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It’s the beginning of a new year, and many of you have probably just started working or have switched companies. This means an entirely unfamiliar environment and a brand new boss. While some are lucky to work under genuinely nice people, many others are not.

We hear people complaining about oppressive bosses all the time. A recent survey conducted by CIPD found that 91% of employees say that their employers fail to take up the ‘bullying’ issues at work seriously.

If you’re stuck with a boss who intimidates you or rides roughshod over your opinions, you don’t have to grin and bear it. Instead, try doing the following to help you tackle the situation effectively.

1. Open up to your mentor

It’s not the best idea to deal with such issues all by yourself. The company might have assigned you a mentor upon joining to give you an orientation about your job or the company.

Try confiding in this person, and he may be able to make a much-needed intervention while offering you a piece of sensible advice.

2. Confront your boss

Though this may seem like an obvious choice, many people are afraid of confrontation. Have a candid conversation with your boss about your feelings and politely explain how this affects your work and mental health.

Studies have shown that workers who stood up for themselves and fought against their bosses had to endure less emotional distress than those who did not.

It isn’t easy to be empathetic and understand why he could be behaving the way he is. Make sure you focus on solving the problems rather than playing the blame game. This will mitigate the tension and help resolve your issues.

3. Take it up with the HR

If the situation is beyond your control, file a formal complaint with your human resources team. Sometimes, these things can escalate to a point where merely talking to someone is of no use.

The formalities can cause you to have cold feet, but hang in there and let the concerned authorities sort this for you.

4. Keep up your confidence

Bullying can cause severe repercussions in the victim’s life. You may feel like quitting. But step aside and think of all the positive feedback you’ve received from your customers and colleagues in the past.

Think about the times when you’ve performed well and have been praised for it. It might just help you to find a reason to stay and gain your confidence back.

It is hard to get a job offer in the highly competitive market with many candidates looking for opportunities. You may feel lucky if you can get through an interview and land a job.

When you commit to a job, you give away a part of your life as you spend all weekdays at the office.
So it makes sense to gauge the offer and then decide whether you want to accept it.

What should you consider before accepting a job offer?

Before accepting that job offer, pause to weigh the various aspects of the position.

Salary and benefits

The most crucial aspect of the job offer is the salary and benefits. You should understand the package details thoroughly because some of the benefits may be denoted in terms of money, but you won’t receive the paycheck with the quoted amount.

Ensure that the salary is sufficient to meet your needs. Many companies provide ambiguous offer letters without mentioning the benefits.

Before signing on the dotted line, understand the terms thoroughly.

Understand the schedule

When you agree to a job offer, you have to understand the schedule clearly. You have to factor in time for a commute because traveling for an hour from your home to the office can be tiring when it must be done twice every day.

Understand your work schedule so that you are comfortable with it. If you are not happy working on the weekends, take up jobs which require regular five days working.

Work environment

Your interview experience should give you an insight into the work environment at the company. If you were not comfortable during the interview and stopped asking any questions, you may have to look for another job.

You can work peacefully with good people who motivate you.

You should be at ease and have a sense of well-being after accepting a job. It does not make sense if you accept an offer which makes you dreadful at the thought of it!

If you have any job offers on way, do take these tips before accepting the offer.

We wish you all the luck!!

Applying for a new position is never easy, no matter whether you are just applying for your first job or whether you are a seasoned employee on the lookout for better opportunities.

You may want to watch for a few things when attending that interview to discover crucial things about the company.

Clue 1

One way to figure out if the company is serious about their offer or not is by determining how receptive they are during the interview process.

Don’t count on it if the hiring manager asks mundane questions and waits for the five minutes to be up before telling you that they will be in touch. Moreover, a company that gets to waste your time is not a place you should consider working for anyway.

Clue 2

If you are asked to meet various managers as part of your hiring process, it only indicates that no single person takes the call and hints at disorganization.

Clue 3

If the company has forgotten that the interview was slated for that day, and yes, it has been known to happen more often than you think, then the company is more than disorganized; it smells of trouble and a shaky future.

Clue 4

Perceptions matter, and if the hiring manager is downright rude or impertinent, the office setup would not be that pleasant either. A tense workplace will not be worth the trouble and effort you would have to put into fitting in.

Clue 5

If the manager does not respond to your messages in time or to your requests, you must ask yourself whether working for someone like this would be worthwhile. After all, when you become part of their workforce, the manager should address your concerns.

And if he could not even take the time to respond to a simple skype message, chances are he will not be paying you or your concerns much attention either.

So let’s be vigilant and avoid any job which reveals any of the above indications.

