Things you should do on the first day of your new job

Prepare and ask questions. Mark Strong, a life, career, and executive coach based in New York, says although you should spend much of your first day listening, you can and should ask questions when necessary. "Generally, you're trying to demonstrate your curiosity and desire to learn," he says.

Taylor says it's a good idea to prepare by writing down both practical and general questions about how you can be most successful in the role. "By now you have enough background on the company to integrate more in-depth questions at your orientation meetings," she says. "Have a list of questions handy for managers you think you might meet. Make sure you also have a contact in HR in case you have very basic inquiries before you start or on your first day."

Prepare an elevator pitch. Get ready to give a 30-second explainer of who you are and where you were before, as many new colleagues will likely ask about your previous place of employment, Taylor says. Be prepared to also describe what you'll be doing in this new position, since there may be people who have a vague understanding of your role or simply want to strike up a conversation.

Show up early, but enter the building on time. Get there at least 15 minutes early, suggests Teri Hockett, chief executive of What's For Work?, a career site for women. "If you haven't done the commute before, practice it a couple of times during rush hour a week before so that you're at least somewhat prepared for the unknown." But wait at a nearby coffee shop until the time your new boss or HR asked you to arrive. 

Figure out the social landscape. Two of the more important factors in succeeding at a job are to not only get along with your coworkers, but also to associate with the right ones, Parnell explains. "In any sizeable work environment you will find cliques, and some mesh better with management than others. If you want to eventually move up in the ranks with your new employer, you'll need to associate with the right crowd."

He says it's also essential that you begin to determine the office politics on day one. "Power is an interesting, quite important, and sometimes elusive thing in the work environment," he says. "Certainly it is vital to understand the articulated positional hierarchy in your organization — who answers to who. This should be as easy as reading your coworker's titles. However, because power can manifest in so many different ways, it is imperative to understand who actually answers to who."

Relax. While you're being strategic, also remember to relax on your first day so that you can optimize your productivity. "Make sure you're well rested, prepared, and have every reason to be on time. This is a visible milestone, and you want to be at your best," Taylor says.

Smile. "It may have taken awhile to reach this point, after searching, interviewing, and landing the job, so don't forget to be happy and enjoy the moment," Hockett says.

Strong agrees, saying: "We all know that first impressions matter. Smile when you meet new people and shake their hands. Introduce yourself to everyone and make it clear how happy and eager you are to be there. Your coworkers will remember."

Look and play the part. When in doubt, take the conservative approach in how you dress and what you say and do. Be as professional as you were in the interview process.

Hockett suggests you determine the dress code in advance so that you don't look out of place on your first day. "This is important because sometimes the way we dress can turn people off to approaching us, or it sends the wrong message." Ideally, you want to blend in and make others and yourself comfortable. If you're not sure what the dress code is, call the HR department and ask.

Don't be shy. Say "Hi" and introduce yourself to everyone you can.

Talk to as many people as possible. One of the most invaluable insights you can get in the beginning is how the department operates from the perspective of your peers. If you establish that you're friendly and approachable early on, you will start on the right foot in establishing trust.

Befriend at least one colleague. Go a step further and try to make a friend on Day 1. "Beyond generally talking to peers and getting the lay of the land, it's always a good to connect with a fellow team member or two on your first day, even if it's just for 10 minutes," says Taylor. "Beginning a new job can be stressful at any level, and this practice can be very grounding, accelerating your ability to get up to speed faster in a foreign atmosphere."

Let your colleague(s) know that you're available to lend a helping hand. A little goodwill goes a long way. The positive energy and team spirit you exude will be contagious, and the best time to share that is early on, versus later, when you need people.

Don't try too hard. The urge to impress can take you off-track, so remember that you're already hired — you don't have to wow your new colleagues, Taylor says. It's every new employee's dream to hear that people noted how brilliant and personable they are, or how they seem to "get" the company so quickly. But that can be a lot of wasted energy; you'll impress naturally — and more so once you understand the ropes.

Don't turn down lunch. "If you're offered to go have lunch with your new boss and coworkers, go," Hockett says. "It's important to show that you're ready to mingle with your new team — so save the packed lunch for another day."

