Were you a victim of bullies when you were in school? If you thought that all the aggravation and harassment would end after graduation, you were wrong. The truth of the matter is that bullying can still go on right into adulthood. Have you encountered bullies in your office? It’s important to equip yourself with knowledge on how to deal with them. The first step in dealing with bullies is to recognize what or who is the bully. First, you must determine whether or not an act is considered bullying. Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes; would you behave that way? If you answered ‘no’ then you might have a bully on your hands. If you still don’t know what a bully is, here are some tips to spot a one: Easily gets too close and personal with you in order to find out your fears and weaknesses Will try to isolate you from other workmates Usually roars at you with insults or will try to humiliate you (might use comedy as a guise) Does not act accordingly inside the … [Read more...] about 6 Steps to Deal With the Office Bully
Career Advice Blog
Do You Have the “Soft Skills” Needed for Business?
Is it me or are a lot of people in the biz world talking about “soft skills?” I just saw another article about it today. Business schools are now teaching these along with the “hard skills,” like accounting, that they have traditionally taught. So what are they and why are they important?Soft SkillsMy understanding is that soft skills are focused on the relationship side of business. Don’t be scared, I’m not going to go all touchy-feely, therapist-y on you. Though I admit, I did see the words “sensitive” and “feedback” used to describe soft skills which can conjure up an Oprah moment if you’re not careful.A job interview which I described in this post, "Extreme Job-Hunting Part II" had a bit too much of the soft stuff. It was a marketing position, but the job was at a psychiatric hospital. Therapists were interviewing me. Let’s just say that the soft skills overshadowed any rational discussion of what the job … [Read more...] about Do You Have the “Soft Skills” Needed for Business?
5 Reasons To Choose Welding As A Career…Seriously!
Welding is a fantastic career for the ambitious, patient and steady handed amongst us. While it can be noisy, uncomfortable and even sometimes dangerous, welding as a career is also challenging, fun and rewarding. With all sorts of skills involved, from welding itself to profile cutting and plasma cutting, there’s a host of interesting and valuable skills to be learnt as part of a career in welding. Demand Recent years have seen a vast increase in the demand for skilled welders. Because of this it is not only easy and very cost-effective to learn the required skills but it is also incredibly easy to find suitable and well paid work – an invaluable attribute in today’s economy. Flexibility The demand and general nature of a career in welding means that it is a very flexible vocation to uptake. This means the profession is highly suited to those with a love of travel, and people with few ties who are able to move where the money and the work is. With this in mind, for those who … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons To Choose Welding As A Career…Seriously!
3 Steps to Finding Bliss in the Workplace
Slaving away day after day, anxiously waiting for happy hour and the weekend, and feeling unchallenged and limited? If you find yourself complaining about any of these things—it’s time for a change. The average American spends 8.7 hours of the day in the workplace, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Instead of spending those hours counting down to 5:00 PM, it’s up to you to assess your problems with your work and make decisions based around your workplace happiness. Step 1: The first step is to think about and realize whether or not you are happy at work. Development of job happiness assessments at CareerBliss, such as the BlissFinder, is led by Brad Brummel, Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Based on his research, we found that job attitude can be evaluated based on 10 facets of happiness... • The Person You Work For— the relationship you have with your boss • The People You Work With—the … [Read more...] about 3 Steps to Finding Bliss in the Workplace
sitting kills! fitbit gets you active at work
I recently received the fitBit, a glorified pedometer that wirelessly sends your workout data to the Web, as a birthday present. As a data hound and someone who cares about being active, I have decided that this micro gadget is a must-have for your career toolbox. The sedentary lifestyle that many office workers lead is a recipe for trouble -- even leading to an early death. I'm often amazed to see how corporate life can beat the exercise libido out of anyone, even a wannabe Jack LaLanne. The fitbit can help you hold yourself accountable, pushing you to be more active while on the clock. And I can’t stress enough how important it is to be somewhat physically active at work – even if you are a desk slave. Sit too long and you could be digging an early grave. The fitbit is so easy to use, that it will satisfy the technogeeks and technophobes alike. Upon activation, enter your age, height, and weight on fitbit.com. Wear the device day and … [Read more...] about sitting kills! fitbit gets you active at work
16 Signs Quitting Your Job Is the Right Move
Thinking of quitting your job? Tell me if this sounds familiar. It's 7 p.m. on a Sunday night. You just finished dinner and are starting to settle down for the evening. Normally, this would be a relaxing time. Maybe you take the time to reflect on the past week, or perhaps plan your ambitious goals for the coming days. But this night is somehow different. You suddenly become filled with a certain something. It’s a malaise that doesn’t let you do much more than click the remote control. You can't exactly put your finger on what it is. Let’s call it the Sunday Night Blues. Rather than relax, you actually begin to get worked up, even annoyed. It comes in waves. Then you realize you are grinding your teeth, dreading the predictability of tomorrow’s work day. It might be time to look for a new job. At some point, all of us will reach this crossroads. Maybe you're there now. If you check off more than three items from the list below, it’s likely time to seriously consider quitting your … [Read more...] about 16 Signs Quitting Your Job Is the Right Move
Scared To Leave Your Job: Anxiety or Excitement?
