation, ride a bike, walk, or even rollerblade. Having a car requires gas money, insurance, car payments, money for upkeep, and actually takes more of your time when your friends ask for rides than it saves you (like on the 2 minute walk that is now 1 minute of driving and 3 minutes of finding a parking spot).

4. Don’t take classes you don’t need. Set up an appointment with your counselor as soon as you can and figure out exactly what you need to graduate. Sure, if you want to take underwater basket weaving just to dabble, then do it. I took boxing, sailing, and a class on biomechanical theory just for fun. If you want to save money though, cut out the fat. Make sure the classes you take will get you to where you want to be as quickly as possible.

5. Don’t wait to sign up for classes. I have been a victim of this and it’s insanely frustrating to find out all of the classes you want are taken and the only ones you can take to fill the requirement are boring and at 8am. This is a waste of money, time, and your education. Have your schedule laid out prior to the opening of the system and sign up the day (or hour) you’re allowed to access the class system. This will save you a lot of stress and prevent you from wasting money on classes you hate. If you get stuck in the situation where you can’t sign up ahead of time, make sure to e-mail the professor as soon as possible and get some name recognition in case there’s a waiting list.

6. Don’t sign up for the minimum amount of classes you need. This may sound backwards but it helps in the long run. If you sign up for the maximum amount of credits per semester, you can drop any class that you don’t like without having to worry about not being able to get enough classes to fill your schedule. This will save you time and money. For instance, if you have a bad professor, can’t get from one class to another on time, or find out your friend John is taking that class next semester and you want to study together; you can just drop the class, get a refund, and move on with your life. Just make sure you drop the classes you don’t want as soon as possible to get all of your money back or you’ll be slapped with a hefty drop fee.

7. Get a laptop. Ok, so this isn’t a sin, but “Don’t not have a laptop” just sounds dumb. Laptops are a huge time and money saver. Don’t waste your money on notebooks and pencils every semester and for every class. Instead, take notes on your laptop (I know it’s hard, but try not to Facebook too much and actually pay attention) and you will be able to go back and edit easily, print off your notes to study from, and share with your classmates. Finally, it saves on energy since it’s not plugged in 100% of the time like a desktop computer and is portable to coffee shops and the living room so you can still pretend to be social while you’re downloading more episodes of The Office.

I hope you’re able to ward off these sins and live a happy and successful college life while spending that extra money on things you really want. I don’t judge.

Now go own the world.

-Ravi Vora

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August 24, 2007 | tags: Success, University, College, Money and Tips.

The Secret to Saving Thousands of Dollars on College

Hundred dollar bills
Tired of spending thousands of dollars on ever increasing tuition (when you don’t have to)? I’m with you. The answer is simple:

Take classes at a local community college. This is the easiest way to save tons of money on college. Most big universities have a community college just down the road that can be less than a quarter of the price. For example, a Michigan State University credit hour for Fall 2007 is $280 (Source: MSU Controller’s Office). Less than 10 minutes away (if you drive slowly), a Lansing Community College credit hour is $73 (Source: LCC Tuition and Fees) and almost 100% of the credits are transferable. When you’re taking 120 credits over your college career and only 60% of the classes have to be taken from the college you’re graduating from, you could be saving almost $10,000. Now just imagine how much more you would save if you go to a more expensive university. Yeah, that’s a lot.

Now, that’s not to say you shouldn’t be taking classes at the prestigious college you’re attending, but the basic classes are almost word for word the same no matter where you go. Why not get them out of the way as inexpensively as possible? Plus, they are probably a LOT easier and take up less of your time so you can focus on more difficult subjects (Like drinking? No. Well, maybe.) In your undergrad, most accredited universities supply very similar classes. Anything starting with Intro to or Overview of is just a meat and potatoes class you can take anywhere that houses your major. It’s the upper-level classes that you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the best education for. So figure out what you need and save a load of money on the classes you have to trudge through.

Don’t be afraid of the community college, it’s only there to help. Go try a few classes and see how much you save in time and money. You’ll thank yourself during and after college.

Now go own the world.

-Ravi Vora

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August 23, 2007 | tags: College, University, Success, Money, Self Improvement, Productivity, Tips and Ravi Vora.

800 x 600: Design for suckas

Welcome to 2007. Where we don’t have flying cars, teleportation isn’t possible, the apocalypse hasn’t consumed Earth, and we are still designing for 800 x 600.