Listen and observe. The best thing anyone can do in the first few days of a new job is "listen, listen, and listen," Strong says. "It's not time to have a strong opinion. Be friendly, meet people, smile, and listen."

This is a prime opportunity to hear about the goals your boss and others have for the company, the department, and top projects. It's your chance to grasp the big picture, as well as the priorities. "Be prepared to take lots of notes," Taylor suggests.

Project high energy. You will be observed more in your early days from an external standpoint, Taylor says. Your attitude and work ethic are most visible now, as no one has had a chance to evaluate your work skills just yet. Everyone wants to work with enthusiastic, upbeat people — so let them know that this is exactly what they can expect.

Learn the professional rules. On your first day, your employer will have a description of your responsibilities — either written or verbal. This is what you should do to be successful at your job. "With that being said, there is usually a gap between what you should do and what actually happens," Parnell says. "This is important because while you shouldn't neglect any articulated duties, there may be more that are implicitly expected of you. It is usually best to find this out sooner rather than later."

Put your cell phone on silent. You need to be 100% present at work, especially on the first day.

Show interest in everyone and the company. You'll likely be introduced to many people, and while they may make the first attempt to learn a little about you, make an effort to find out about them and their role. It's not just flattering, it will help you do your job better, Taylor says.

Pay attention to your body language. Your body language makes up the majority of your communication in the workplace. Assess what you're communicating to better understand how others may perceive you and make any necessary adjustments. 

Be available to your boss. "This might sound obvious at face value, but on your first day of work, you'll likely be pulled in a thousand directions," says Taylor. You want to make sure you're accessible to your new boss first and foremost on your this day, despite all the administrative distractions.

"This is an important first impression you don't want to discount," she adds. "Companies are not always as organized as they'd like when onboarding staff. You can easily get caught up with an HR professional, various managers or coworkers — or with a special assignment that keeps you from being available to the person who matters most." On your first day of work, check in with your manager throughout the day.

Be yourself. "Think of ways to be relaxed and project yourself as who you are," Taylor says. "It's stressful to try to be someone else, so why bother? You want some consistency in who you are on day one and day 31. If you have the jitters, pretend you're meeting people at a business mixer or in the comfort of your own home, and that these are all friends getting to know each other. That's not far from the truth; you'll be working closely with them and enjoy building the relationship, so why not start now?"

Leave with a good attitude. The last thing to remember is that while the first day at a new job is very important, you shouldn't be too hard on yourself if it doesn't go flawlessly. "You might look back on your performance on day one and second-guess yourself," Taylor says. "Yes, you should prepare and try to do your best, but remember that if you try to accomplish too much, you may get overwhelmed. Know that there's always tomorrow." 

source:yahoo

Why is India so filthy? | The Ugly Indian | TEDxBangalore

Windows 20 years

Exactly 20 years later, the prominent operating system is still a popular choice among PC users and it's releasing its 20th version: Windows 10.

In honor of the 20th anniversary, the Daily News has put together a timeline that shows the evolution of Windows operation system:

Windows 95

Windows 95 was not the very first Windows. In fact, Microsoft had already worked on 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 before '95 was launched into the business/consumer market. Windows 95 was a game changer in the PC world and introduced us to the iconic Start button.

Windows NT

Windows NT

The second consumer version of Windows was the first 32-bit version of the operating system. Windows NT was released on July 27, 1993 and focused mostly on being a strategic business platform.

Windows 98

Windows 98

Unlike its previous two versions that were very business-centric, Windows 98 was the first version that fully focused on the consumer experience. Windows 98 was specifically designed for the typical PC found at home, work and even Internet cafes. Windows 98 was released on June 25, 1998 and its slogan was "Works Better, Plays Better."

Windows 2000

Windows 2000

Windows 2000 was essentially an upgraded Windows NT. The 2000 version added extra speed, stability and it was aimed at large businesses.

Windows ME

Windows ME

Microsoft released two different Windows versions in the year 2000. The first was Windows 2000, which was for businesses and the second was Windows ME, which was meant for home computers. Windows ME—also known as the Millennium Edition—had several music, photo and video enhancements that set it apart from previous versions.

Windows XP

Windows XP

Microsoft was on top of its game when it released Windows XP on October 25, 2001. The new OS had a completely new user interface and design that was centered on usability. It also had several help and support services that made navigating the system much easier.

