Kerala PSC Recruitment 2017

Latest Government jobs in Kerala are available!!! A job notification related to Kerala PSC Recruitment has been published by Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC). Talented individuals are invited for careers openings of Higher Secondary School Teacher, Librarian and Confidential Assistant posts. For Kerala PSC Recruitment 2017, you may submit online application form on or before 01.02.2017.

Post Name	Discipline/Subjects	Age Limit	Salary Details
Higher Secondary School Teacher	English	18 years to 45 years	Rs. 20740/- to Rs. 36140/-
	History
	Political Science
	Junior Malayalam		Rs. 16980/- to Rs. 31360/-
Librarian Grade IV	Panchayat	18 years to 36 years	Rs. 22200/- to Rs. 48000/-
Confidential Assistant GR-II	Sainik Welfare	18 years to 50 years	Rs. 10480/- to Rs.  18300/-

Selection Process:

Selection of applying candidates will be done as per their performance in written examination and personal interview conducted by the selection panel.

How to Fill Kerala PSC Online Application Form:

Candidates should follow these steps that are customized below to apply for Kerala PSC Recruitment–

• Firstly switch to the official website of the organization that is keralapsc.gov.in

• Now move your cursor to “Examination and Interviews” column which is given at the bottom of the page.

• Form that column you have to hit the link “Notifications”.

• And then form the various notification list you have to hit the link “GAZETTE DATE 30.12.2016 LAST DATE 01.02.2017 CATEGORY NOS – 416/2016 to 534/2016”.

• And then detailed notification will display you have to read that notification carefully.
• And after that you have to hit the tab “One Time Registration” tab given at the home page of the website.

• And then online application form will appear on the screen, you have to fill all details in it carefully.

• And then upload required documents and certificates in that application form.

• Now after re-checking all details once you have to press “Submit” button.

• At last prints of the complete application form and keep it safe with you.

Read Kerala PSC Recruitment Notification – Official Link

Important Date:

Last Date for Submission of Online Application Form – 01.02.2017

How to Choose a Career

Wondering how to choose a career?

Our expert approach using science-based career assessment and discovery will guide you in making a career decision you won't regret.

We've organized it according to the three basic principles of good decision making:

1. Know yourself–your strengths, values, personality, and skills

This will help you decide which choice best fits you.

• Discover which Holland personality types you are most like, then match your results with promising careers, college majors and training programs.
• Read about John Holland's Theory of Career Choice to understand how your success and satisfaction in a job, school, or college is related to your personality.
• Do the activities in Learn about Yourself and Identify Your Skills to understand yourself better.
• Explore what career well-being means and how to strengthen yours.

• 2. Know your options and learn about each one

  • To learn about occupations, go to Learn More about the Jobs that Interest Me ,Learn about Occupations, or Choosing a Military Career.
  • Job Satisfaction will help you optimize your job satisfaction when you choose a career or a job. It can also help you analyze why you are dissatisfied in your job, if you are one of the many who are.
  • To learn about education options, go to Choose a Career Cluster/Career Field/Career Pathway or Choose a Major or Training Program.
  • Is starting your own business an option?  Click Self-Employment to explore this idea.
  • Are you thinking of strengthening your job skills but you are unsure which ones are important?  See The Foundation Skills.

  3. Make a good decision

  • At High-Quality Decision Making you will learn a method based on many scientific studies that is widely used in business and medical settings. It is easy to understand and use.
  • Still not sure?  Go to Career Indecision and consider getting help from a professional counselor: Career Counseling
  • Tip: Go to our "Choose a Career" listing to see more self-help articles! Also check out our Site Map.

How to Approach A Customer in a Good Way

"How to approach a customer?" I’m often asked in my role as a retail consultant .

Whether that question comes from a retailer looking for sales tips as part of their retail sales training program, a distributor or brand wondering if their reps are “doing it right,” or someone asking about the correct phone etiquette, the quick answer is to start any customer interaction with the word, “Good (time of day.)”

Let me explain...

Retailers: How to approach a new visitor in your store

“Good morning,” “Good afternoon” or “Good evening” should be the first words out of your associates’ mouths when greeting a customer. Whether you train that all customers are “guests” – something I’m not fond of – or you train your employees that every customer is a sales prospect, your retail sales training must be to start an interaction on a positive note.

Most retailers think this is easy; it isn’t.

