When it comes to work, many of us have the same resolutions. We figured we'd save you the time and type them up for you. If you truly want to get your career on the right track or just have a better attitude towards work, we recommend you start off slow, picking one or two of the items below and building from there.Set a Deadline on "Perfecting" Your ResumeThe longer you wait to send it out, the longer it will take you to land a new job. You need to get it error-free but not at the expense of never finishing it. Resumes are fluid. Do not be afraid to hit the send button.Narrow Down What You Want to DoJust saying that you want a new job is a temporary solution. You must ask yourself the hard questions. You also need to rely on family and friends to give you an unbiased view at what you are good (and not so good) at.Stop Reading This WebsiteOk. I really don't want you to give up your Jobacle addiction but I would like you to take more action and do less research. Trolling 15 career … [Read more...] about We Wrote 13 Career Resolutions for YOU
Archives for 2008
The 7 Best 2008 Posts You Didn't Read
We're celebrating another year in the books here at Jobacle HQ. After a record number of Working Podcast downloads, and growth in virtually every traffic category, we wanted to take a time out and thank our loyal readers and listeners.What I value most are the relationships that have spawned and opportunities that were born. We've made it onto the radar for all of those HotMonsterBuilder sites, thanks to YOU!Jobacle is a labor of love. Even though I was promoted earlier in the year, I continue to find the time to build Jobacle. We plan to continue to dish out contrarian career advice, bring you the latest employment news and review everything Career 2.0. We have BIG plans for 2009, and invite you along for the ride. Subscribe to the blog and the podcast today! We'll be back with fresh posts in a few days. In the meantime, why not check out some of the best posts from 2008.The 6 Most Trafficked Posts of 2008 Employee Goodbye Letters Gone Wild 10 Career Lessons From … [Read more...] about The 7 Best 2008 Posts You Didn't Read
Give Kindness to the Workforce This Season
I did something last Friday night that I've never done before.I answered survey questions from a telemarketer.When the phone initially rang, my instinct told me to ignore it--or worse yet--pick it up and give the caller a piece of my mind.But then something happened: A wave of compassion came over me and I decided to play along. After all, the voice on the other end of the line is only trying to do his job, and who am I to stand in the way of a job well done? Read more of my blog entry at US News & World Report. … [Read more...] about Give Kindness to the Workforce This Season
How to Become an INTRApreneur
Given the spate of highly negative (and justified) press that the financial world has recently received, and that bureaucracies always get, I thought it ironic that I would be assigned to review a new book titled 'Creating the Intrapreneur,' by Victoria DePaul. I mean, hey-we're finally realizing the tremendous damage that uncontrolled entrapreneurs can cause us. We are seeing, in the final analysis, that these thieves, crooks and assorted con men are, once their patina of affluence is stripped away, nothing but common criminals.Worse yet, the subtitle 'the search for leadership excellence,' seemed to be but just another in a (too) long series of books offering advice and counsel on how to become the king or queen of your own proverbial hill. After all, almost all celebrities, politicos, and the like have sought to capitalize on the public quest for more knowledge in what's really quite an illusory area.Yet, this is a book that is not only highly readable, but very thought provoking as … [Read more...] about How to Become an INTRApreneur
Navigate Your Career Like Shopping at Wal-Mart
Before I head out to Wal-Mart or any other large retailers during the holidays, I come up with a game plan. What do I need to purchase from each store? Which store has the best deals for what I need? Do I have enough snacks and caffeine to stop me from snapping at the unaccommodating cashier? It then occurred to me on my last hellish shopping endeavor (as I always have Jobacle on the brain) that I should approach my career in 2009 the same way I navigate through the mall during holidays: with a game plan and some patience. *Just as you might map out the stores you need stop at, map out what goals need to be accomplished and how to accomplish them in 2009. Coincidentally, some of your career goals may actually be achieved easier than finding a parking spot at Best Buy. *No pushing or shoving in the mall, and no pushing and shoving in the workplace- literally and figuratively. Although many businesses operate in a cutthroat environment, it always will benefit you to … [Read more...] about Navigate Your Career Like Shopping at Wal-Mart
Hallway Etiquette: To Nod or Not to Nod?