Windows Vista

Windows Vista

Windows Vista was the first OS ideal for both business and home computers. The 2006 version of Windows had a really strong security system and great User Account Controls that allowed owners to protect their computer against malware.

Windows 7

MICROSOFT

Windows 7

Windows 7 kept all the great tools and features from previous versions and presented them with a new look. Windows 7 also introduced Windows Touch, which made it easier to use the OS on laptops with touchscreens. Although Windows 7 was released in 2009, many PC owners have been afraid of upgrading due to bad reviews for Windows 8. Therefore, Windows 7 is still used by many businesses and households.

Windows 8

Windows 8

Windows 8 was released in October 2012 and it introduced a completely different user interface that relied mostly on applications. The new UI had a tiled Start screen and it worked on hybrid computers, such as laptops that flip. Many users did not like the change in design and decided to stick with Windows 7.

Windows 10

Windows 10.

Windows 10 is the latest version of Microsoft's OS and it promises to be the best one yet. Windows 10 kept a similar UI of Windows 8, but redesigned it. Windows 10 also enhanced its UI with the intelligent voice assistant Cortana and cross platform compatibility-including the Xbox One. Microsoft's Edge Browser also comes preinstalled with the software.

Google Search tips and tricks

Search Specific Websites

This is perhaps my most-used Google Search trick, and it allows you to perform normal searches, but the results that you get back will only be from a specific website that you specify in the search bar.
By typing in site:gottabemobile.com and then your search term, Google will spit back results only from GottaBeMobile.com (or any other website you specify).




This is a great search trick to use if you saw an article in the past on a specific website, but forgot what the title was. Or if you want to look up a how-to and are loyal to a specific how-to website, this tricks works well for that too.

Find Animated GIFs

Animated GIFs are the best. They can convey our emotions much better than any regular text could, and they’re great to just watch over and over again. Using Google Search, you can search for only animated GIFs.

Simply perform a Google Image Search and then click on Search Tools below the search bar. From there, click on where it says Any type and select Animated from the drop-down menu. At that point, only animated GIFs will appear in the search results, although the GIFs won’t be animated until you click on one to view it.

Bypass Website Paywalls

Many news websites have paywalls, which block you from reading an entire article unless you pay for a subscription. Usually those subscriptions are fairly expensive and not worth it if you just want to read that one article. However, there’s a way around it using Google Search.

When you come across an article that requires you to pay for a subscription, simply just copy and paste the headline of the article into Google Search, and then click on the search result that pops up for that article. It’ll take you to the full article without you having to pay a cent.

Exclude Certain Results

If you want to search for something, but want to make it a bit more specific, you can use a minus symbol to narrow down your search a bit and exclude certain results that don’t fit within your parameters.

For instance, I want search for jaguars, but not the car brand. To do this, I simply type in jaguar -car and I’ll get results without car references in them.

Use Asterisks as Wild Card Words

If there’s a popular phrase that you can’t remember fully, you can use asterisk to your advantage and search for the entire phrase in Google.

Add an asterisk within a search as a placeholder for any unknown words. Type in something like a * saved is a * earned and you’ll get back different variations of the popular saying.

Use Periods for Results Within a Certain Number Range

If you’re shopping around for new appliances and want to buy something within a certain price range or find something that has specific measurements, you can use two periods to set a range.

You can separate numbers by two consecutive periods to see search results that contain numbers in a given range. Typing in washing machines $700..$1200 will show you results for washing machines within this price range.

Find Web Pages That Link to a Certain Site

If you want to know what web pages link to a certain website, Google allows you to do that. You can either be broad with your search, or show specific results based off of a search term.

For example, you can find all the web pages that link to GottaBeMobile.com by typing in link:gottabemobile.com. If you want to only show results that deal with the iPhone 6, you can type in link:gottabemobile.com iPhone 6.

Use Quotation Marks for Exact Matches

If you have a longer phrase that you want to search, Google will normally take those words individually and find results that match any of the words. However, using quotation marks can make the search a bit more accurate.

If you need to search for something like iPhone 6 with a case, you’ll usually end up finding searches with either iPhone 6 or case, not both, but you can use quotation marks to find results with the exact match.