In one of my full day retail sales training programs, I had a regional manager for a major brand come up and role play with me in front of the audience. After being taught what to say, “Good morning,” with the proper attitude, etc. he blew the greeting five times. On the sixth try, immediately after he blew it again, he turned to the audience and said, “This is much harder than you’d think!”

Yes it is.

Why? For one, because no one is really listening to what they are saying and number two because training and correcting bad habits are largely missing in most retail sales training.

Companies have just assumed employees can greet anyone just fine and that all that matters is product knowledge.

How wrong they are.

I was in a Crate and Barrel a couple months ago and they had stationed a greeter at the front door. As people stepped three feet into the store they were all asked, “How’s it goin?’”

Few if any answered or looked at the poor woman. Why?

Boring. Forgettable. A waste of the employee’s energy.

Do you want to get people to trust you, to feel welcomed and encouraged? Then start with an open heart using the word “Good” in your greeting.

Sales Representatives: How to approach new accounts

Whether you cold called a new client, took on an existing account or you are new to an area yourself, you want to stand out.

“Is this a good time?” is how most sales reps begin their interactions although that should be part of your conversation, it shouldn't be the first thing you say because it makes you sound impatient.

Your goal, though a bit different than the retailers' goal is to get clients to feel you have time for them right now. By starting with “Good morning,” “Good afternoon” or “Good evening,” you are extending cordiality without being phony.

The key is to not continue on with a spiel immediately after you’ve said “Good morning.” Wait and let them reply back to you. Then there is time to say who you are, what brand you represent and then ask about their available time.

How to approach potential buyers who call you on the phone

The key is to let the person on the other end know it is a good morning, good afternoon, etc. Practice by recording yourself and listen to your inflection or role-play to get the sound of your phone greeting just right.

Why? Because again, you must sound like you have time for the caller right then. An exasperated tone, a “Hold please” or other distracted message conveys the message to the caller that they are not important.

For that reason, if you aren't ready to approach that potential new buyer on the phone, don’t answer it – let someone else get it or let it go to voicemail.

What about dealing with a person you already know? There’s no reason for it to be any different.

Bottom line: if you want to stand out in a crowded market where too many people have too many choices of who they do business with, a greeting of “good” trumps the greeting of buy my widget every time.

17 Unbeatable Ways to Create a Peaceful, Relaxed Workday

For some people, that may mean taking some tough steps, if their boss or their workplace is very controlling about how they do their work. For example, you might talk to your boss about restructuring your workday. It might also mean looking for a new job that’s more flexible, if you’re not happy with the way things are. Or it might just mean picking the tips below that work best for you and living with a certain amount of stress. Do what works for you!

For me, a perfect workday incorporates many of the tips below, but never all of them at once. I use a combination of strategies to ensure that most of my days are fairly relaxed. Do I still get stressed? Undoubtedly. But it’s a far less frequent thing than in the past.

Here’s how I do it.