While all of the cutting edge websites are designing for 1024 x 768 and above, big industries are still focused on the ugly half-brother (ok, 3/4-brother) for usability. However, even from a usability standpoint, the likelihood of someone running 800 x 600 and having the capability to run their snazzy flash banner is very unlikely. They are probably using IE4 on a Pentium III trying to barrel through their text-only version browsing experience wondering, “Where are all the frames and animated gifs?” They just don’t make the internet like they used to. Instead, we have expandable websites, SVGs, and flash. Scrolling isn’t the problem either since most people expect to scroll in a Web 2.0 environment (more information on, statistics about, and knowledge of a “foldless” internet can be found here)

That’s not to say I don’t understand that resolution is a factor when designing for certain platforms or demographics. Yes, the iPhone is cool, can browse the web, and is tiny. That’s why Apple included the two-finger zoom feature (which is the coolest thing on the phone anyway). I know you’re thinking, “but what about the people who have bad vision?” Enter eyeglasses. Enter resizable fonts. Enter screen readers. Exit bad design. Grandma shouldn’t be on MySpace anyway.

Yes, I love my big font Web 2.0 styles. Yes, I love clean and simple design. Yes, I love standards. But most of all, I love standards and design that evolve to cope with the new generation of their audience and user base. So stop designing for 800 x 600 and start making beautiful websites for those obnoxiously high resolutions of the future.

Now go own the world.

-Ravi Vora

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August 22, 2007 | tags: Webdesign, Design, Tips and Ravi Vora.

How to get anything you want

No matter what it is that you desire, you can have it. Easily. All you have to do is really, passionately, truthfully want it and be willing to do what it takes to get it. Following these simple steps you will be on the path to getting whatever you want, from your smallest to biggest dream.

1. Make sure you know what you want. People are a lot less likely to help you if you can’t come up with a specific goal. You have to be confident in wanting a $20,000 per year raise. If you just say “I want a raise,” your boss can give you any amount of money they want. Even $0. Once you have a complete goal in mind you can fully use your resources collectively to achieve it. You have to know for yourself what you want before other people will care about what you want.

2. Know what they want. If you plan on getting something, you’d better know what the price is. What you can trade to get what you want depends on what people value. You have to know your target audience and what it is they desire that is of equal value to whatever it is you desire. It is even possible that what they value is of little to no value to you, which means you’ve hit the jackpot. All you have to do is to provide them something that you are willing to trade for the thing you desire. How do you know what they value? All you have to do is…

3. Listen. People love to talk about themselves and what they love. Sometimes all they want is someone to listen to them. This phenomena is the driving force behind blogging, postsecret, flickr, book discussions, forums, and relatively anything social. You can find out anything you want to know about a person if you just listen long enough. With just a little time and a little insight and you can pretty much figure out what someone really values.

4. Make them want to give you what you want. Whether it’s your offer or they just feel bad for you, the only way you’re going to get what you want is if they want to give it to you. Of course you could take it by force, but the repercussions can usually be less than positive. When people are willing to give something to you with a smile on their face, they are even more likely to give you what you want in the future. So offer them something they want (which should be easy since you followed steps 2 and 3) and you will get whatever it is that you want. Sometimes you can even get what you want for free. Or, what you would consider free in terms of what you value and what they value. Sometimes it’s even easier if you…

5. Give them something for nothing. Don’t stop reading. I know it sounds like you are having to sacrifice something for nothing at all, which is the exact opposite reason you’re reading this. However, I’m not talking about sacrificing things you value. A smile, a kind word, or the last half of your candy bar (ok, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch, but if you were full or something) is all it takes to get the person to open up to you and what you want. You are asking them to go out of their way to give you something. That’s the “something” they are giving you for “nothing.” So, in return, you can repay them with a simple gesture of kindness or amiable manner. If they see that you are willing to go out of your way for them, they’re likely to repay the favor ten fold.

6. Ask. Speak up. No one is going to know what you want until you make an attempt to let it out to the world. Don’t sit in the back of class and never ask the girl of your dreams on date. Let them know what you want and what you’re willing to do for it. You never know what could come of a simple question until you ask it. The response could be even better than you ever dreamed. The absolute worst case scenario is the word “no,” in which case you’re right back where you started. There is no negative outcome, only positive or none at all. So stop fearing the unknown, follow these easy steps, and you can get anything you want.

Now go own the world.

-Ravi Vora

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August 21, 2007 | tags: Self Improvement, Tips, Productivity and Ravi Vora.

Top 5 ways to own your week (Aug 17th, 2007)

  1. Call or e-mail someone you haven’t spoken to in a long time.
  2. Wait to see Rush Hour 3 when it comes out on DVD.
  3. Leave a nice note on your receipt for your waiter or waitress.
  4. Be completely honest with someone.
  5. Read a children’s book you loved when you were young.
Now go own the world.

-Ravi Vora

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August 17, 2007 | tags: Tips and Productivity.

How to be good at anything in 3 days

Day 1. Here it is. The big day that you decided you want to get out there and be the best at something. Or, at least good enough that people will notice your awesomeness. So the first thing you have to do is know everything there is to know about what you want to be good at. The easiest way to do this is to use your resources. Whether it’s Wikipedia, books from the library, your neighbor, magazines, Youtube, specialized websites or blogs, the national food eating competition footage, Google, or even the old guy at the park; you need all the knowledge you can get. Between the knowledge and research, go try the thing you want to be good at. Whatever it is, you’ll need to practice it and have some first-hand experience. Even if it’s something you can’t actually practice before you have to do it, pretend the situation is exactly the way it is going to be when you’re going to do it. Imagine you’re doing it (and doing it well) and that feeling will boost your actual performance when the time comes to perform.

