How to Become an Economist

An economist can work at the individual and business levels or even with large-scale governments and economies. They study, research, predict, and evaluate business and revenue trends in every industry out there today. They are smart individuals with a natural ability to problem solve and pinpoint meaningful details. They're great with puzzles and quandaries and love finding patterns and trends. If this sounds like you, being an economist could be the career you're looking for.

Part 1 of 3: Getting Qualified

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   Take math, statistics, and economics classes in high school. To make college that much easier, start setting yourself up for success now. Take introductory courses in high school that'll give you a grip on what you'll be immersing yourself into in college. Get familiar with the topics at hand, stay up-to-date on current political and economic events, and start making it plan A for your future.

   • If you don't know much about this area, start reading and watching TV. Freakonomics, The Armchair Economist, and The Naked Economist are all great books that make their material exciting. You should also look at the Economist and the Wall Street Journal for more current information. When it comes to TV, watch a variety of channels to get different economic and political perspectives.
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   Get your bachelor's degree. It's a good idea to major in economics, business management, or a math-related field, like statistics. Dive right into classes like microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics and economic thought and theory. You'll also need classes in marketing, finance, and accounting.

   • Don't forget classes in politics and industry, too. These sectors are closely linked with local and global economies and can help specialize your knowledge and land you jobs in the future.
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   Consider getting a master's degree. Most successful economists have education beyond that of a bachelor's. The job outlook is better the more education you have, too. Though it is possible to get a job in a related field with just an undergraduate degree, consider getting your master's to up your career potential.

   • If you do stop at the bachelor level, you may find work as a research assistant, financial analyst, market research analyst, or similar other positions in business, finance, and consulting.
   • Many choose to get a part-time job in a related field to get work experience and then pursue higher education simultaneously to climb the career ladder as efficiently as possible.
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   Get an internship. Master's (and PhD) candidates often get internships during their time at college, working with a professor or private company assisting with research. This looks great on a resume and can be your foothold into the academic or professional world of economics. Scope out your opportunities during your studies to supplement your education.

   • To get a balance of experience prior to your degree, try to do work in the private sector, with the government, and do research. This will give you a taste of the possible routes in front of you and help you make a decision later.
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   Look into getting your PhD. Again, with more education comes more job opportunities (and higher pay). If you get your PhD, you could teach or work just about anywhere. This takes several years, and includes completing detailed research in a specialty field. It is a research-based degree that focuses on upper level understanding of quantitative analysis.

   • What can you specialize in? Industrial organization, game theory, international economics, income distribution and econometrics are just a few topics grad students choose to pursue individually.
   • Join a professional organization. If you have an advanced degree in a particular area, there is likely a professional organization you can join to meet and network with other fellow economists; two examples are the Association for Social Economics and the National Association for Business Economists.^[1]This can lead to great connections and job opportunities in the future.

Part 2 of 3: Starting Out in Your Career

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   Find a job at a consulting firm or a scientific and technical company. At the beginning, any job will do. Most economists don't start out as full-fledged economists. It'll be easier to land a gig as a financial researcher, an accountant, or as an assistant to an economist. You can then work your way up in the company.

   • If you have the right combination of education and experience, you could also look into working for business, research, or international organizations.
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   Consider teaching part-time. Plenty of economists with higher degrees also teach part-time to supplement their income and keep up-to-date on and participate in research. During the time it takes to work your up the ladder, teaching can be a very convenient gig to keep your passions alive.

   • With a master's degree you can teach in community colleges and in high schools. It'll take a PhD to teach at the university level.
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   Work for the government. Many economists and hopeful economists wind up working for the government. With the plethora of positions they need filled, this isn't exactly surprising. If private sector work doesn't seem for you, consider this as a valid alternative.

   • Most government positions accept those with only bachelor's degrees, but more education will ensure you a higher paid, higher-on-the-totem pole position.
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   Be patient in your climb up the career ladder. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics says the job outlook for economists through 2020 is going to be slower than average.^[2] Government or the private sector may be your best chance for employment.^[3] If you have to start out as an accountant or research assistant, consider it paying your dues. You'll rise to the top eventually.