Law has always been a sought-after career choice as its relevance will never be out of the question. But the truth is, more people opting for law means more competition.

So how do you stand out? For a start, it is important to choose the best university for your course.

Here is a list of the top 4 law schools in the world that you should surely apply to get an edge in the industry. They are challenging to get into, but your return will be well worth the work.

1. Harvard Law School

Located in Massachusetts, US, this is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions globally. With an impressive line of alumni such as the Obamas and Mark Zuckerberg, the advanced education system, and the myriad employment opportunities, Harvard is nothing short of a dream come true.

The institute has a tough entrance process, and only the most fortunate and deserving ones get through. But having a law degree from Harvard is the one single thing you need for your resume to shine above all.

2. University of Cambridge

Located in the United Kingdom, this is a premier law school with enviable faculty and research facilities. It has one of the oldest professorships- the Regius Professorship of Civil Law- and an array of research centers.

3. University of Oxford

Ranking close to Harvard Law School, this university has been serving the cause of education for 800 years. It has a cutting-edge, competitive pedagogy with a unique method of tutorial lectures for its students.

4. Yale University

This institution, located in Connecticut, US, has been around since 1701 and is an Ivy League college. It has an impressive student-teacher ratio of 1:25 and many faculties and courses to choose from.

Yale will prepare you thoroughly for any challenges you might face later in life as a lawyer.

If you want to pursue law from some of the best universities in the world, then these are the universities you need to apply to.

Your tone of voice, attitude, and attire affect interviews conducted through phone or video conferencing platforms.

Therefore, experts say that even though you’re not face-to-face with your interviewer, you must smile when you speak, devise a backup plan for connectivity issues, and put your mock interviews on tape to recognize your flaws and make improvements accordingly.

Here are 5 ways of increasing your chances of landing the job through a video or telephonic interview:

1. What you wear can affect your interviews greatly

Dress like you would for a traditional interview because your attire can greatly influence your interviews. When you wear formal clothes, it automatically makes you feel more professional while enhancing your body language and feeling more confident.

Additionally, make sure that you’re well prepared, like someone who’s a good match for the specific job position.

2. Have a plan B ready for when the signal drops

You might face disruptions due to noise coming from your surroundings, slow internet speeds, television, or loud conversations with family members. Find a peaceful spot in your house where the signal strength is excellent.

If you encounter frequent call drops at your house, try going to a nearby internet café or a friend’s house. Despite these measures, if your call is interrupted, politely ask your interview to repeat their question or request a reschedule.

3. Practice mock video/phone interviews

Practice makes perfect! Remember to do mock interviews and have someone record them for you to know your weak points and work on them accordingly.

Looking at yourself on the camera can sometimes feel awkward, so this will help build confidence and get used to the process of preparing you for the real interview.

4. Focus on the clarity of words

Interviews make many people nervous, which leads to a lot of fumbling and stuttering. When you appear for an interview in person, your interviewer can see your non-verbal cues, but it’ll be hard for them to understand what you’re saying in a telephonic interview, so make sure that you speak very slowly and clearly. This is especially important for those with a thick accent.

5. Prepare only what’s required and be comfortable with yourself

Browse the web for the most commonly asked questions in telephonic interviews and prepare in advance. Just write down the most important points you want to make instead of reading everything from the resources and sounding like a parrot.

If you have any upcoming interviews online, keep these 5 things in mind and you will surely ace it.

If you feel depressed each time you head out to commute to your job, you need to read on to learn how to feel happy at work. Here’s what to do!

Stay engaged

While this may sound like a marketing gimmick, the fact remains that as you meet up with colleagues and engage with them, there’s bound to be a spin-off effect.

As you reach out to others around you and engage with them more, you are bound to think less about what makes you unhappy and more about being part of that peer group.

In a sense, being friends with others will validate yourself, making you feel more satisfied with yourself.

Dress well

Each time you head out to work, try to make the right statement starting with your dress. No one would take you seriously enough if you turn up in a pair of rumpled-up jeans with a beer-stained t-shirt.

So try to act professionally by looking like one and dressing to meet professional standards.

It will provide you with a sense of satisfaction and make you happy once you see the desired impact on others around you.

Compartmentalize

This is easier said than done, but you got to find a way to compartmentalize your problems and issues and not bring them over with you to work.

Obsessing personal problems at work will lead to a profound sense of dissatisfaction and make it impossible for you to concentrate on your job.

So leave the problems back at home and learn how to compartmentalize them. You can use a few online exercises to do this, so check them out.

With these tips, be happy at work.