4 hacks to a happier workday

Some days, everything seems to go wrong from the moment you hit the snooze button. Here are four tried-and-true ways to turn a bad morning around.

Some days, it's a struggle to find the energy to push the snooze button, let alone get out of bed. Other days, though you think you've got it all together, you arrive at work and realize you forgot your headphones, your morning coffee… or your laptop. And on those "I can't even…" days, you step on said headphones, spill your coffee all over your new white shirt, or face the "blue screen of death" as you open up your computer.

What's a working gal or guy to do when your day doesn't start off as expected? Here are four hacks to turn a bad morning into a prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay good day.

1. Clear your head. OK, first things first: Step away from your desk or work area. Pry your keys off that keyboard or phone screen, and head to the nearest exit. Use the 20 minutes or so you'd normally spend surfing the Internet and instead, get outside and enjoy some fresh air with a walk around the block. (Studies have shown even 20 minutes of exercise like walking can boost happiness, reduce risk of disease and improve memory). Practice your breathing techniques while walking (aka breathwalking) – and actually reap the benefits of meditation while getting your circulation going and your mind off of the fact that your Pop-Tart landed in a puddle just minutes earlier.
Can't get outside? Walk around your office, or take three minutes and meditate at your desk before you step back into reality. The benefits may last you all day long.

2. Laugh. Sometimes, on a bad day, you aren't sure whether to laugh or cry. And while it's true that sometimes you may just need a good cry, it's not always easy to open the floodgates while surrounded by co-workers. Something you can –do – without usually getting too many raised eyebrows – is laugh. Laughing is almost always guaranteed to get you out of your current slump, it helps to put things in perspective, and it not only costs you nothing – but also has major stress relief benefits. It even may be contagious: If you find something funny (and work-appropriate) that gets you back on your A-game, why not spread the love and share it with colleagues to give them a boost? Try Louis CK talking about how everything is amazing for a chuckle and some quick perspective on why things aren't always as bad as we think.

3. Do something nice for others. You don't have to be the person sticking Post-It Notes on people's arms on the morning train commute that say "You're looking sharp today!" – but then, you don't not have to be, either. Post-It Notes and invasion of personal space not your thing? You're in luck: There are many other simple but meaningful ways to improve the day of those around you – and it's a proven fact that helping others actually raises your own happiness levels.

Short on time but big on heart? Try the "Five-Minute Favor": Take just a few minutes a day to do something small but with big benefits to the recipient. This could mean buying a co-worker a cup of coffee, making it a point to say hello to people you pass in the hallway, writing an email to thank someone for his or her efforts on a project, or even retweeting someone or replying to a friend or stranger with an encouraging comment. It's a small commitment for you, but may mean a lot to them.

Try extending your altruism outside the office walls, too. Consider volunteering at an organization that means something to you, help others in need, and start getting the feel-good vibes back tenfold.

4. Be kind to yourself. Sometimes you need the work equivalent of comfort food to get past your blue mood (or, you may just really need some mac n' cheese). It's important to be kind to yourself and realize that everyone has a bad day now and then – and we all make clumsy mistakes. Give yourself a break! Consider treating yourself to a latte from that fancy coffee shop down the street – and if you're feeling dangerous, maybe even a piece of chocolate (#noregrets). Schedule a massage so you have something to look forward to that night or later that week, or make a date to marathon-watch "Gilmore Girls" or "Arrested Development" to get you out of your funk. Dive into a good book at lunch (while eating that mac n' cheese), or spend an extra five minutes dissecting the latest episode of "True Detective" or chilling out to the latest Beach House album.
Whatever your happy place, get yourself there, even for a few minutes: It may just be the indulgence you need to get past that morning's horrors and face the rest of the day… and then do it all again tomorrow (hopefully sans Pop-Tart puddle).

4 Things Employers Want From Job Candidates

Ace the interview by putting yourself on the other side of the table.

Kelly Harry

Shutterstock

By Arnie Fertig

Have you ever wondered how hiring authorities go about the process of figuring out who to interview and what to ask when they meet candidates face to face? Leslie Gurka and Joel Brodsky can tell you. They have spent their professional careers as educational leaders in the New York Public School System. Now, they consult schools systems around the U.S. on a variety of issues, including how to effectively hire the best teachers and administrators, as part of the Executive Leadership Institute team.

While their focus is on the educational system, their concerns, methodology and insights apply broadly to almost any hiring situation. In order to whittle down a large group into a manageable pool of candidates, they initially screen out résumés missing key ingredients, like licensing credentials. They regularly eliminate candidates whose writing reveals poor grammar or punctuation, and they critically assess the overall look and format of one's résumé and cover letter or writing sample.

Gurka and Brodsky recently discussed the whole hiring process with me. Below, they describe how they go about figuring out what to ask during interviews and how they ferret out winning from losing candidates:

1. Specifics. After you've been interviewing for any period of time, you can easily spot someone who is out of their depth by their vagueness. Gurka eschews people who are too general in their interviews, and she always wants to know why a candidate is interested in a specific job at a specific time.

She cites a general and unimpressive statement as something like: "This is a wonderful school, and I want to work here to help students." Instead, she looks for what she calls a "business-specific" answer. For example: "I want to work at this school, because it services underprivileged students, it services a wide diversity of students, and it has a focus in the arts."

Tip: Do your research, and be prepared to show that you know something about the employer and to relate that to your abilities and interests in a compelling fashion. Show why you belong in that environment.

2. Team acknowledgement. You might think of a teacher as independent in his or her classroom, just as with so many other roles in America's workplaces. Yet, Gurka is careful to pay attention to the ways people project themselves into the roles they seek. For example, if someone continually says things like "I'm going to do this or that" or "in my last role I did A, B and C," it shows the person is focused more on her own accomplishments than on how she fits into an overall team effort.

