Bad habits can age you by 12 years, study suggests

By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer - Mon Apr 26, 6:26 PM PDT

CHICAGO - Four common bad habits combined — smoking, drinking too much, inactivity and poor diet — can age you by 12 years, sobering new research suggests.

The findings are from a study that tracked nearly 5,000 British adults for 20 years, and they highlight yet another reason to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Overall, 314 people studied had all four unhealthy behaviors. Among them, 91 died during the study, or 29 percent. Among the 387 healthiest people with none of the four habits, only 32 died, or about 8 percent.

The risky behaviors were: smoking tobacco; downing more than three alcoholic drinks per day for men and more than two daily for women; getting less than two hours of physical activity per week; and eating fruits and vegetables fewer than three times daily.

These habits combined substantially increased the risk of death and made people who engaged in them seem 12 years older than people in the healthiest group, said lead researcher Elisabeth Kvaavik of the University of Oslo.

The study appears in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine.

The healthiest group included never-smokers and those who had quit; teetotalers, women who had fewer than two drinks daily and men who had fewer than three; those who got at least two hours of physical activity weekly; and those who ate fruits and vegetables at least three times daily.

"You don't need to be extreme" to be in the healthy category, Kvaavik said. "These behaviors add up, so together it's quite good. It should be possible for most people to manage to do it."

For example, one carrot, one apple and a glass of orange juice would suffice for the fruit and vegetable cutoffs in the study, Kvaavik said, noting that the amounts are pretty modest and less strict than many guidelines.

The U.S. government generally recommends at least 4 cups of fruits or vegetables daily for adults, depending on age and activity level; and about 2 1/2 hours of exercise weekly.

Study participants were 4,886 British adults aged 18 and older, or 44 years old on average. They were randomly selected from participants in a separate nationwide British health survey. Study subjects were asked about various lifestyle habits only once, a potential limitation, but Kvaavik said those habits tend to be fairly stable in adulthood.

Death certificates were checked for the next 20 years. The most common causes of death included heart disease and cancer, both related to unhealthy lifestyles.

Kvaavik said her results are applicable to other westernized nations including the United States.

June Stevens, a University of North Carolina public health researcher, said the results are in line with previous studies that examined the combined effects of health-related habits on longevity.

The findings don't mean that everyone who maintains a healthy lifestyle will live longer than those who don't, but it will increase the odds, Stevens said.

The Ten Worst Job Interview Questions

Worst job interview questions listed here are asked many times by novice HR Managers. Read it all to see if you have ever been asked one of these questions. Good interview question are important as they help employers evaluate the the technical qualifications, people skills, problem solving approach, and team playing abilities of potential employees. Worst interview questions do none of these. Instead, they confuse, irritate and sometimes even offend the applicant. This Top 10 worst job interview questions list contain all the questions that fit one or more of the following criteria:

1. Illegal – Ask about certain topics which an employee has no right to question about. The one being interviewed can even sue the person. Employers and Recruiters are Warned to stay clear of such questions.
2. Useless – These Questions test trivial knowledge that has no relevancy and most often be asked in situations where the interviewer is trying to impress his colleagues present.
3. Copycat – These kind of questions are often downloaded from web and the interviewer often have them in printed form in front of them. this is just too lame. Everyone knows answer to those. They have been asked over a million times.

Enough rambling, here are Recruiter’s Blogs Top 10 worst job interview questions.It is very important to point out that if you are asked one of these questions or somewhat like this.Please note that being asked any of these questions. You should take a step back and re-consider for a while. Can you really trust your livelihood and sanity with this organization? What follows is the list.

Question 1: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Question 2: What is your biggest weakness?
Question 3: Do you ever abuse alcohol or drugs?
Question 4: What is the airspeed of an Jet Flying MACH2?
Question 5: How do you define sexual harassment?
Question 6: If you were a ‘Lost’ character, which one would you be?
Question 7: Can you work under pressure?
Question 8: Why did you take the pen from me?
Question 9: Have you ever brought a lawsuit against an employer?
Question 10: What interests you about our company?

How to Answer 5 Common Interview Questions

Every one who has ever given an interview knows the common interview questions that people ask you about you. These questions appear innocent, but in reality they are potential job killers. To answer these common interview questions right is very important.

As an experienced headhunter I will share with you the best ways to answer those questions so you can get the edge on other applicants. I will provide you the ultimate secrets to crushing these questions. Here is how I think you should answer five of the most common interview questions about yourself.

