According to a study carried out by the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), a little self-reflection could do us all a world of good.

Julie McCarthy, associate professor of organizational behaviour at UTSC, said, “People need time to refocus in order to learn or study well.”

From in.news.yahoo.com:

“But maybe by backing off and taking breaks, students are able to replenish their resources.”

Feeling drained leads to lower levels of satisfaction with life and higher rates of burnout, depression and ill-health. And while playing multiple roles can be stimulating, interesting and lead to sense of accomplishment and achievement, McCarthy said there are real risks we need to be aware of.

“People need to assess which strategies they’re using to cope with their problems and make sure they’re making time for resource recovery,” she said.

“Too many roles can be detrimental unless we begin asking ourselves honest, pointed questions,” she added.

“This technique is traditionally seen as ‘running away from your problems’,” said McCarthy.

According to a new study, India Inc is upbeat about the business outlook for the January-March quarter but will be playing it safe when it comes to hiring of new staff and most job openings are likely to be at entry and junior levels in smaller cities.

The outlook of corporate India improved slightly in the contexts of business prospects during the quarter, according to a TeamLease employment outlook report for January-March, 2010.

From in.finance.yahoo.com:

“The past two quarters have shown impressive GDP growth of around 8.9 per cent despite inflationary pressures. So while inflation continues to be a cause of concern, the business sentiment among India Inc remains positive. This is also evident from the reasonably good Q3 numbers being reported by many companies,” TeamLease Services Vice-President Sangeeta Lala said.

“This will have a positive impact on the hiring outlook for the coming quarters, while the current quarter (Q4) remains more or less steady when compared to the previous quarter,” she said.

The survey also noted that companies are likely to increase their focus on Tier-II cities, which will have positive implications for the labour market. In this regard, the report indicates that the hiring scenario in Tier-II cities has improved by 2 per cent.

In contrast, there was just a 1 per cent increase in the hiring prospects in metro cities. In rural areas, the hiring sentiment has remained more or less stagnant, as per the survey.

“Interestingly, hiring initiatives are likely to accelerate in Tier-II cities, while metros and tier-III towns keep up the healthy sentiment of the previous quarter,” Lala added.

The business outlook improved, by 2 per cent to 73 per cent, during the quarter while the employment outlook moved up by 1 per cent to 69 per cent.

Online advertisers have found yet another marketing strategy to earn. They pay some hired individuals to click on displayed ads and earn revenues. There are part timers who are increasingly engaging themselves in this work and housewives who find it easy to earn sitting at home.

From timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Traffic to click overseas Internet ads – from home loans to insurance – is spreading fast in India. “I have no interest in what appears when clicking an ad. I care only whether to pause 60 seconds or 90 seconds, as money is credited if you stay online for a fixed time,” says another user.

Here’s how it works: online advertisers in developed markets agree to pay hosting website each time an ad is clicked. With performance-based deals becoming dominant on the Internet, intermediaries have sprung up to “do the needful”.’ Why, type in ‘earn rupees clicking ads’ in Google — you get 25,000 results.

As the competition is increasing day by day, any trick would do some or the other benefit to the owners. The clickers are now either earning through paypal or middle men or receive cash. Clickers increase the number of appearance of web ad and get tracked by users more easily.

It is often believed that beauty is the deciding factor when it comes to favors by bosses. However, beauty has an ugly side attached to it and is a hurdle for some women who are looking for jobs that are considered as ‘masculine’ by society.

According to a study conducted by the University of Colorado’s Denver Business School, attractive women are often discriminated against when applying for jobs considered as ‘masculine’, and for which physical appearance is not seen as important for the job.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

In the study, the researchers gave recruiters a list of jobs and photos of applicants and told them to sort them according to their suitability for the job. There were a total of 55 men and 55 women candidates.

In job categories like director of security, hardware salesperson, prison guard and tow truck driver, attractive women were overlooked. In each of these jobs, appearance was perceived to be unimportant.

Attractive women tended to be sorted into positions like receptionist or secretary.

‘One could argue that, under certain conditions, physical appearance may be a legitimate basis for hiring,’ said lead researcher Stefanie Johnson, assistant professor of management at the school.

‘In jobs involving face-to-face client contact, such as sales, more physically attractive applicants could conceivably perform better than those who are less attractive. However, it is important that physical attractiveness is weighed equally for men and women to avoid discrimination against women.’

‘In these professions, being attractive was highly detrimental to women,’ she said.

The study was published in the latest issue of the journal of Social Psychology.

If you have been giving your best at the workplace but still there is no appreciation or reward coming your way, you need to ask some questions to yourself. Once answered, it is time for you to go for a salary hike.

Most of us, especially members of the youth community, are hesitant to ask for a salary hike despite deserving it. But asking for a hike is worth the courage and you will be pleased to know that the rewards are worth it.

From Timesofindia.indiatimes.com:

Does your performance speak for itself?

If the answer is yes, you have a chance. Present all your achievements since you started working in the organisation. Showcase how these achievements are noteworthy and need recognition in the form of a promotion and raise. The best time to ask is immediately after a recent major achievement, where you have displayed exemplary behaviour (cost cutting, clinching a major account, process improvement or improved productivity). But remember that your past performance, ability to perform under pressure and meet tight deadlines also enhances your chances for a promotion.

Are you ready to take on additional responsibilities?

Promotion means additional responsibilities. The expectation levels will also increase the moment you move to the next level. What was exceptional performance in the last role would be considered average in the new role. As you move ahead in your career, remember that there is no scope for complacency.

Is there a position that you can fill in?

Companies do not offer promotions merely to satisfy employees. There must be a vacancy available. Organisations do not create positions to fulfil your desires. Even if they do so, within a couple of months you will realise that you are still stuck doing the same old routine tasks. However, if you have been creating value additions, been efficient and well informed, there is a possibility of you being given an opportunity to do something different, where you create something from scratch, perhaps even a new department. This is your true test of performance, potential and perseverance.

In addition to keeping a close eye on these factors, do make it a point to present a positive picture about how you can contribute more towards the organization’s growth. Do not hit the panic button and send an email to resign, it does not work most of the times, try to find an amicable solution without being unprofessional!