Now go sleep and think about what you want to be good at. You may end up dreaming about it which help even more.

Day 2. Congratulations! You’re already better than most people at whatever it is you want to be good at. Ok, enough celebrating, get back to the research. Find out what the best people have done to achieve greatness at the activity, what they do now when they do the activity, or what theories could be applied to make it easier. This day will be a little less research and a little more practice. Again, just thinking about what you have to do will make you better, even if you can’t do it at the moment. Use your newly acquired knowledge to fuel your skill and your confidence and it will become easier and easier to achieve your goal. The more confident you are that you will do well, the more likely you are to continue that positive feeling and encourage your aptitude to grow.

Time to relax and sleep on it, knowing you’re almost there.

Day 3. The most important day. This day is all about practice and figuring out how everything works best for you. This is where you add your own flare to your activity, something no one else has done or does the same way that you do. While you’re practicing, find something about the activity that you’re particularly good at naturally. Exploit this aspect and continue to build the rest of your skill in the area around that. Still do at least some research on this day too. You will always have the edge over people if you keep learning about the subject while they only practice. You can steer the car but somethings got to press the gas to move you forward.

By the end of the day you’ve practiced more and you know more than most people about the subject and you’re feeling good about your ability in it. Great! Now, even if other people who are good at the same subject see your work at it, they will notice the individualistic flare. The style that makes you stand out. No matter what, you will always be the BEST at being yourself. No one else can be better than you at being you.

Now go own the world.

-Ravi Vora

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August 17, 2007 | tags: Tips, Creativity, Productivity and Ravi Vora.

7 easy ways to super-charge your creativity

Need a kick-start to your creative process? While the other guy might be steaming and frustrated with a creative block, you can take charge and use some of these easy and effective tips to super-charge your imagination.

1. Go take some pictures. No, not of your dog or your friends at a party, but of things you don’t normally take pictures of. Try shooting different angles you normally wouldn’t. Hold the camera upside-down or if you’re able to change the focus of your camera manually, try shooting things completely out of focus. The main objective here is to see things in a new light and finding simple beauty. Here are a bunch of examples in my own work when I did this.

2. Squiggle. Yeah, you heard me. Squiggle. This is a fun and easy game to play with yourself or a friend anywhere as long as you have a pen or pencil and something to write on (I dare you to find something fun to write on). The first person draws a squiggle — a random line going in any direction, just let it free flow, without picking up his or her pencil. Then, the second person uses the base line, without changing it, to draw a picture. Whatever comes to your head just draw, it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be imaginative.

3. Look at magazines. Now this is easy and something you’re already likely to do. Instead of just reading the latest gossip column about Victoria Beckham’s controversial chest, take a look at the ads and the layout of the magazine, some kind of thought went into the design of all of it. I like to go to the book store and read Advertising magazines (however backwards that may sound) to see the best creative minds out there working for big corporations. There, you not only see what is trendy in art but also how messaging and ideas can be conceived, developed, and delivered. Take a look at Archive or Communication Arts.

4. Go back to see the future. As most great creatives will tell you, history repeats itself. Design has never really gone anywhere new but just taken different elements and tweaked them to fit whatever deliverable package they happen to be on. So take a look at some old photos of classic cars, watch a movie from the 50s, go to your local museum, or rummage through your grandmother’s closet (on second thought, scratch that). I know you’ve seen fashion come back through time, but some of it needs to die and stay dead (yes, I’m talking to you The 80s). It’s important to look back at what creatives thought in the past because a lot of the same principles apply to today. Take a look at some of the great artists like Salvador Dali or Monet.

5. Do nothing. I know it sounds counterintuitive but stay with me. Take a breather, go relax, have some nothing time set aside every day. As soon as you do nothing and stop worrying about things your mind will jump to ideas that have been waiting in the wings for you to just acknowledge them. That’s why when you’re in the shower ideas just come to you. You’ve already got the idea, you just have to let it out.

7. Play. Go outside. Do something creatively unfocused. Try actively doing something that is completely unrelated to anything you have to work on. Have some fun, shoot the breeze about movies, do whatever you want. Just make sure you’re interacting and not mindlessly oozing in front of the television. Try some creative outlets online like Mr. Picasso Head.

The most important thing is just to get your brain flowing together with your thoughts. Being distracted by worries and negative things isn’t going to help. Just relax, do something you love, and you’ll be flowing with creativity in no time.

Now go own the world.

-Ravi Vora

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August 17, 2007 | tags: Tips, Creativity, Productivity and Ravi Vora.