   • Consider a job in any related business a step in the right direction. Many companies hire from within and with the right qualifications, you could easily become next in line. In this career, it's important to roll with the punches to stay on top of your game.

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   Hone your analytical skills. Economists are constantly collecting and scrutinizing even the tiniest bits of information. You will be a researcher, an analyst, and a forecaster. You will look for trends and patterns and essentially be a problem-solver. It's easy to see that analytical skills are a must-have even to just do your job at a basic level.

   • If you love puzzles, your analytical skills likely come natural to you. If you rock a good Sudoku game and enjoy websites like Lumosity^[4], keep it up. To be a spark in the economics industry, your mind has to be firing on all pistons.
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   Stay current. Economists are constantly looking at past and current trends to predict the future. They are on the frontier of the political climate and are always a step ahead of the curve. To make sure you're on the cusp (and to stay employed), you'll need to stay current with political and international events and trends.

   • Make sure to read local, regional, and international news. Familiarize yourself with future projections made by other economic analysts and follow political trends. You should be constantly reading (whether it's a book or on the Internet) to be able to analyze situations from multiple angles.
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   Work on your social skills, too. Economists are constantly having to convince others of their findings. They're making presentations and giving speeches, forecasting the future, dispelling myths, and finding patterns to help their employer succeed and account for tomorrow. You need to be able to pinpoint relevant information in addition to relaying it to different types of people.

   • Many economists find themselves in slightly different fields, like writing a column about their knowledge, doing TV specials, or giving seminars. Because of the wide array of options that can spider out from this career, it's best to as well-balanced as possible.
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   Dive into your critical-thinking abilities. Every day you're going to be confronted with complex problems and need to use higher level reasoning and logic. You'll need to take the data in front of you and think about it outside of the box, how it applies to different situations, and what it means for the future.

   • Every detail matters and can change your thinking. You'll need to be nit-picky and focused to be accurate. It will require diligence and a meticulousness not seen in many other careers. It's hard work, but it can be very rewarding.

   Source: http://www.wikihow.com

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4 tricks for answering unexpected interview questions

Seemingly out of nowhere, strange interview questions like, "If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?" or "Tell me about your most awkward moment," have become surprisingly popular with hiring managers. As if the interview process wasn't stressful enough.

So, what can you do when an interviewer wants to hear about your most creative Halloween costume? Here's a four-step plan to help you avoid that deer in the headlights look.

1. Smile!

About that whole avoiding the deer in headlights look thing — smiling helps a lot. For most of these weird questions, the point is to create an opportunity for the interviewer to observe the way you handle the unexpected, think on your feet, and react or respond. Your reaction, ideally, should show how unfazed you are.

For Neil Blumenthal, Co-CEO of Warby Parker, questions like this are a way of checking for cultural fit with the company. Take yourself too seriously and you may risk coming across as a poor fit. So, smile — it lets your interviewer know that you're ready and willing to take on this unusual challenge.

2. Buy time if necessary

Of course, just because you're ready and willing, doesn't mean you actually have a response right this second. If you need to buy time, questions like this absolutely warrant time-buying comments like:

• "That's a great question! Let me think about that."
• "Wow. I've never been asked that before! You'll have to give me a second."
• "Huh, and I thought I'd be ready for anything. Let's see…"

3. Answer enthusiastically

Since these questions almost never have a "right" answer, the key to responding well is mostly about answering enthusiastically and coherently — not what the content of your answer is. If being funny comes naturally to you, this is a great outlet to use some SFW humor. (If it doesn't, now's probably not a good time to start working on it.) Once you've shown that you're game and excited to tackle new problems, you've won half the battle.

Then, just don't dismantle the impression you've been working on in the rest of the interview. Hopefully, you'll have had a moment to think. Don't get too wrapped up trying to think of something particularly insightful or inspired. Respond carefully, smile, and move on.

4. Ask a follow up question

Finally, have a conversation about it! A great way to wrap up your response is to ask your interviewer how others or even how the interviewer answered this question or what are the best responses he or she has ever heard. It's an entertaining way to demonstrate your interest in the company culture.