Find Related Websites

If you found a website that you really like and want to find more websites that are similar, you can use Google to accomplish that by finding related websites.

For instance, if you really enjoy reading Consumer Reports, you can find similar websites in Google by typing related:consumerreports.org to see a list of related websites. Depending on the site, your results may not be entirely accurate, but it can be a good start.

Expand Your Results with OR

If you want to search for specific web pages, but are pretty flexible as far as what they contain, you can expand your results to include several keywords by including OR between the words. Otherwise, your results would usually show only web pages that match all the terms typed out.

For example, if you want to find information about past Olympics, but only within the last couple of decades, you can type in olympics 2012 OR 2008 to see results that contain either the 2012 Olympics or the 2008 Olympics.

View the Cached Version of a Web Page

If you perform a Google search and a result you click on takes you to a 404 (i.e., the web page doesn’t exist anymore), you can still view the web page in a state before it was taken down.

To do this, simply type in cache:URL, with the URL being the full web address of the web page. This will show you the last state that the web page was saved in before it was deleted.

Obtain More Info About a Website

With a neat Google Search trick, you can easily access the cached version of the web page, similar web pages and web pages that link to the site by performing a single search.

Simply typing in info:website (with the website being the URL), you can quickly view all of this information that’s only a click away.

Show Only Recently-Published Results

If you need the most recent results possible when doing a Google search, you can narrow down the results by when they were published using Google’s Search Tools.

To do this, perform your search like usual and once you get to the results page, click on Search Tools below the search bar. From there, click on Any time and then select a time frame. Choosing Past week, for instance, will only show results that have been published or updated within the past week.

Perform a Video Search

If you’re looking for videos on a particular subject, Google makes it really easy for search results to show only video links.

Simply go to videos.google.com and type in your search term, or you can just start with a search term and then click Videos at the top below the search bar.

Get the Definition of a Word

Not sure what a specific word means? Don’t worry, you can quickly look it up using Google without flipping through a dictionary.

To do this, simply type in define word (with “word” being the word you want the definition of). Google will give you an instant definition, as well as some examples and even synonyms that you can use.

Find Images at a Certain Size

When performing an image search with Google, you get back a lot of different results with photos of all image sizes. However, you can narrow it down to include photos that are a certain size.

Go to Google Image Search and perform a search. From there, you’ll get a ton of photos to look through. Click on Search Tools below the search bar andclick on Any size, then select a photo size. Unfortunately, you can’t select a specific resolution, but you can ballpark it with the options provided.

Look Up Flight Information

Most users have a travel app on their mobile devices that lets them quickly look up their flight information and see if there are any delays. However, you can also do this right on Google.

Aw crap, I missed my flight.

Simply typing in your flight number in the search bar will give you info about your flight, including when it will take off and if there are any delays or cancellations.

Convert Pretty Much Any Unit

Not sure how many grams are in a pound? Need to convert British pounds into US dollars? Google can help you with that.

Using the Google Search bar, you can convert pretty much any unit. It supports currency, measurements, volume and a ton more. Typing in something like 56mm in inches will give you the quick conversion instantly.

Use Google as a Calculator

Did you know that Google Search has a built-in calculator? You can do basic math and even some advanced problems right in Google Search.

To bring up the calculator, you can either type in calc or begin by typing in a math problem like 140+453. You can find percentages by typing in 70% of 4500.

Hide Mature Content

If you’re performing a search and it brings up mature content like porn sites, you can disable these results from showing by customizing Google’s SafeSearch features.

To do this, click on the gear icon toward the upper-right corner of the webpage and then click on Turn on SafeSearch if it isn’t already. From there, explicit content will be filtered out.

Reverse-Search Images

If you have a photo, but want to see if a larger version exists, you can use Google to essentially reverse-search an image to find either similar images or duplicates posted on other web pages.

To do this, go to Google Image Search and click on the small camera icon to the right of the search bar. You can either paste in an existing URL of an image or upload one yourself. From there, Google will search for that image and you’ll get your results.

Search By Voice

Google Now on mobile devices lets you quickly search by using your voice, but you can also do that on the desktop with the Google Chrome web browser.

