Praise Break
February 22 2009
Light of Life Community Church, Inc.
Albert & Carrie Bell – Senior Pastors
Al L. Bell- Executive Pastor
6300 SC Hwy 28 S.
McCormick, SC 29835
Ph. (864) 852-5522
Sunday Services:
9:30 am/Sunday School
11:00 am/Worship Service
Wednesday:
6:30 pm/Prayer & Bible Study
Duration : 0:5:31
Worship and praise song called “More Than Life” from Hillsong Church featuring Darlene Zschech, worship pastor.
Hillsong Church (formerly Hills Christian Life Centre) is a Pentecostal Christian church affiliated with Australian Christian Churches, the Australian branch of the Assemblies of God denomination. The church is located in Sydney, Australia, headquartered at its “Hills” campus in Baulkham Hills’ Norwest Business Park in the Hills District. It also has a congregation designated the “City” campus which is located in Waterloo, near Sydney’s central business district. The church’s senior pastors are Brian and Bobbie Houston, who started the church in Baulkham Hills in 1983, later to merge with a church in the city to form Hillsong Church.
Apart from the two main campuses, Hillsong Church currently has 14 extension services across Sydney. These extension services are based on either location or culture and rely on Hillsong Church for support and leadership. Hillsong Church’s international offshoots include Hillsong Church London, in the United Kingdom, Hillsong Church Kiev in Ukraine, Hillsong Church Cape Town in South Africa. These churches also have services in Paris, Berlin and Moscow.
Hillsong Music has topped Australian charts, with albums achieving gold and platinum sales status. Hillsong has made its mark internationally with many travelling to Sydney for the annual Hillsong Conference, which attracts over 26,000 people, as well as the sales of albums and teaching and the international reputation of its leadership. The Hillsong Television program is seen in over 160 countries and Hillsong International Leadership College is attended by over 900 students from many different countries. Hillsong Church currently claims that it is attended by over 20,000 people each week.
Hillsong Church can be accessed online via the Internet at http://www.hillsong.com.
Duration : 0:9:8
TUSCAN WANDERWAYS
FIESOLE – MONTECECERI – SETTIGNANO
Before setting out, the best way to interpret your wanderway from Fiesole up to Montececeri and over to Settignano, is to observe it from afar. Take a bus up to Piazzale Michelangelo, one of the most frequented landmarks of the city. From the front balustrade of the Piazzale, look down over the river Arno to the cupola of the Cathedral, and then directly up to the horizon. Fiesole crowns the hilltop in the distance, and beside it, to your right, is Montececeri. It was from this platform that the “first human flight” was attempted following the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci.
Facing the river, walk to the left and round the balustrade until you come to a flight of steps leading down to a small piazza. At the end of this area is a board-map showing the most celebrated buildings of the city.
BUS TO FIESOLE
ATAF bus 7, Florence to Fiesole (20 minutes)
STOPPING AT
Central Station – Piazza Indipendenza – Piazza San Marco – Piazza della Libertà – Piazza delle Cure – Piazza Edison – Camerata – San Domenico – Regresso – Piazza Mino da Fiesole.
WALK TIME
3 hours. Grade: Leisurely.
FIESOLE
A century ago, the walk uphill from Florence to Fiesole was only for the energetic; the electric tram was tedious and long-winded, and downright punishing for the horses dragging their carriages of goods and passengers.
Every Latin historian had something to say about Fiesole. Rambling and strange at times as their stories might seem, they do contain a grain or two of truth. Some asserted that it was built by the Tirreni, others by the Pelasgians, or even by the Phoenicians. It was certainly one of the richest and most powerful of the Etruscan cities. Inevitably, the proud Roman clarion echoed one day along the Arno valley up the hillside and the inhabitants of Fiesole were either slaughtered or ordered to genuflect before the invincible Legions. After the fall of Rome, it was subsequently plundered several times and lost its peculiar qualities. On the old Etruscan and Roman ruins and monuments the new town was slowly built.
