Transference doesn't happen only after you've been hired. People often attach excess meaning to interviews and to interviewers themselves. Some people equate interviews with emotions they felt when taking a test in school. Maybe getting a bad grade on a test would have resulted in a scolding from a parent. If you're nervous before going on an interview, stop for a minute and ask yourself what thoughts and concerns you have. If you write them down on paper, there's a good chance you'll see many of concerns are not rational.

Being aware of emotions you have and reasons for them can help you to be both a better employee and a better job candidate. Everyone likes a positive working environment. A work environment where people treat each other with respect and are warm and friendly with each other is great for everyone. But watch out for situations where you attach excess emotional meaning or expectations to a boss or to a group of people. If you subconsciously expect to receive love and unconditional acceptance from people who are not in a position to provide that, it can be detrimental to your career.

Not only can it be damaging in ways mentioned above at time it happens, but it can cause you to look for that same kind of emotional "fix" in future positions. Imagine if you interview with a company wondering if that company and/or that boss would love you as your parents did. Granted, no one thinks this on a conscious level, but even if it is happening subconsciously, it has potential to make you really nervous and be generally distracting.

Taking a serious assessment of your emotional ties to work, bosses and employers can be difficult. But understanding if and how they are influencing you can make you a more powerful individual!

Competing In a Global Economy

You need to make yourself more like Commerce Bank to compete in a global economy. Living in U.S., it is not possible for you to compete on price, just as Commerce Bank does not try to compete on interest rates. Here are a few basic resources you can use:

* Your proximity to your employer and/or clients * Your potential to understand their business * Your understanding of American culture to your advantage.

Sharpening your people skills may be best thing you can do for yourself. Provide kind of "customer service" to your employers that Commerce Bank provides -so they feel like they're truly getting red-carpet treatment.

If you don't have an opportunity to provide outstanding service to customers in job you're in now, your job may be vulnerable to outsourcing. Switching to a different job at a company or in an industry where you have an opportunity to interact with customers in a superior way can help provide some insulation from globalization.