Rather than treating unexpected questions like, "Tell me a joke," as some annoyance, consider them an excellent opportunity to show off your quick wit and have fun. Your interviewer clearly is.

Source: http://mashable.com

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How to Be Stylish

Part 1 of 3: Picking Clothes

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   Wear clothes that flatter your shape. The first thing to do to look effortlessly stylish is to make sure that you’re wearing clothes that are good for your body type. Since effortless style is supposed to be subtle, you’ll need your clothes fitting well in order to get the elegant, expensive look from your clothing. You want clothes that make you look thinner and the perfect height, with everything in proportion.
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   Stick to classic cuts. Effortless style is mainly based around classic looks. Dressing for the trends just shows that you put way too much thought into that outfit and that you’ve been following fashion news like a broker watching stocks. Choose classic styles in classic cuts for a more effortless look that looks good for years.

   • This means women should beware of floor length casual dresses in favor of knee-length, for example, while men should shy away from skinny-legged suit trousers in favor of something more loose-fitting.
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   Choose muted, neutral colors and bold accents. What colors are popular and what colors are considered absolutely hideous is very dependent on time and place. Just look at your mom’s clothes from the 1970s, for example. In order to look effortlessly stylish, you’re going to want a more timeless look, which means sticking to more muted and neutral colors. This can, however, be broken up with bold accent colors, especially on accessories.

   • Muted colors include tan, black, white, denim/navy blue, and gray.
   • Good accent colors include most shades of red, many shades of blue, plum/eggplant purple, golden yellow (like rubber ducks or tulips), and emerald green.
   • Be careful of certain colors. Be wary of other greens and yellows, and generally avoid oranges, as these colors are very prone to going in and out of fashion.
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   Avoid busy prints and textures. Busy prints and textures (like fuzzy/fluffy/feathered fabric) can quickly make an outfit look dated and unstylish, as these tend to be in fashion only for a season or a year at most. Next year it will be another pattern, so why bother? Look effortlessly stylish by keeping your clothes in style across decades, not months.
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   Buy strategically. To look really stylish, you want your clothes to look expensive. Now, you can make cheap clothes look expensive but investing in some actually expensive items might not be the worst idea. A few choice pieces of hard-to-fake luxury items, such as a nice sweater or wool coat, can really take your wardrobe up a notch. Having a limited number of nicer items is preferable to having a large number of very cheap-looking items.
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   Create an interchangeable collection. If you really want to put the effortless into effortless style, you’ll want a wardrobe where nearly all of the pieces match with each other. This will let you get dressed based on comfort, style preference, or weather conditions, instead of being limited by color or style combinations.

   • Use a single clothing style (vintage, modern, etc.) and the use a single color palette (this should be helped if you followed our advice to use muted colors with limited bold accents).
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   Take care of your clothes. Looking stylish means your clothes are going to have to look well maintained. No stains, no holes, no loose threads, no wrinkles. If you want your clothes to look maintained, then the best way to do that is to maintain them! Keep your clothes clean, fold and store them correctly, and do other basic maintenance as the needs arise.
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   Get items tailored. What you probably don’t realize about models and famous people is that part of the reason they look so stylish is because their clothes fit their body perfectly. And how do you get clothes to fit perfectly? Get a tailor of course! Find a reliable tailor in your area to alter your clothes perfectly for your body. Even some department stores will do this for you.

   • It’s not as expensive as it sounds. Tailoring a shirt often costs as little as $10-20, pants around $30.
   • It may seem like a silly added expense, but tailor a nice clothes once and keep them maintained and you’ll look amazing for the next ten years. It’s an investment.

Part 2 of 3: Dressing

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   Keep it simple. Effortless style is all about looking like you (duh) put in no effort, so keep your outfits simple. Use a limited number of clothing and accessory pieces. This is especially important when it comes to accessories.