In the immediate post-war years the young flower-girl sat at the corner, aggressive street hawkers strolled the streets with cardboard boxes tied round their waists containing their wares, and pitiful beggars, little more than road-rats, sold holy pictures with potent prayers for a safe wayfaring. Poverty was a role to be performed, not social offence, so a Tuscan rispetto sings –
I cast a palm-leaf into the sea:
The waters devour it.
I see others cast lead, and – Lo! For them it sails.
On the way up today we leave behind the old wayside churches, shrines, crosses, great villas once frequented by the Medici, illustrious artists and writers, now oppressed by modern hi-tech buildings in what seems intentional defacement.
To the footsore pilgrim with sturdy pastoral staff and dusty burlap outfit it was a day’s walk to the top, up those exceptionally steep stony paths, still in place, which remind one of far-off effort and accomplishment. The wayfarer has given place to turbo buses pouring out streams of camera-burdened tourists.
At present, an open square, some narrow streets, pleasing to the attentive eye, and a number of aesthetically attractive buildings form its personal façade. Indeed, one can find some cloistered nooks with a water-colour artist at work and a gathering of shadows with a writer. A few steps out of town one can come across the typical Tuscan farmhouse with a vine loosely drooping over the doorway.
SANTA MARIA PRIMERANA
The church of Santa Maria Primerana, built on an Etruscan fundament, was already known in the year 966. Enlarged during the Middle Ages, a new façade was built at the end of the sixteenth century. The high alter has a small painting on wood with a Madonna and Child by Maestro di Rovezzano. The transept has two bas-reliefs by Francesco da Sangallo. The glazed terracotta from the workshop of Andrea della Robbia is admirable.
On the second Sunday of May, the Podestà, or Administrator of Justice, and the leaders of the population, or Gonfalonieri, came here to take the oath of office. The Badia Fiesolana and the Amphitheatre should be visited. On the west hilltop is the Francescan Church and Monastery, where ladies were not allowed to enter.
CHURCH of SAN LORENZO at VINCIGLIATA
In the 15th century the Alessandri family, who owned the nearby castle, built a bell tower on which is placed their stone coat-of-arms. The family enlarged the church at the end of the 18th century and its orientation was changed when the façade was built in place of the apse. Over the window is a two-headed lamb and on the tower a curious demon-like blowing two fanfare trumpets. There is a terracotta bust representing San Lorenzo and of a Madonna and Child, attributed to Rossellino, 12th cent.
CASTLE of VINCIGLIATA
On the outer wall are a number of commemorative plaques to eminent sojourners, including such names as Queen Elizabeth and Beatrice, Battenberg, Hohenlohe, Hohenzollern and the Duchess of Russia.
The castle was little more than a ruin when in 1855 John Temple Leader bought it, and much of the land and a large number of crumbling farmsteads and churches in the neighbourhood, and set himself the gruelling task about restoring all of his property.
BEGINNING YOUR WALK
When you get off the bus in Piazza Mino da Fiesole look up towards the Town Hall, the Municipio, at the east end above the town car park. Before setting out, stop to observe the remarkable display of heraldry on the façade remembering the Podestà, and visit the church of Santa Maria Primerana.
Facing the church, take the narrow lane at the extreme right. This is Via Giuseppe Verdi. Look for the sign on the wall to the right
PASSEGGIATA PANORAMICA
while on the left is a red and white mark indicating
CAI-ITIN-1
SETTIGNANO 1 h
COMPIOBBI 2.30 h
Our walk now begins. The roads and paths ahead are copiously way-marked with these red and white CAI blazes.
The tight little lane climbs fairly steeply for a few minutes between villas and houses of refined composition and artistry until it levels out at the top. Don’t be too ambitious. Enjoy a relaxing leisurely pace. On the right is dramatic view over Florence and the background towards the Chianti hills – a sight to slake the thirst of any romantic soul. From this point the city is best seen at dawn or in the evening when the sun is low and the background hills present a sharp edge against the western sky.