You pass Susie in the hall, greet her with the typical pleasantries, and move on your way. Not more than 5 minutes later on the way to the copier, you see her again. What do you do? You could always sport the head nod, throw a polite smile her way, or you could go all out and say hello again. This may seem like a silly nuance, but it is certainly a small aggravation of mine at work. The office I manage is located inside a gym and I frequently pass the sales managers and front desk staff multiple times a day. The first hello is a given. However, the second and third times I run into the same people, I start to feel that my greetings are inadequate. Alright, if I’m being honest, they feel unnecessary and more like an obligation. Do I need to start writing down scripts of things to say? I don’t want to have to pull a Michael Scott and write down different jokes to try out. Here are some of the options I try out when I really feel like avoiding the small talk: * Read a paper … [Read more...] about Hallway Etiquette: To Nod or Not to Nod?
Free 2009 Sick Day Calendar
The new year is almost upon us and that means it's time for the Official Sick Day Calendar from your friends at Jobacle. Get your excuses ready now! Remember, only a sucker loses days at the end the year!Official Jobacle.com Sick Day Calendar 2009 (PDF)LISTEN to the Sick Day Podcast: Direct DownloadThis calendar is designed so you can strategically plan your sick days (or vacation time) in order to maximize time away from the office. Here are the 2009 dates...Friday, January 2: You’ve already spent your non-existent bonus. Why not celebrate the end of holiday torture by starting the new year in style? Besides, who in their right mind would show up focused on a Friday after a party?Friday, January 16 & Tuesday, January 20: You have a dream. And it's five straight days away from your boss's ugly mug and Microsoft Outlook. Call in sick on Friday, January 16 and Tuesday, January 20. Winter's in full swing and the "flu" is hard to fight. Make MLK proud!Friday, February 13: … [Read more...] about Free 2009 Sick Day Calendar
Hiring Nirvana With Jobvana?
Hoping to "provide people with the tools they need to be successful" is Jobvana, a new social search service that connects people with personalized services and information.We dig the clever name, but we're undecided about the service.If you've ever wondered what would happen if Craigslist and LinkedIn had a love child, it would probably look something like Jobavana. The site might be trying to be too many things at once. The good news is that registration is free and doesn't require an e-mail confirmation. Your basic profile can be set up in under five minutes.General categories are broken into five sections: professional, skilled trade, creative, instructional, family/domestic. Within each are subcategories. Whether you are looking for work or looking for someone to do work for you, these five areas are your starting point.Jobvana has been set up so that the more complete your profile, and the more active you are on the site, the better your profile page will rank in their search … [Read more...] about Hiring Nirvana With Jobvana?
Holiday Party Checklist: Podcast #83
Holiday party madness is in full swing, as companies aroud America hold their annual end-of-year parties.I'm pretty convinced that not much good comes out of these events. I usually just end up with a sore throat and a bad tatse in my mouth. I never misbehave, but my superiors do. And it scares the crap out of me that these are the people who hold the keys (partially) to my success.The DOs and DON'Ts are running rampant on the Web. Rather than join all of those HotMonsterSimplyBuilder sites with the usual fare, we're dishing out some holiday-party advice that you might not have thought of.Find out why drinking, arriving late and playing grab ass might not be the worst thing in the world as we wind down 2008.Check out Working Podcast episode #83! Direct Download … [Read more...] about Holiday Party Checklist: Podcast #83
Death By Holiday Party
OK. So it wasn't the actual party that killed killed Benjamin David Banky, president of the Vancouver-based Tallgrass Distributors Ltd. It was allegedly a disgruntled former employee.Read more here.We understand that this seemingly premeditated crime could have taken place anywhere at any time, but here's yet another reason why holiday parties are a royal pain. The poor employees at the natural products company went from chips and dip to spending the night at the police station filling out witness statements.Tomorrow we're dropping episode #83 of the Working Podcast which takes a look at those silly holiday party DOs and DON'T lists that every job Web site feels compelled to release.We're guessing showing up with a firarm becuase you're pissed you were let go is a DON'T. … [Read more...] about Death By Holiday Party