*1*Tell me about yourself.


This is a tricky question for a lot of people. You don’t want to sound egotistical, but you have to sell yourself. It’s best to prepare a short statement in advance covering you’re accomplishments and future goals. Then, memorize and rehearse your statement out loud either in front of a mirror or video camera. It’s also a good idea to practice on a friend or spouse and get their feedback.

*2*Why did you leave or want to leave your current job?


The secret to this common interview question is to stay positive and be honest. No matter how much you’re tempted, don’t say anything negative about previous employers. If you were let go from your last job, don’t lie. When they do a reference check they’re likely to find out. It’s better they hear it from you up front. When they ask what happened, tell your story in the best possible way for yourself as you can, and no matter what, stay positive about your previous employer.

*3*What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?


Telling them your strengths is pretty straight forward, just keep them in line with what the job you’re applying for requires. Most people get tripped up on their weaknesses. What you want do is be honest about your weaknesses, but put a positive spin on them.
Example: “Spending too much time polishing my presentations has always been a weakness, that’s why I set definite deadlines and stick to them.”

*4*How would your coworkers describe you?

This common interview question is best handled with examples. They can be exact quotes or paraphrased. Having a couple ready like “Miranda, who I worked with at ABC inc. always said I was the most organized person she’d ever seen.” Statements like that are just as good as if Miranda were there and made them herself.

*5*Give me an example of how you handled …


Questions like these are designed to give the interviewer a glimpse of what you’re like on the job. So make sure you have a couple already planned out. It’s best to give examples that are similar to the duties of the job you’re applying for. Also, you want your examples to show how you handled difficult situations and delivered for your employer.

When you go out for job interviews, you’re going to run into these common interview questions. The secret is to be prepared. Remember to stay positive, be honest and prepare examples in advance, and these common interview questions won’t be able to keep you from the job you want.

How To Tell If a Job Interview Went Well?

How to tell if a job interview went well? That is the most common question, which comes in our mind after every interview, and really this question, according to my experience always has most unpredicted answer.

Its unpredictable because even if interview went well, the final decision depends on other candidates also, as at the time of interview, you were not the only one present, there were other candidates also. Sometime there are more brilliant candidates than you and even if your interview went well you might not get the job.

Being selected in interview also depends on luck.

But then again, usually if the interview goes well you will get that call back. So how can you really tell how you did?

Here are some hints that at least can give you some idea of how the job interview went:

* Did they lean in toward you with enthusiasm?
* Did you see a good deal of open body language in them? Unlike they were sitting with closed arms to their body with un-relaxing mood.
* Any such thing like their hands or body position matched with yours sometimes that happens and shows a feeling of being in synch.
* Did you see them smiling or nodding while you were speaking.
* Is the interview gone longer than 15 minutes?
* Were they sticking to a script or they follow up on the things that you said? (Some places require the script, so this only helps for places that don’t.)
* Did you heard from them anything like “ when you are working here” or “ you’ll see for yourself”?
* Did they ask you “when you can start? If it was asked then how it was phrased if it was a standard interview question then it might be delivered quickly if not then there might be follow up questions or comments.
* If you were asked that you had any last questions, was that said to you with a smile leaning in toward you with real interest or least showing open body language?
* Did they tell you that you’d hear from them soon?
* Any real connection you felt from their body language or questions?

More “yes” answers to above mentioned questions means that it went better and its not for sure that it gone negative if mostly answers are “no”.

Every place has different interview style and there is no standard measuring technique for assessing the interview result.

The most important thing if you were noticing each and every one of these thing during interview, then keep in mind that you are not position to assess how it went. Just try to relax and set your mind on one point and focus on the interviewer’s questions and what you had answered. Your instincts will give you a better idea that how it had gone.

But at the end if you haven’t got the job you might be thinking what thing other candidate was having that you don’t have. For you its best that just calm down and congratulate yourself on doing the best you could and then just get on with enjoying your life. You had done all that you can.

If you are fit for them then they call you if not then better luck for next time. May be next time you will get better job than this one because luck matters a lot also.

Interview Thank You Notes

You should not forget to keep records of your phone interviews by writing interview thank you notes. It is not merely a nice thing to do, but it also helps your successful job search. If the company will feel that you respect them they will be more likely to remember you. They will try to promote help you in your job application and recommend you to others. Be sure to restate your interest in the job and emphasize your qualifications. This letter should also be sent out within 24 hours of completing the interview.

The letter can be divided into three paragraphs, that can be formed with following information.