Walk forward keeping to the left. Do not take Via Doccia which dips down to the right. You are now in Via Montececeri. Up on the right-hand wall of the corner house is a sign
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT lived here 1910
After 150m the road levels out again for a second view across the valley as far as the eye can see. Via Montececeri ends after a minute and at the branch take the road downhill to the right, Via degli Scalpellini. Look for the red and white CAI mark. A few paces forward will take you to Via del Pelagaccio which veers sharply uphill to the left. Do not take this road. Walk forward along the straight gravel footpath leading towards the wood. After 200m you come to a board on the right showing a map of the park. The path now takes you through the wood. Swing uphill to the left at the first Y-junction, always bearing in mind to follow the red and white CAI blazes on the trees or rocks, disregarding the blue-red marks. Turn right after 5om. It takes about 10 minutes to reach a handrail on the right and wooden bench on the left. An excellent view over the Arno valley. The Florence soccer stadium is straight down in front in the foreground and the Cathedral and Palazzo Vecchio are just over to the right.
Downhill again, you come to the first stone quarry on the left. A dark sinister hole in the hillside, worthy of a short visit. These quarries were still used until the 50’s. At the nearby 3-pronged junction, take the middle path on the same level that swings to the left.
Do not walk uphill to the left or take the right downhill path. Keep following the red and white blazes. The path dips down, the ground it rough, but you soon come to clearing in the wood where you take left turning uphill; again we can see the frequent on the trees. Look up to the left, up to the cypress trees on the hilltop to get your bearings. Ten minutes uphill, keeping the hilltop to your left, you come to the red-and-white marks on the rock in front of you.
MONTECECERI ————-BORGUNTO
MAIANO
This time take lefthand path to Montececeri another quarry on the right and at the first Y-junction take a few steps forward, then to the left along a short path for a striking view from the top of the quarry face over to the distant hills and down to the valleys.
Retrace your steps and follow this path with the red-and-white marks and after 10 minutes there is an uphill stretch along a wooden handrail and stone steps. The path spirals round to the left until you reach Piazzale Leonardo. A few benches and tables are available for rest and picnics.
The board shows its story.
This place is dedicated to the memory of Leonardo da Vinci’s
first human flight experiment.
An area of strategic position during WORLD WAR II
The translation of stone column reads:
The great bird will rise to its first flight over the summit of Ceceri, filling the universe will awe and filling with its fame all writings and with eternal glory the nest where it was born.
In Leonardo’s own words we read.
“The aforesaid bird, aided by the wind, shall rise to a great height; and in this will be its safety. Should any act of overturning intervene, it will thus have time to regain its equilibrium, when its limbs are of great resistance so that it may withstand the fury and impetus of a descent with the aforesaid precautions and its strongly mounted joints and its nerves of strong raw silk; and with no interference of iron parts, as soon these will break under pressure, or will be subject to wear, and therefore we should not employ them.
Be reminded that the bird shall not imitate any other than the bat, as the membrane affords a structure, that is a connection for the structure, the mainstays of the wings.
Should you imitate the wings of feathered birds, they are of stronger bone and nerve to be perforated; that is the feathers are disunited and so let air pass through.
But the bat is helped by the membrane, which ties all together and is not perforated.
Leaving the Piazzale, take the wide path along the garden wall on the left which leads downhill for a few minutes to a mapboard, where you turn left. Pass the road barrier and soon a small open area of hard ground comes into view on your right with a quaint little church on the corner. This is Piazza dei Pini and the parish church of Borgunto, seated like a seer in the midst of heathendom, which like so many woodland churches, may have been built on the very spot set apart for sacred and solemn rites in honour of some ancient pagan god of the soil.
Facing the church, look to the wall on your left which is marked
CAI-FIRENZE-ITIN-1
Settignano
Compiobbi
SENTIERO DEGLI DEI
This is Via Peramonda, perhaps anciently a military road or a trade route. After a few strides along this road you will see the entrance to a Fiesole Camping Site on your left. Proceed downhill now. A keen eye can enjoy the views over the hills with their large farmsteads and elegant villas which beckon us to discover them.
Turn right when you come to the main road about 20 minutes later. Walk on for 200m to the bus area on the right, which is little more than a clearing at the roadside. Turn down into the wood from the top side of this area and follow the path running parallel to the main road to the left above it. This path through the wood will soon meet a narrow road at a T-junction where you must turn right. Now walk straight on. Do not turn right after a few paces towards a barrier across the track.