1. Do less. Those of you who know me by now saw this one coming. It’s very difficult to have a relaxed workday if you have too much going on. Instead, learn to reduce what you do, but choose the most impactful tasks and projects — the ones that will mean the most over the long term. I choose three important things to achieve each day, as I’ve said before. Those are the three things I can do today that will have the most impact in my life.
2. Create a morning routine. And make it a relaxing one. That could include some of the things below, such as exercise, a hot bath, or quiet working time. For me, it means getting up earlier so I’m not so rushed, and then doing little rituals (like having a quiet cup of coffee and reading) that will ensure I start the day perfectly.
3. Prepare the night before. An evening routine is also essential to starting your day right. This might include things like choosing your three Most Important Tasks for the next day, so you know what you’re going to do when you wake up. It might mean getting your clothes ready. For me, it includes getting a jump start on prepping my kids’ lunches, so it’s just about done before my day even starts.
4. Start the day with a relaxing shower or bath. I like a hot shower, but if you have time, a good bath can be a perfect way to start off the day. It gets you in a relaxed mood, which is much better than starting the day stressed out.
5. Get in some morning exercise. I don’t get to exercise every single morning, but I do it on a majority of mornings. A nice morning run is a wonderful thing for me. It relaxes me, and gives me a sense of well being and accomplishment.
6. Work when it’s quiet. I like to do work early in the morning, when everyone is sleeping. For others, that might be late at night instead. Whatever works best for you. When I was working in an office, I liked to get in before everyone else, so that I could get in some solid work before things got busy. I would also work during lunch while everyone else was out — I just liked the quiet. I would eat two smaller lunches before and after the normal lunch hour. Getting in early also allowed me to leave early, so that I could spend time with my kids or get in some evening exercise.
7. Create a clutter-free environment. This is key for me, as you might also know by now. I like my desk clear of any clutter. Right now, the only thing on my desk is my iMac (I’m paperless now). But it’s OK to have a couple family pictures or an inbox, but too much stuff it just visual distraction. Clear your walls of everything but a nice picture or other art piece or two. Clutter-free surroundings create a peaceful working environment.
8. Turn off the distractions. That means phones, email notification, instant messaging, anything that will break into your focus and make you jump from one thing to another.
9. Cut back on your commitments. Evaluate all the things you’ve got going on in your life, and see what isn’t essential. This means choosing 4-5 essential things in your life, and trying to eliminate the rest over time.
10. Cut out meetings. If you have the ability to opt out of meetings, do so. They are generally a waste of time. Sure, it’s possible that a meeting is the most productive way to do something, but it’s rarely done. Usually the point of a meeting could be accomplished with email, or an IM. Cutting out meetings could free up a lot of time and make your workday more relaxed.
11. Single-task. For me, focus is everything. Writing this article would take twice as long, and be much less peaceful, if I was constantly interrupted, if I was constantly switching between this and email and surfing the web and other tasks I have to do. I like to focus on one task at a time, if possible, and really lose myself in the writing.
12. Take breaks and stretch. While focusing on one task at a time is important, it’s also important to take breaks when you can. Get up, stretch, get a glass of water. Massage your shoulders, neck and head. It keeps you relaxed throughout the day.
13. Go for a walk. I also like to take a break and go for a walk. It helps me get perspective, to think, to get a better overall picture on my workday and my life. Plus it gets the blood circulating.
14. Eat lunch in quiet. I’m kind of a shy guy, and while many people do lunch meetings, I would rather eat at my desk with a good book or take my sack lunch to a park for a peaceful, meditative eating break.
15. Do mini-meditations. This doesn’t require a mat or a temple or soothing tapes or anything. Just sit where you are, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing — on your breath as it comes into your body, and then goes out. This helps me to center myself, no matter what is going on with work.
16. Learn to focus on the present. Related to the mini-meditations and single-tasking. Basically, instead of worrying about what you have to do in the future, and instead of reliving things you did in the past, focus on what you’re doing right now. This can be difficult, as our minds have a tendency to wander to other things, but it’s simply a matter of practice – be aware of where your mind is, and when it drifts to other things, gently bring it back to the present. This helps keep your mind in a peaceful place all day long.
17. Roll with the punches. There will always be things that go wrong. What is important is how we react to them — do we go all Drama Queen, and get stressed and upset? Or do we accept what has happened, and make a calm decision about what to do now? When things get overwhelming, take a step back to get some perspective, and realize that in a few months, none of this will really matter much — and then take steps to eliminate the non-essential and focus on what’s really important.

15 Ways You Can Enjoy The Job You Hate

If you’re that person who has never had a less-than-ideal job, then I salute you for being the luckiest person on earth. Pretty much everyone has had a job that they hated at least once in their life, whether they be a teenager, young adult or even a baby boomer.

Sometimes, however, the job you hate can be turned into the job you tolerate, if you handle it the right way. Here are some simple ways to do just that.

1. Take Pride in Your Work Space.

Whether your space is a laptop-friendly desk or behind a cash register, make cleanliness and organization a priority for where you spend the majority of your time. It can actually be fun to work when your space is an extension of your personality, giving you a comfortable place to concentrate and perform. Doing this will also keep you from losing important things (like money).

2. Talk to Your Boss Regularly.

Your boss may not be the nicest person in the world, but most people who are in charge tend to have a decent level of passion for the place they work in. When we work somewhere that is draining us, it can be refreshing for us to sit down with our boss and hear his perspective on how things are going. It may even inspire you to improve your own responsibilities, and the initiative won’t go unnoticed.

3. Do Something You Love While You’re Not Working.

For most of you reading this, you’re probably not doing the job you see yourself doing in 10 years. Your passions may lie elsewhere, and that’s a big reason why we sometimes have trouble enjoying a job that isn’t going anywhere for us. That’s why it’s important to always fuel your interests on the side. This can be a hobby, sport, activity or even side business that is related to what you ultimately want to do. Who knows? This could be a stepping stone to starting your own business.