Are you feeling stuck in your current job and are too afraid to quit your job? I think it’s a fairly common mindset. The quote, “The evil that we know is best” sums it up. But is it anxiety or anticipatory excitement you feel when you think about leaving your job? How Do You Tell the Difference? It’s normal to be fearful of the unknown. We are creatures of habit who don’t usually willingly embrace change. But let’s say that you are already in the process of actively job seeking. You’ve had a couple promising interviews. Then you get an actual offer and maybe a little panic sets in, possibly kicking up all the self-doubt that lurks just below the surface. But then feelings of excitement start. Here’s how it might go: “Oh, no, I can’t possibly do that job!” “It would be so great to get out of here, though!” “The new job would figure out that I haven’t a clue what I’m doing.” “But they like me!” “I could do this!” To me, that just reflects anticipatory excitement, … [Read more...] about Scared To Leave Your Job: Anxiety or Excitement?
Do You Have What It Takes to Work From Home?
Are you interested in starting your own home business or working for yourself? Perhaps you don’t feel like you what it takes in you. Even if you were not naturally geared with good work characteristics, or if they have been beaten out of you by the 9-5 work system, then don’t feel left out! Hundreds of successful entrepreneurs were once just like you: Busy, exhausted, uninspired workers who dumped the regular way of things and took out on their own. Below you’ll find six of the business “B’s” and how you can incorporate them into your life so you can start working for yourself. Be Passionate Passion is the most important thing you need when you start out on your business venture. Be passionate about making money, be passionate about being your own boss, be passionate about taking off on your own, and, best of all, be passionate about the job you are going to do. While you’ve probably spent your entire life simply being satisfied with your work, you now need to become excited and … [Read more...] about Do You Have What It Takes to Work From Home?
Dressing Up to Work at Home. Am I Nuts?
Sounds trivial doesn’t it, the idea of thinking about your clothing when you freelance from the comfort of your own home? But you’d be surprised how many freelancers put on a suit and jacket to head to their home office. I’m afraid I’m one of them. I draw the line at a tie, but putting on that shirt and jacket is just one of the tricks I use to keep myself and my brain in line to make sure that I’m in work mode for the day. Experienced contractors and freelancers all have tricks of the trade to maintain their freelance work discipline. For me, after I’ve walked the dog and fed the baby I’ve learned that before I head over to my office at the end of the garden I need to put on a shirt and jacket. It sounds stupid, but when I first got started I used to get easily distracted and was far too laid back in my approach to finding work. As a consequence I wasn’t actively chasing down as many contracts as I should have been. Instead I would sit in my shorts and watch the latest episode of … [Read more...] about Dressing Up to Work at Home. Am I Nuts?
5 Back-Up Plans if Your Lose Your Job
One of the scariest things about going to work is realizing that any day could be your last day. Sometimes people get fired for no reason but more recently people have been on edge because their companies may have taken a hit or because the recession has caused a lapse in revenue. There are two types of people out there and the ways that they react. You have the people who gossip and whine or just sit back and wait for it to happen and you have the people who create a safety net and back up plan. Those people are the ones who feel more confident because they not only have something to fall back on if they do lose their job, but they also have extra income coming in so that they can save money in case the worst happens. Here are 5 back-up plans that you can begin to implement if you are worried that you may be losing your job soon. 1. Turn Hobbies and Crafting Into Income. If you like to make jewelry or enjoy turning bottles into dolls for kids, why not use that creativity and … [Read more...] about 5 Back-Up Plans if Your Lose Your Job