Look carefully for the CAI signs on the tree as you enter this rough stony way, suitable for cart-wheels and the cloven hoof. Walk on, there are tall rushes on the right, until you come to a once admirable, yet still dominating, wayside shrine up on the wall to your left. One of the thousand tumbling wayside shrines in Tuscany, worthy of a scholar’s quotation or an artist’s affection. The face of a young cherubim looks down with mock humility as if offering a prayer for burdened wayfarers with a long road behind, and nowhere to go.
In those days gone by a place of worship, rest and refreshment; a meeting point for trivia where you can still meet a farmer with a loaf of bread under his arm, an onion in his hand, and the neck of a small wine bottle peeping out of his pocket.
Walk past a forlorn-looking farmstead further along the road, down along the cart-track through an olive grove. These tracks can become muddy after some rain and are better suited for cartwheels and the cloven hoof. Until a few years ago one could meet beasts of burden tramping along here, and those great white oxen, slow, swaying bodies, already worshipped two thousand years ago as the incarnation of the earth-gods:
And to those also, O Lord, the humble beasts, who with us bear the burden and heat of the day, and offer their guileless lives for the well-being of their countries, we supplicate Thy great tenderness of heart.
When you get to the end of this first stretch, head towards the wood. Don’t take the right-hand turn downhill.
The walk through the wood is brief. In the morning a dew-laden spider’s web lays itself across your face and a keen eye can find regurgitated owl pellets of slimy fur and half-digested bone. at the end the path comes to another old, crestfallen farmhouse with a yard and out-buildings. Walk round it, down between rugged dry walls and along a track covered with Summer dust waiting for September winds to make a sally and bare its humps again. After 10 minutes it leads uphill and on to a narrow asphalt road.
Turn right, downhill to the roadside church of San Lorenzo. Across the valley are the quarries of Maiano where Walkway One passes.
A few minutes down the road is the eye-catching Castle of Vincigliata. On the high outer walls are stone tablets commemorating the sojourn of names such as Queen Elizabeth and Beatrice, Battenberg, Hohenlohe and Hohenzollern and the Duchess of Russia.
At the first sweeping bend after the castle, take the track on the left through the olive groves. There is comfort and security in long, straight paths. Life flows smoothly on. But the Genius Loci appears from behind sudden dips and bends and lives under the uncontaminated blank spaces on the wayfarers map.
Walk slightly uphill to the large renovated building on the right with its chapel standing on the ground opposite. The view from here over the olive groves and cypress trees towards Florence in the background must surely be one of the deepest emotional admiration.
Not far along the track we come to a house on the corner of a junction. This is Casa al Vento. Look for the large cypress tree on the right. Walk round the house and take the rough stony road to the left. Do not be tempted to take the path to the left before the house (Trail 2) or the track from the house leading straight on past the small ruin in the field on the left. Walk slowly downhill. This path is rough and dusty in dry weather, and slippery after rain. There are olive trees on the right, cypresses up to the left, and further up heather taller than a man and plants showing a struggle to survive. After 20 minutes you come to Via del Fossataccio. On the left is a house with a shrine up on the wall. The inscription reads
MONSTRA TE ESSE MATREM.
Note the marks on the wall to the right. Walk straight forward along Via Desiderio da Settignano, past the cemetery on the right, uphill a little between the first houses of the town to the junction with Via S. Romano. Turn right and proceed down to the Piazza. Look at the curious façade of the Società Corale, a building on the right just after the very narrow part of the street.
…even I feel in me to have suckled in with milk the love for sculpture in Settignano where I was raised, and where part of the inhabitants are sculptors… Michelangelo.
Bus number 10 from the piazza takes thirty minutes back down to Florence.
Elisabetta
http://www.newitineraries.it
Elisabetta
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-tips-articles/tuscan-wanderways-walking-in-and-around-florence-108103.html
Sunday Morning Video Announcements for July 11th at Life Christian Church in St. Louis, MO
Duration : 0:1:35
by Christian Schoyen, leading U.S. job expert, life architect, and author – ASecondLife.com
Everyone knows that the first step to securing a job is a compelling and convincing resume. But most people don’t know that the next step, the job interview, is so important that if you make a handful of common mistakes, you’ll blow your chances and walk away empty-handed.