Gurka looks for people who give at least a nod to others. You might say: "as part of the faculty, I did ...", "along with my colleagues, I did ..." or "If hired for this job, I'd look forward to contributing to the overall effort by doing ..."

Tip: Of course, you need to identify your strengths, contributions and value. However, you should take pains not to take sole credit for shared accomplishments or for the role you have played in relationship to others.

3. Demonstrated value. "I'm looking for creativity," Brodsky says. "I'm looking for someone who really loves kids and is excited about the job. And lastly, I'm looking for someone who is willing to learn."

He continues: "But, if someone came in and said: 'I love kids, I'm excited about this opportunity, and I'm willing to learn, I would assume its a prepared answer and I would not be impressed." He prefers more creative responses that show the candidate's value, he says, "by bringing up stories that really illustrated how they have these qualities and desires."

Moreover, Gurka isn't about to let someone off the hook by claiming he or she has a passion for something. She follows up by asking: "Tell me something about your past that illustrates the passion you are talking about."

Tip: Spend some time thinking about the role you seek to fill, the values a successful candidate will need to demonstrate and how your past actions have shown you to be that kind of person. Put simply: Show, don't just tell!

4. Unique contributions. "We know that every serious candidate has all the qualifications, so the question that often comes up is: Why should I select you for this particular position compared to the many other candidates?" Gurka says. "I've always asked candidates that question point blank."

She continues: "People who knock that question out of the park are the ones who speak directly to accomplishments and experiences that they've had in the past."

Tip: To be taken seriously, be prepared to authentically speak from your experience. Think about stories to share that demonstrate the value you bring to your next employer. And, most importantly, don't hesitate to share why you want to make a contribution to the team you seek to join.

Top 10 things NOT to do in an interview

10 very small, but very significant acts that could stand between you and your next job.

Showing up late, forgetting a copy of your resume, having a bad hair day…these are all reasons you might not feel as confident as you'd like to when you're in your next job interview, but they're not immediate disqualifiers. According to employers, the top most detrimental blunders candidates make in interviews are often the most common.

Have you made any of these mistakes? Here are the top 10 things NOT to do in your next job interview.

1. Appear disinterested
Fifty-five percent of hiring managers say this is a big deal-breaker in an interview, and we can't blame them for saying this is the No. 1 thing you should not do in an interview. If you're this bored in an interview, how will you act on the job? Employers want somebody who will bring energy and focus to their team, and will engage with the job. Acting disinterested, or failing to show enthusiasm for the opportunity, only signals to employers that you're not interested in this job—and they'll find a candidate instead who is.
2. Dress inappropriately
Wearing clothes that are too tight or too loose, too dressy or too casual, or wearing brands and logos in professional settings is a bad sign, according to 53 percent of hiring managers. But before you accuse your interviewer of playing fashion police instead of interviewing you about your skills, remember why they even care about your appearance: They're evaluating your judgment and how you'd appear to customers. Do you show you can fit in with company culture? Are you there to bring professionalism to the organization? Dress the part.
3. Appear arrogant
This turn-off bothers 53 percent of hiring managers, who would rather hear about your accomplishments in the context of how you helped the organization, compared to a list of bragging rights. Frame your big wins in the company's overall success: your impressive sales numbers attributed to the company's biggest year in earnings, for example.
4. Talk negatively about current or previous employers
Half of hiring managers (50 percent) said this is a red flag when meeting with potential hires. No surprise there. Why would they want to be your new employer when your old employer is taking all the blame for your career's negatives? If there's bad blood between you and an old employer or workplace, simply state a difference in personalities or work culture, and emphasize that this organization and you are a much better fit for both your strengths and weaknesses.
5. Answer a cell phone or text during the interview
About equally as rude as speaking negatively about old employers is checking or using your phone, according to 49 percent of hiring managers surveyed. This is a simple fix. Do NOT use your phone at all during the interview, as it's rude and discourteous to your interviewer's time. Turn it off (or on silent if you must have it on) before you enter the building or get on the phone or webcam for your in-person or digital interview. Either way, you should not be using your phone at all during an interview.
6. Appear uninformed about the company or role
You may think you can fake it till you make it, but 39 percent of hiring managers will disagree with your strategy if you appear uninformed about the company or the role you're interviewing for. Before your interview, research every aspect: who you'll be interviewing with, what the role's responsibilities are, any major news about the organization and a background knowledge of its industry.
7. Avoid providing specific examples
Thirty-three percent of hiring managers say this is a problem, since they want to hear exactly how you demonstrate your qualities of being a "hard-working, energetic, driven team-player." Did you implement a new employee engagement perk or group? Did you earn recognition or awards for your achievements? Get specific when you're explaining your strengths and achievements.
8. Ask generic questions (or none at all)
Similar to being ignorant to what the organization or role does, asking generic questions (or none at all) signals to the interviewer you probably don't understand or aren't interested in the job—which is a problem according to 32 percent of hiring managers. Demonstrate your knowledge by asking specific questions about on-the-job duties, as well as any questions you may have about the organization or style of management.
9. Provide too much personal information
Oversharing is something to avoid, according to 20 percent of hiring managers. You don't need to go into detail about personal hobbies or family anecdotes in an interview. Simply be yourself and let your personality and confidence speak for themselves.
10. Ask the hiring manager personal questions
About as bad as oversharing is over-asking, according to 17 percent of hiring managers. Asking the hiring manager personal questions doesn't establish a connection between you two—it just makes your interviewer uncomfortable and show you don't have a good sense of business manners. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and professionalism.
Avoiding these 10 pitfalls can put you on a much more successful trajectory towards having a successful interview and potential job offer.