To the right of the search bar is a microphone icon. Clicking on it will activate voice search just like in Google Now. From there, you can simply just search for something or ask Google a question and it will come up with an answer for you. You can also use voice-activation so that you can simply just say “OK, Google” and have the voice search pop up.

View Newspaper Archives

You may have not known this, but Google has a news archive where it stores copies of a ton of different newspapers dating back to 1800s.

You can view the archive and look through old issues of newspaper, either for a school project or just for fun and giggles. It’s always a blast to go back in time and see what the news was like.

Compare Products

Not sure if you should get the Apple TV or the Roku? Google can help you make a decision.

Simply type in Apple TV vs Roku in the Google search box and it will bring up results to web pages comparing the two products, giving you quick access to comparisons in order to help make an informed decision.

Filter Results for Recipes

Looking for recipes? That’s great, but what if you’re looking for recipes with specific cook times and even a specific calorie count? Google can help.

When you search for a recipe, Google will pick that up and let your filter out certain recipes in order to quickly find one that you’re looking for. After performing a search, click on Search Tools and you’ll be offered with many options to filter out certain recipes, such as ingredients, cook time, number of calories, etc.

Flip a Virtual Coin to Make Decisions

Sometimes, we need to make a decision, but it’s just so difficult to do so, which usually results in flipping a coin.

However, if you don’t have a coin nearby, Google can flip one for you. Simply type in flip a coin in the search box and Google will flip a virtual coin for you.

Roll a Virtual Dice

Need a dice for a board game, but it’s lost somewhere? You can use Google Search instead.

Just like with flipping a virtual coin, Google can roll a virtual dice. Simply type in roll a dice and Google will roll one right in front of your eyes.

Search for Specific Filetypes

If you need to find a PDF of a user manual that you accidentally threw out, Google can help you find it.

Searching for “dyson vacuum manual” can sometimes bring up a PDF version of the full manual, but to get specific results, you can tell Google to only show PDF files, or any other filetype for that matter. Simply click on the gear icon toward the upper-right corner of the web page and click on Advanced Search.
Toward the bottom there will be a dropdown for filetype. Choose one and then click Advanced Search.

Set a Timer

If you need quick access to a countdown timer, Google can do it for you.

Simply type in set timer for 15 minutes (or however long you need) and Google will start a timer for that amount of time. You can even expand the timer to full-screen if you need it to be front and center.

Quickly Check the Weather

One of the most popular uses for Google that not everyone knows about is quickly checking the weather, which can be done right in Google Search.

By typing in weather zipcode (with “zipcode” being your zip code) you can see what the weather is like, along with a day-by-day forecast. You can also type in the city name if you don’t know the zip code.

Quickly Find Out Sunrise & Sunset Times

Similar to weather for a specific city, you can find out the times that the sun rises and sets by asking Google. To do this, type in sunset zipcode or sunrise zipcode, depending on which one you want the time for.

Find the Origins of a Specific Word

Maybe you’ve looked up the definition of a word (see above), but now you’re wanting to know where the word originated from and how it originated in the first place. Google can give you a history lesson on that.

Type in word origin (with “word” being a word of your choice) and Google will tell you the origin of that word, including what region it came from and when it originated.

Get the Time for a Specific City

Managing different time zones can be confusing, especially if you’re like me and have numerous co-workers in different time zones. However, Google can quickly tell you the local time in a specific city.

By typing in time city (with “city” being the city of your choice), you can see what time it is there. You can also type in the zip code as well, but most people will know the city name before the zip code anyway.

Find Out Your IP Address

There aren’t very many cases where you’ll need to know your IP address, but in case you do, Google can give it to you.

By typing in what is my IP, you’ll quickly see what your external IP address is. This can useful if you use a VPN and want to know if it’s working or not. By using this trick, you can see if your IP address really is being modified by your VPN service.

Quickly Look Up Stock Information

If you invest in the stock market, you probably look up how your stocks are doing fairly frequently, and Google is a good source to go to for that.

Type in the stock symbol for a company and Google will instantly bring up stock information. You can also view the history of the stock price.

Get the Date for a Specific Holiday

Not sure when Presidents Day is? Google can help!

By typing in the holiday, Google will bring up the date of that holiday so that you know what day of the month it is, as well as what month it’s in so that you don’t accidentally miss it when it rolls around.