The Problem: You’ve got the right education, experience, and references, all presented on a well-put together resume. It’s getting you job interviews, but no job offers.
The harsh truth: A good resume gets your foot in the door, but the right qualifications (background and experience) are only the first step toward getting the job. A potential employer wants to know what it would be like to have you around the office every day-your personality and attitude. That comes through in your job interview.
The Solution: Being prepared to properly answer the questions you’ll be asked greatly increases your chances for success. Knowing what recruiters and potential employers are looking for and how they think gives you a distinct advantage.
The Job Interview Secrets No One Tells You
As the founder of a successful global headhunting firm serving Fortune 500 companies for over twelve years, and author of the books: A Second Life, God is giving you a second chance, and Secrets of the Executive Search Experts, well as self help books on “how to get the job,” I have coached thousands of people who have gotten the jobs they wanted. Some of the secrets I shared with them:
Don’t talk yourself out of the job!
When a prospective employer invites you to a job interview, it means your skills meet their requirements and your chances of getting the job are great. The rest is really up to you. Nine out of ten people can shift the outcome of an interview toward acceptance, rather than rejection, if they know what to do-and not do.
- Learn the questions and answers before the interview.
Before an interview, practice giving the right answers to the questions you may be asked-which are usually very universal. The potential employer wants to get to know you better; have you elaborate on your skill set; and figure out if you are a high flyer, go-getter, just a “warm body” who will make no additional contribution outside of minimal expectations-or worse than that, a flat-liner who will actually drag down their company.
- Stay on point.
If a conversation appears casual, don’t be tricked into thinking you don’t need to stay on point and cover key information. Many job seekers are thrown off-balance when a potential employer asks about a hobby, non-work related activity or common interest in the middle of an interview. Answer briefly, but then get back to the real topic at hand: the work done by the company and how you can make a valuable contribution. The reality is: this interview is your only chance to get this job. So don’t close your one window of opportunity by screwing up the conversation.
- How to tell them about yourself.
Every company considers it a great test to see how effectively a job candidate communicates. Practice the format and structure of possible job interview situations-meaning how to get to the point and sell yourself convincingly and engagingly.
Don’t make the mistake of taking only five minutes to tell a prospective employer about yourself. The interviewer will wonder what kind of life you have if you can describe it in such a short amount of time. Don’t focus completely on your skill set and say nothing about yourself as a person, or you’ll lose your potential new employer before you’re halfway through.
Questions most commonly asked during a job interview.
Here are the eight universal questions usually asked during a job interview, followed by how to effectively answer them:
1. Please tell me/us about yourself.
Answering Question #1: Focus on hard facts that the employer needs to know. First of all, convince them that you can do the job you’re interviewing for. Talk about specific relevant job experiences in your background. Companies prefer, for the most part, to hire people who have successfully done the same job, or something similar, elsewhere. If our work experience matches up with what the potential employer needs to have done, then the risk factor that you’ll screw up is very limited.
But before hitting the hard facts, share information about yourself as a person. Everyone likes people who start out by saying where they are originally from and a little about their personal situation. Then go on to where you went to school and run through your work history. Big time gaps in work history are not good; neither is jumping from job to job if you don’t have a good explanation for why.
2. What do you do outside of work, or what non-work related interests do you have?
Answering Question #2: Companies ask a job candidate this question because most really do want to hire stable people with good, balanced lives.
Incorrect answers are: “I like to hang out at the bars,” or “I have no interests except for watching television.” Nobody wants to hire a bar hopper or someone who spends all of their spare time glued to the television. On the other hand, having too many outside interests can give the impression that they are likely to affect the quality of your work in a very negative way. I have seen numerous occasions where people say that maintaining their social life with friends is important to them-meaning their weekly outings with friends will always be more important than deadlines at work. A negative impression can also be given when people say they engage in a lot of sports activities, either as a participant or a fan, because it can mean that adjusting their schedule to attend or view a sporting event can interfere with or be more important than any activity at the company.