   • For example, don’t wear a scarf and bangles and big earrings and a hat. Try to limit yourself to two noticeable/accent accessories.
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   Choose an outfit appropriate for the occasion. You’ll want to be wearing clothes that look stylish but are not too much for the occasion. Over-dressing is a sure sign that you put way too much thought and effort into how you’re dressed. Don’t wear a fancy dress for grocery shopping, and don’t wear a long gown when a cocktail dress will do, for example.
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   Emphasize the accessories. Since your clothes themselves should generally be in muted, neutral colors, you’ll want to make your accessories your accent pieces. These should draw the attention and look extra cool. It is easier to have accessories that conform to the latest fashions and trends, so don’t worry about that as much (in this area, it’s usually okay).

   • For example, you could pair a floppy hat and patterned fashion scarf with a brown jacket, blue tee, white skinny jeans, and brown boots.
   • Another example would be to wear a black dress and pair it with red earrings and a bracelet.
   • Just make sure you keep your color palette across the whole outfit. Accent accessories colors should generally be the same or compliment each other.
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   Don’t neglect the hair. You’ll want your hair to be stylish too. Keep it in a simple style or carefully created “tousled” look, but make sure that you are in fact creating the look. Your hair should look nice, even if it doesn’t look like you spent an hour getting it just right.

   • Avoid products to achieve a more natural look associated with effortless style. This means no gel or hairspray!
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   Use minimal makeup. Women should avoid using very noticeable makeup. Keep the colors natural, ladies, and get as close as you can to looking like you don’t have makeup on at all. You want to, of course, emphasize your best features and hide certain flaws but don’t go overboard.

   • Lips are an area of exception, as these can be a great way to add a little extra bang to an outfit by introducing bright colors, like a classic red.
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   Keep lines and texture to a minimum. Mixing patterns well is incredibly difficult and will make you look more chaotic and less elegant. It’s okay to have one item in your outfit have a pattern or texture, but keep it limited to one.
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   Avoid bulk. Keep layers to a minimum and avoid chunky items or other items that add a lot of bulk. These will make you appear chubbier and less streamlined and stylish. Oversized sweaters have a time and place, but tend to go in and out of fashion to a certain extent, so be careful.

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   Don’t neglect scent. While it may not be visually apparent, scent can go a long way towards developing how people perceive you. Smell nice by keeping yourself and your clothes clean, but also consider adding a perfume or cologne to your fashion line-up. Avoid young scents like fruity smells in favor of something more mature for a really classy touch.
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   Have a signature style. Keep your clothes in a theme in order give yourself a signature style. This is a look that people will associate with you and will make you seem more stylish, even if they don’t necessarily like your clothes.
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   Fit your look to you. The look you create for yourself should generally match who you are as a person. For example, a really sweet woman taking on a catty look will seem weird and out of place, the same as a serious businessman dressing in gangsta style. Tailor your clothes to fit your personality and people will be much more inclined to see it as your style.
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   Be confident. Do you ever feel like some models could wear a brown paper sack and still walk down a runway looking like the height of fashion? Do you know a guy who wears a tracksuit and still somehow manages to look totally fashionable? What the fashion industry doesn’t want you to know is that a lot of looking stylish really comes down to projecting confidence. You don’t have to actually be confident, of course, but if you walk down the street in clothes that you clearly think you look great in, people will usually be inclined to agree that (at a minimum) those clothes are perfect for you.
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   Act like you don’t care. The effortless part of the stylish look should of course be presented by giving off an air that you don’t care, or that you just threw on the first outfit you could find. Be humble or indifferent when people compliment your clothes.
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   Walk gracefully. In order to look stylish, you’re also going to want to look elegant and coordinated. This means not falling down if you’re wearing heels, ladies! Being graceful should be easier for guys, but is still important so don’t neglect it.
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   Look comfortable, even when you’re not. Even if you’re wearing 4” stilettos, you need to look like it’s all perfectly natural and you’re perfectly comfortable. Don’t complain and constantly readjust your clothes. If that style isn’t working out for you, if you can’t seem casual in it, then try something that’s actually more comfortable. You can be comfortable and stylish.
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   Relax. Again, effortless style is all about looking awesome while also looking like you didn’t try at all. Effortless, right? So relax. Take a generally chill attitude to everything in life. Always stay calm and happy, and you’ll look much better, no matter what you’re wearing.