Track a Package

If you ordered something from Amazon, you can track the package using Google Search.

By typing in the tracking number in the search box, Google will see that it’s a tracking number and will provide you with a link to tracking information, such as whether or not your package is out for delivery or if it’s still in transit.

See What Movies Are Playing in Your Area

If it’s Friday night and you feel like seeing a movie, Google Search can help you quickly find what movies are playing in local theaters.

By typing in movies zipcode (with “zipcode” being your zip code), you’ll get a list of movies that are playing in your area, along with the times that they’ll be playing.

Look Up Sports Scores

If you were out and about and weren’t able to watch the game, you can use Google to look up sports scores of your favorite team.

Simply type in Colts, Pacers, Flyers, etc. to view sports scores of that team. You may have to get specific, such as entering in Carolina Panthers, instead of just panthers.

Look Up Health Info When You Get Sick

One of the newest features to Google Search is being able to view symptoms and other health info if you’re feeling sick.

If you ended up getting pink eye and want to know if it’s contagious, simply typing in pink eye will bring up some important information about the disease, along with remedies on how to cure it.

Translate Words or Phrases

Some people can speak many different languages, but if you only know one language and need to translate a word into a different language or vice versa, you can use Google Search to do so.

Google has its own separate translate tool, but if you quickly just need a word translated, you can type in something like What is chocolate in German to get the German word for chocolate.

Set Reminders

While your phone probably has its own reminder app, you can set a quick reminder in Google almost instantly, without fiddling with any apps.

Simply just open up Google Search and type in something like Remind to check the laundry in an hour. This does require you to have Google Now enabled on your smartphone so that you’ll receive a Google Now card when the reminder hits.

Look Up Food Nutrition Facts

Are you about to chop into those potato chips? Think twice before you do by getting the nutrition facts for different foods right in Google Search.

You can type in banana facts to get nutritional information about bananas or any other food for that matter, even potato chips.

Quickly Find Customer Service Phone Numbers

We all hate calling customer service, but it’s usually finding the number to call that seems to be the most tedious process. However, you can quickly search Google for practically any customer service number.

For instance, typing in Verizon customer service will instantly bring up the number to call if you need to get a hold of a customer service representative at Verizon.

Look Up Restaurant Menus

Looking to go out for a meal? Choosing a restaurant is hard enough, but once you get there, you have to then choose what you want to eat. Fortunately, you can do that ahead of time with Google Search.

By typing in something like Buffalo Wild Wings menu, you can view the whole menu instantly in Google Search and figure what you want to eat. This doesn’t work with every restaurant, but any of the larger chains and popular locals restaurants will have this feature.

View Specific Google Drive Photos

If you use Google Drive to store and view your photos, you can actually use Google Search to essentially search your photo library.

By typing in View my photos in July 2014 (or whatever time frame you want to specify), Google will bring up any photos that were taken during that month, right in Google Search, so that you don’t have to go hunting for them in Google Drive.

Get Answers to Entertainment Questions

Let’s see if this sounds familiar: You’re watching a movie and you begin to argue with your friends on what other movies Steve Carell is in. Let Google settle it for you.

By typing in something like What other movies is Steve Carell in, you’ll get a full list of movies that star Steve Carell, and you can finally put that argument to bed once and for all.

Find the Nearest Store

Are you hankering for a nice mocha and need to where the nearest coffee shop is? Google Maps can help, but so can Google Search.

By typing in Where is the nearest coffee shop, Google Search will bring up a list of coffee shops that are close by, and from there you can view more info or get directions through Google Maps.

Quickly Calculate Tips

There are many calculator apps that focus on calculating meal tips, but you can do it right in Google Search without any extra apps of any kind.

Quickly type in tip $73 (or however much your meal costs), and Google Search will pop up a tip calculator right there in the window. It’ll even give you the total after the tip, which is very helpful.

Find Stuff to Do in a New City

It’s not hard to find stuff to do in a big city, especially if you’re there for vacation and planned ahead, but if you find yourself there for business and have some free time, you might find yourself wondering what to do in the area.

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Luckily, you can type in attractions Indianapolis (or any city for that matter) and you’ll get a list of popular attractions and other touristy hot spots for non-locals.





source:gottabemobile.com