4. Set Goals That Are Within Your Control.

Be realistic about your personal situation and what is necessary for moving forward. The job you hate right now might be a necessity for what lies ahead, but it’s important to make sure that you’re not taking shortcuts. Instead of trying to “wow” your boss with tough promises to keep, stick to working hard and accomplishing what’s in your power to perform. Doing this consistently is vastly more impressive.

5. Bring Snacks For Your Coworkers.

This is especially crucial if you are one of my coworkers. It should go without saying that being kind to others will make you (and them) happier, and if you’re working somewhere that always seems to have an air of negativity, then simple gestures like this will go a long way.

6. Show Up To Work Consistently Early.

Yes, I know that I said earlier to set goals that you can control, but that doesn’t make this tip any less useful for making your job more tolerable. It seems counter-intuitive (why would I want to spend more time in a place I hate?), but the truth is that this habit will set a good pace for your shift and give you momentum. Plus, it’s one of the easiest ways for you to stand out in the eyes of your superiors, leading to possible promotion opportunities.

7. Take Pride In How You Look.

Clothes make the man/woman, as they say. Dressing to impress is one of the best ways to build confidence at work, which leads to a smoother workday. If you show up to work looking disheveled and tired, then you may just end up feeling disheveled and tired.

8. Look Out For The Newer Employees.

You probably remember how confusing and disorienting it was to start a new job you know nothing about. Pay it forward by helping new coworkers find their place and learn. This is a great way for you to feel good about the job you have and what you’ve learned there so far.

9. Learn As Much As Possible.

Speaking of learning, one of the best ways to break the monotony of your job is by training yourself to do more than what is required of you. For some jobs, this is actually the only way for you to get promoted at all, as it is the type of ambition that supervisors are looking for.

10. Talk To Your Coworkers About Something Besides How Much You Hate Work.

Break room conversations have this nasty tendency to turn into “Who can complain the most?” contests. The problem is that complaining does nothing to improve your job, and it will barely even make you feel better. Plus, most coworkers don’t want to hear you complain anyway (and the other way around). Take a break from work and its problems when you’re with your coworkers, and talk about something that will actually make you happy.

11. Come Up With Ideas To Make The Company Better.

If there is something that you feel could be improved or fixed at work, come up with the solutions yourself. Also, you may have a great idea that will go over well with your boss. It definitely doesn’t hurt to show an attitude of problem-solving, and this is a great way to make real changes to a work environment that might not be working. Just make sure to always be polite and respectful when presenting your opinions.

12.  Have Fun With Your Coworkers.

As long as it doesn’t interfere with your productivity, playing games and having inside jokes with coworkers is a great way to keep up your morale during a stressful day. In fact, I’ve had plenty of bosses who get this and encourage short games to clear everyone’s head.

13. Start a Gratitude Journal.

You don’t have to show this to anyone, but it’s good to keep a record of the positive memories and milestones you’ve made at your job. Additionally, this can take the form of a social media group you have online where you can post pictures of good times you’ve had with your coworkers.

14. Take Breaks.

This is easy advice to follow for most of you, but it’s also important for youto be good at taking breaks. What I mean is that we sometimes come back from our breaks feeling less than refreshed. To avoid this, try getting fresh air and some quick exercise instead of eating junk food and staring at your phone.

15. Be Grateful That You Have a Job.

Always remember that some people would beg to have your job, so don’t take it for granted. Sure, it may not be perfect or what you want to do for the rest of your life, but focus on what you can do in the present to make your job matter.

Why You Should Be Nice at Work—Even if You Don’t Have Time for It

Christine Porath, an associate professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, has surveyed people across 17 industries to find out why incivil behavior happens within organizations. The major finding? More than 40 per cent claim they don’t have time to be nice.

In the Sunday Times, Porath pours over recent studies that indicate just how damaging a mean boss can be. On the health side, there’s repurcussions for the immune system as well as elevated hormones that influence appetite and weight. On the organizational side, incivility “hijacks” focus. In one case, Porath’s study participants were belitted before being asked to complete a word puzzle. They performed 33 per cent worse and came up with 39 per cent fewer creative ideas during a brainstorming task. Porath’s second study tackled another dynamic at the heart of mean boss ettiquette: rudeness.

In our second study, a stranger—a “busy professor” encountered en route to the experiment—was rude to participants by admonishing them for bothering her. Their performance was 61 percent worse on word puzzles, and they produced 58 percent fewer ideas in the brick task than those who had not been treated rudely. We found the same pattern for those who merely witnessed incivility: They performed 22 percent worse on word puzzles and produced 28 percent fewer ideas in the brainstorming task.