In the opening paragraph, show gratitude to the interviewer for taking the time to interview you. Mention the date on which you interviewed and personalize your letter. Hopefully, you have already received an email from the interviewer before the phone interview, so you should have the interviewer’s name. But if not, you can ask the interviewer during the phone interviewer.

In the next paragraph, restate you interest in the position and mention some of your most important credentials based on what you learned through the interview. You can also underline your significant skills that you forgot or did have time to cite during the phone interview.

In the final paragraph, express your appreciation for the phone interview and affirm your interest in the position and the company once more.

The following is a sample interview thank you note after phone interview:

Mr. Tom Mathew
Director of Human Resources
ABC Company
876 Central St
New York, CA 90010

Dear Mr. Tom:

Thank you for taking the time on __________ to discuss the Software Engineer vacancy at XYZ company. I have enclosed my resume, as you requested for further consideration.

I have an excellent knowledge and skills in the full life cycle of software design process including requirements definition, prototyping, proof of concept, design, interface implementation, testing, and maintenance. I’m also familiar with financial software products.

I suggest a personal interview to discuss further my qualifications. I can be available at your suitable time and day. I will look forward to hear from you soon. Thank you once again for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Job Seeker

25 Signs that you will never make it to the top!

Making to the top in corporate ladder is everyone’s dream. It take guts and luck, and lots of it to get to the top. I don’t know a single world class leader who made it to the top and showed any of the signs I have listed below. as they say *hit can take you to the top, but it won’t help you stay there…

Read through the list carefully and see where you are lacking and try to cover up those personality flaws to become a great team player and leader….

1. You fail to keep your promises, agreements and commitments.
2. You serve your self first and others only when it is convenient.
3. You micromanage and resist delegating.
4. You demonstrate an inconsistency between what you say and how you behave.
5. You fail to share critical information with your colleagues.
6. You choose to not tell the truth.
7. You resort to blaming and scapegoating others rather than own your mistakes.
8. You judge, and criticize rather than offer constructive feedback.
9. You betray confidences, gossip and talk about others behind their backs.
10. You choose to not allow others to contribute or make decisions.
11. You downplay others’ talents, knowledge and skills.
12. You refuse to support others with their professional development.
13. You resist creating shared values, expectations and intentions in favor of your own agenda; you refuse to compromise and foster win-lose arguments.
14. You refuse to be held accountable by your colleagues.
15. You resist discussing your personal life, allowing your vulnerability, disclosing your weaknesses and admitting your relationship challenges.
16. You rationalize sarcasm, put-down humor and off-putting remarks as “good for the group”.
17. You fail to admit you need support and don’t ask colleagues for help.
18. You take others’ suggestions and critiques as personal attacks.
19. You fail to speak up in team meetings and avoid contributing constructively.
20. You refuse to consider the idea of constructive conflict and avoid conflict at all costs.
21. You consistently hijack team meetings and move them off topic.
22. You refuse to follow through on decisions agreed upon at team meetings.
23. You secretly engage in back-door negotiations with other team members to create your own alliances.
24. You refuse to give others the benefit of the doubt and prefer to judge them without asking them to explain their position or actions.
25. You refuse to apologize for mistakes, misunderstandings and inappropriate behavior and dig your heels in to defend yourself and protect your reputation.
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Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years Time? – Interview Question

In a job interview the most common question that is usually asked during the interview is “where do you see yourself five years from now? This article will discuss the meaning or importance behind this question and how an individual can answer this question intelligently.
Employers seek for those employers that have potential for further personal growth and advancement. This will enable the employee to contribute effectively to the organization. In other words, they are looking for those employees who have a clear mindset about what they wish to accomplish and by what means i.e a career plan in order to achieve career goals and objective.

Second, most important element that is observed by the employer is the candidate’s motivation level. The employee should be highly motivated towards the position offered to him.

Two important points that are taken into consideration by the employer include:

1. Whether the candidate will accept any job offer or does he consider his job search target and career objectives.

2. Whether he will be adding any value to the organization or not.

Two basic responses that an employer expects from an individual include:

* His/her clear and realistic career vision
* The ideal response” I see myself progressing in my field as well as in the company, learning new skills to the benefit of the company. I find this job very challenging and motivating. I can see many challenges ahead and therefore, willing to invest my five years time learning all aspects of the job towards professional advancement. “

Hope you find this advice useful in your upcoming job interviews. Remember to be confident and stay focused, replying to all the questions with self-assurance.