For the correct answers, the key is to show there is balance in your life. Safe activities to talk about are: going to the gym, spending quality time with family, and going to church, the movies, or the theater, etc. Having a unique interest, such as astronomy or something else mainstream (meaning not bizarre), will always be a positive. And because most companies want employees who have stable lives, being married or having a boyfriend/girlfriend is a great plus.
3. What are your strong points and your weak points?
Answering Question #3: Many job candidates are very comfortable talking about their strong sides, but have difficulty stating weak points. Being unable to do so gives the impression that you are not good at assessing yourself-when you may hesitate because you’re afraid you might not get the job. The truth is, everyone has flaws. As a recruiter I don’t mind flaws as long as they don’t affect the person’s ability to do a good job.
If little is revealed, the trick used by many companies is to then ask, “What would your current boss say about your weak points?” And, in most situations, a company that’s considering hiring you will do an extensive reference check and may ask your former bosses this question. Bottom line, by being open you will come across as a person who has nothing to hide-but don’t be so honest it’s ridiculous.
A highly educated young man I considered recruiting a few years ago, nonchalantly answered this question by saying, “I’m lazy. I don’t like to get up early in the morning.” Needless to say, I didn’t refer him for an interview. During over 3,000 recruitments I have conducted as a headhunter, not once has a client said, “Find me a lazy, arrogant job candidate with no drive and initiative.”
Some examples of the best way to answer this question is by saying things such as, “I speak only English and wish I had taken time to learn another language,” or “I can seem too eager because I get so involved in my work,” or “I wish I were better at speaking in front of large groups.” These types of answers convey weaknesses that can be overcome. It’s very important that your weaknesses wouldn’t affect your job performance.
4. Tell me about the previous managers/supervisors that you reported to.
Answering Question #4: N ever talk badly about your superiors or previous superiors (or your coworkers or former coworkers, for that matter). First of all, there’s nothing for you to gain by doing so. Even if you feel your previous superior was totally incompetent, saying so will only backfire by reflecting badly on you. Secondly, it’s a matter of showing respect. And by giving respect to others, you gain respect yourself.
Also, as a warning, I have seen companies and recruiters get so “buddy-buddy” with a job candidate during an interview that he/she drops his/her guard and speaks the total truth about a previous boss, which later in another setting boomerangs at the candidate in a negative way. To be safe, no matter what, just don’t do it.
5. Where do you see yourself in the years to come?
Answering Question #5: This is also a trick question. When you have nothing to say, you come across as having no aspirations whatsoever and if you say too much about big plans, it looks like you’re going to leave the job when a better position or opportunity comes along.
The correct answer is: “My main interest is this job. I want to excel at it and do my very best. That’s my objective and main focus. As far as the future, I would like to believe that I will become better and better at what I do. If this means I will naturally grow into another position with this company, time will tell. But again, my goal is this job and being the best that I can be in this capacity.”
6. What do you know about us?
Answering Question #6: The way you answer this questions indicates whether you are prepared. It’s very important to know as much as possible about the company where you are applying for a job. By being able to tell them what you know, they see that you are serious enough to have done some homework before arriving for your interview. Also, by learning as much as possible about the company, you will be able to ask the right questions and engage in an intelligent conversation about the company during your interview.
The key information to learn is the size of the company, the structure, products, services, history, the market, locations, etc., as well as details of the job you’re applying for. Also know about any important events relating to the company and market it operates in that have been covered in the media. This shows that you follow the news and stay up-to-date on what is going on in the world. Plus, you’ll come across as being very smart and truly interested in the company if you can figure ut what competitors the company has and how the company’s products/services are different (better!) than the rest of market.
7. Why do you think you are a good match for this position?
Answering Question #7: This is your window of opportunity to put all the hard facts on the table, convey the ways in which you are a very good match and why you are so unique. Remember, just saying that you are a hard worker and a very pleasant person is a given. You need to come up with facts about what you can bring to the table that others cannot. By thoughtfully assessing yourself, your skills, and experience while approaching your job search, you will have a specific answer to this question. The things you say that stand out could determine whether you get the job or someone else gets it. So, think of facts related to your skill set, your experience, a network you may have developed, or strong job-related interests that will bear fruit in the near future.