Porath argues that being nice doesn’t have to take more time—there are small adjustments that everyone can make. This includes listening, smiling, sharing, saying thank you, and turning off your phone or computer during meetings.

You can read Porath’s full story, “No Time to Be Nice at Work,” and also take the quiz to find out how toxic your organization is and what you can do about it.

When it comes to bosses that rule with an iron fist, Porath says they aren’t successful because of it—they’re successful despite it:

Studies by Morgan W. McCall Jr., a professor of management and organization at the University of Southern California, including those with Michael Lombardo while they were with the Center for Creative Leadership, have shown that the No. 1 characteristic associated with an executive’s failure is an insensitive, abrasive or bullying style.

Ultimately, mean bosses cut into their company’s resources. Daniel Goleman, bestselling author of Emotional Intelligence and Focus, notes that stress, something that can be effective to mobilize us to handle short-term emergencies, creates hazards for ongoing work performance:

Attention narrows to focus on the cause of the stress, not the task at hand. Our memory reshuffles to promote thoughts most relevant to what’s stressing us, and we fall back on negative learned habits. The brain’s executive centers—our neural circuitry for paying attention, comprehending, and learning—are hijacked by our networks for handling stress.

Besides the bottom line, what are other reasons why we should value kindness and bosses who care about us? Kindness promotes trust, and that motivates people, says Emma Seppala, writing for the Harvard Business Review:

Harvard Business School’s Amy Cuddy and her research partners have also shown that leaders who project warmth—even before establishing their competence—are more effective than those who lead with their toughness and skill. Why? One reason is trust. Employees feel greater trust with someone who is kind.

So are we seeing the end of a leadership era of being firm and a little distant from employees and muscle-flexing to get things done? Probably not. But there are ways we can practice self care—through yoga or meditation or just plain taking a break—to keep up our resilience in the face of workplace toxicity.

Tips to Make Your Work Day Easier

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”  – Steve Jobs

Doing what you love makes the workday easier.

However, even if you love your job, no day is same and it’s not always easy to enjoy your work. After all, work is all about, well, work!

So, how can you keep the flame burning to go to the work every day with the same enthusiasm? How can you have more time for other activities, avoid burnout and finish your work quickly?

Here are 10 Tips to Make Your Work Day Easier:

1. Focus on high reward tasks.  Doing things that take up maximum time but give no rewards should be avoided. Focus on your top tasks. Avoid unproductive things such as gossip, and office politics. Do not allow your colleagues to interrupt you unnecessarily.
2. Don’t over plan.  Planning your work is imperative to a smooth work flow. However, too much planning before doing anything makes less time to get things done. Moreover, avoid plans to do too many things in one time frame, such as back-to-back meetings. This is the best way to cut short your ‘to-do’ list for the day and make your day less stressful.
3. Learn to manage Email.  Email is one thing that takes the maximum time of an employee. Hence, if you know how to manage your emails, half of your work is done. You can make your work easier by limiting the size of each response, yet conveying the complete message.
4. Learn shortcuts.  Setting up auto-text on your mobile allows you to respond to office messages on the go. You do not need to type the entire thing every time while responding to messages.
5. Say “no” when necessary.  In addition to removing a few things from your ‘to-do’ list, saying “no” also becomes vital in the work place. Saying “no” conveys that you are capable enough to distinguish between work priorities, productive and unproductive work.
6. Question what is not clear. Question the things that you think are not required. For instance, most of the office meetings are considered a waste of time. Ask if the meeting is actually required, if there is there to much time allotted for it, what the agenda is, etc.
7. Keep communication open.  The way you interact or communicate with people at different work levels also defines how smoothly you can manage your work. Hence, maintain professionalism, yet build personal rapport with colleagues. Keep all your communications clear to avoid any misunderstandings.
8. Delegate work. Have a long list of tasks? Make it easier by delegating. It is worth delegating the work to a new intern, your direct report, or a virtual assistant. This way you can focus more on important things, and have other employees learn new tasks.  Delegate smartly, choosing the right person for each task.
9. Don’t stress.  You cannot maintain the same level of energy every day and for every task. Hence, do not put pressure on yourself to fight for perfection. Yes, keeping focus on making things right is important, however fighting for perfectionism is like making your work life harder.
10. Get organized.  The key to make your work easier is organizing everything- from your desktop to Email inbox, and from interactions with colleagues to meetings!