Source:http://www.wikihow.com/

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How to Clean Your Car Headlights

It doesn't matter how fast your car is, you can only drive as fast as you can see down the road ahead of you. When the plastic lenses on your headlights get hazy and oxidized, they disperse the light and reduce your visibility. Here’s how to clean them.

Step 1:

Do one headlight at a time. Start by washing the lens and surrounding area completely using dish detergent. Normally you'd avoid harsh detergent because it strips your car’s wax and dries out the paint, but that's what you need in this case. Rinse and allow to dry completely.

(Debbie Williams/Demand Media)

Step 2:

Apply painter's tape to the car's body around the headlight, making sure to cover the rubber seal around the headlight (if there is one). Apply more tape for a wider margin of safety. Use a rubber spatula to press the tape down and work it into the crevices around the light. Use a razor to trim away excess tape where the rubber seal meets the lens.

(Debbie Williams/Demand Media)

Step 3:

Wrap a strip of 500-grit sandpaper around a foam sanding block or large sponge. The foam helps distribute pressure on the sandpaper so you don’t leave deep gouges in the lens.

(Debbie Williams/Demand Media)

Step 4:

Press the sandpaper-wrapped block to the headlight lens, and start sanding the lens in a back-and-forth motion. Every 10 seconds or so, switch the direction of sanding. This straight-line, alternating-stroke method avoids putting circular swirls in the plastic, which will show in the finished product.

(Debbie Williams/Demand Media)

Step 5:

Keep sanding until the surface is uniformly frosty and completely opaque. Keep sanding until it feels as silky smooth as sanded pinewood.

(Debbie Williams/Demand Media)

Step 6:

Wipe the headlight down with a microfiber cloth to check your work. Be sure you adequately sanded edges and corners. When you're satisfied, rinse the headlight with clean water.

(Debbie Williams/Demand Media)

Step 7:

Fill a gallon pitcher with water. Add dish detergent and drop in a few pieces of 1000- and 2000-grit sandpaper to soak.

(Debbie Williams/Demand Media)

Step 8:

Fill a spray bottle with soapy water from the pitcher and heavily mist your headlight. Wrap the foam block 1000-grit sandpaper and sand the headlight just as you did with the 500-grit. Keeping the spray bottle in your other hand, give the lens a fresh spray every time you change sanding directions. Keep it wet and slippery.

(Debbie Williams/Demand Media)

Step 9:

Sand until the paper slides smoothly over the headlight lens and you can't feel any rough spots. Rinse and dry the lens, preferably with compressed air. Look at the lens from an angle. If you see irregularities, re-wet the lens and keep sanding with a fresh piece of wet sandpaper.

(Debbie Williams/Demand Media)

Step 10:

Wash, rinse, and repeat with 2000-grit paper. Rinse and dry the lens completely when you're finished. The lens should be almost uniformly clear (with some slight hazing).

(Debbie Williams/Demand Media)

Step 11:

Fold a microfiber polishing rag into quarters. If you're using liquid headlight polish, run a thick line of polish along the top of the headlight. If you're using a paste-type plastic polish, load your rag up with about an ounce and smear it all over the lens.

(Debbie Williams/Demand Media)

Step 12:

Work the polish all over the lens until it’s covered uniformly, then add a bit more polish to your rag. Polish the lens with medium pressure, using the same method you used while sanding. Make complete passes over the lens, polishing in one direction; then flip the rag over to a cleaner side for another pass. The longer you polish, the better the result will be. Keep going until the surface feels completely smooth and uniform. Note: This will take much longer than you expect it to.

(Debbie Williams/Demand Media)

Step 13:

Wash the headlight with detergent water, rinse thoroughly, and allow to dry completely. Wipe the lens down with rubbing alcohol and a clean, lint-free towel. Spray with lens sealer and wipe it with a lint-free towel as directed by the sealer packaging.

(Debbie Williams/Demand Media)

Step 14:

Step back to admire your work. With the lens completely clear and smooth, and the sealer filling in any minor imperfections to form a perfect, glass-like sheen, your headlight should glitter, jewel-like, in the sun. Now repeat all of these steps on the other headlight.

Source: http://www.ehow.com

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