8. What is your current salary?
Answering Question #8: Talking about salary can be challenging. If the new job is for a more prestigious company than your previous employer, and the new job tasks are more challenging, you may believe at the start of the process that the job is more important than the pay. But when a job offer comes through, most people change their minds, often saying something like, “But that’s less than I have been making.” Most companies know this will happen, so they pay close attention to the salary question to make sure they are not wasting time on the wrong candidate.
The reality is that everyone, including the job candidate, knows that when they have made a lot more money in the past and accept a big drop in pay for a new job, they are likely to grab the next position that comes along with higher pay and jump ship. This is understandable when someone has a number of years of experience and a certain lifestyle, expenses, and status quo to maintain.
When asked about salary, the trick is to first get the company to reveal a number. Your best approach is to just say, “If you feel I am a good fit for this company and this position, I am sure we will come to terms,” or “The main thing is whether I fit the requirements of what you are looking for, and if that’s so, I would be very happy to receive an offer from you first, because I am very interested in this opportunity.” (Say this even if you are not.) By saying this you keep the focus on getting the job, while not disqualifying yourself because of salary demands. You can negotiate a salary once you know that you truly have their interest-by getting an offer, not before. If they know that in your current job you earn much more than the new position would pay, that’s a different story. Then you have to decide whether taking a pay cut is worth it to you, because they’re probably not going to meet or exceed your current salary.
When you learn at the start of the job search process that the salary range of a potential new job is below what you currently earn, you need to do some soul searching to decide if you still want the job. Simply ask yourself: Will this job take me further down the road to where I want to be in my career? If so, be prepared to answer their salary question truthfully by saying, “My pay today is ‘X’ amount of dollars and I know what my expenses are. I am not sure what your pay range is for this position, but I want to emphasize that at this point in my life, I seek to learn more and expand my skill set. This is more important to me than anything else, even if it means taking a pay cut.”
On the other hand, if you have no other choice but to accept a salary cut-whether it’s due to a bad economy, the chance that your current job may be eliminated, or because you feel unhappy and unfulfilled in your current job-ask yourself if this may be a chance to go in a better direction in life, where you will be experiencing new values and beliefs that can help you grow and evolve. If you believe this is correct, sincerely say to the hiring company that you are venturing into new territory where you genuinely want to try something new and different, and that the position in question is therefore of great interest to you.
Being honest-with yourself and your potential new employer-is the key here. Turn around and imagine that you are a company that is hiring. You don’t want to go through the entire hiring process and then shortly afterward see your new employee jump ship. Being honest will never backfire on you.
People need to look at the long term and understand that their own best interests should be driven by seeking knowledge and job growth more than immediate gratification, because the payoff down the road will be tremendously higher than just working for the paycheck and the ego. A hunger for more and more money is such a strong driving force that many people even go into fields/jobs/careers that don’t provide them with much fulfillment besides making money. Money is important, in that you should always try to ensure that you are paid market rate. But you should never turn down great opportunities because of greed for a short-term paycheck when the long-term payoff is usually greater when you are driven by a quest for knowledge in areas where your passions can thrive.
A proven system for making your job search more successful is detailed in the life manual, A Second Life, God is giving you a second chance. It contains an extensive chapter with detailed guidance on how to find a job, interview tips, winning the job and creating a job insurance policy once you’ve got the job. It also tells you how to fully develop all five key areas of life, so that if you are struggling in the job market, you won’t feel like the world is going to end. Go to the Web site: ASecondLife.com to download a free book excerpt and articles containing more job/career tips.
Christian Schoyen
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/hired-nowyoure-talking-yourself-out-of-getting-a-job-by-giving-wrong-answers-to-interview-question-1251782.html
Video announcements at New Life Church in Princeton, MN for the 12-6-09 service
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God One and Only (Dutch translation) – live @ City Life Church.
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