CFOs must understand the big picture about a business. This includes technology, distribution channels, public relations, and other skills. You need to work with people at all levels of an organization, inside and outside your department.  Because you probably can’t gain all of this experience at one job, you should move around. Once you’ve reached a dead end at your current company, look for new opportunities. Remember to leave your company on good terms. You might end up interviewing for a CFO position after gaining valuable experience elsewhere. Avoid getting pigeonholed in your department. Instead, ask your boss for experience in other departments. For example, you can job shadow someone in a different department so that you understand their operations. In a very large company, you should jump at the opportunity to work in a different office. For example, you might be part of a team that opens an office overseas. By taking this job, you’ll get hands-on experience with contracts, sales, operations, and management. Assess where your experience is thin. For example, you might work as a controller but not have any experience with investors. Bulk up your experience by volunteering to handle investor calls. You might also volunteer to help the sales department create a sales forecast. A controller would have some knowledge in this area, but you’ll also learn more about sales forecasting. When you can’t get experience within your company, you need to look outside and find volunteer opportunities. For example, you can help small businesses get loans or other funding, which gives you fundraising and investor experience.  To gain management experience, join a professional organization and volunteer to chair a committee or run a campaign. Don’t shy away from volunteering outside your company. Remember that you are building a resume to show to a future employer. Don’t assume you’ll rise up the ranks in your current company to become the CFO.

Summary: Move around to get business experience. Ask to job shadow or cross-train. Work for a foreign office. Volunteer to help a different department. Volunteer outside your company.


One of the most common causes of earache is the common cold, and while there is no cure for the cold virus, you can take precautionary steps to avoid contracting it in the first place.  Wash your hands regularly, especially after you've been in public places and before eating. If you don't have access to a sink, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. The cold virus is notoriously resilient and can live for hours on surfaces, so even if you don't see anyone who appears sick, its possible to contract a cold simply from going to the library or the grocery store.  Exercise regularly. People who exercise regularly have healthier immune responses, so their bodies are able to better fight off infection and resist the cold virus.  Eat a vitamin-rich, balanced diet. Eat nutrient-dense, whole foods, focusing on lean proteins, vegetables, and fruits. The phytochemicals in plants like peppers, oranges, and dark leafy greens actually help your body absorb vitamins, so it's best to stick to natural foods for your immune-supporting vitamins. Allergic reactions can cause itching in the ear and earache. These can range from environmental to food-based allergies. Call your doctor to schedule allergy testing, which can include a blood test or a skin-prick test. The test will give you information on what kind of allergens might be responsible for your ear irritation, such as ragweed, pets, or dairy. Ear infections in babies are common but can be reduced or prevented using particular feeding strategies.  Vaccinate your child. One of the common infectious agents for ear infections is part of the routine vaccine series. Try to breastfeed for at least the first 12 months of your baby's life. Breastmilk contains antibodies that have been shown to reduce ear infections, so breastfed babies tend to get earaches less often than formula-fed babies.  If you bottle feed, be sure to hold the baby at a 45 degree angle, and never feed the baby flat on his or her back or laying in his or her crib. Doing so can cause liquid to pool in the inner ear, resulting in an earache. Try to wean the baby from the bottle to a sippy cup between ages 9 and 12 months in order to reduce the rate of ear infections associated with bottles.

Summary: Avoid the cold virus. Get tested for allergies. Prevent ear infections in babies.


. Communicate with others in a way that lets them know your wants and needs while still respecting theirs.  When being assertive, use “I” statements; facts rather than judgments; take ownership of your thoughts and feelings; and make clear, direct requests rather than phrasing them as questions to which people can respond “no.”An example might be to say, “I have noticed that you often leave your dishes in the sink rather than putting them into the dishwasher. When I come home from work/school I get anxious when see them there, and I feel the need to clean the kitchen up before I can start making my own dinner. Let’s come up with a timeframe for doing dishes that we can both live with.”  If assertive communication is new behaviour for you, be prepared for people who know you to be confused by the change. It may be helpful to explain to them that you are trying to change the way that you communicate. Part of being assertive means  setting clear boundaries. The purpose of setting these is to protect yourself and also to give others a clear idea of what you are and are not willing to put up with. An example of setting a boundary might be, with an alcoholic relative, to tell them that you enjoy their company, but you do not like the way that they behave when they are drunk; as a result, if they call you or come over when they are drunk, you will hang up on them or not let them into your house. . Exuding confidence is largely about  body language. When communicating with someone, some key things that you can do to appear confident include maintaining  good posture, making eye contact, and being calm and positive.  When standing, good posture means keeping your shoulders straight, back and relaxed, your abdomen pulled in, your feet hip distance apart, your weight balanced evenly on both feet, and your hands hanging naturally at your sides. In addition, you’ll have a gentle bend to your knees (don’t lock them), and your head will be balanced on your neck, not tilted forward, back, or to the side.  Assertive body language includes facing the person to whom you are speaking; standing or sitting tall; avoiding dismissive gestures such as rolling your eyes or waving your hand as if to wave their response away; staying serious but pleasant; and maintaining a calm and non abrasive tone of voice.  Mirroring the other person can help them feel more comfortable and may create a better environment for communication. To empathize with someone is to understand and share their feelings; to sympathize with them is to feel pity and sorrow for them. Expressing or eliciting sympathetic responses only reinforces victimized thinking.  When you seek or give sympathy, you are seeking/giving pity. You might find that when expressing your problems, you encourage people to feel sorry for you by emphasizing how powerless you are in the situation. You might find that they offer solutions and/or even try to rescue you. The desire to rescue someone usually comes from a good place, but it also tells the person you seek to rescue that you don't believe they can help themselves. A sympathetic response to a complaint might be, "I feel so sorry for you. Have you tried XYZ?"  When you seek or give empathy, you are seeking/giving support. Someone who offers empathy offers understanding without pity. A person who empathizes with you shares in your emotions but believes that you can help yourself. An example of an empathetic response to a complaint might be, "I can imagine how difficult this must be for you. What do you need right now?"  When we act helpless and seek sympathy, we place ourselves in the position of victim and we ask others to be our rescuers. This is unfair both to ourselves and our would-be rescuers. An empathetic approach emphasizes mutual respect and the belief that we care about each other but know that we are capable of taking care of ourselves. If you’re feeling angry, stressed out, anxious, or otherwise upset in some way, take a moment to calm yourself through breathing. Breathe in deeply through your nose, thinking of your breath as inflating your stomach, rather than your chest.
Summary: Be assertive Set clear boundaries.  Exude confidence Know the difference between empathy and sympathy, and avoid sympathy. Breathe.