Werdna Yug

Two job offers in one week, and I'm not even looking. I'm not bragging or gloating. My purpose in sharing this information is to illustrate two critical truths.1) The will of the universe is unpredictable, always delivering the unexpected at random times.2) You should not, under any circumstances, get caught up in Recessionitis.I sit here in awe when I think about the dozens (hundreds) of unanswered resumes I experienced when the economy was thriving. Now, amidst dire economic turmoil, and the fact that I am pleased at my current gig, cosmic forces want to have some fun with me. I can't help but laugh at the sheer irony.So what was the secret to getting two job offers in one week? Nothing! There is no secret! Unless you can read the stars or have a highly-effective Zoltar machine, there's no rhyme or reason to this stuff. Much of it is out of our control, regardless what career 'experts' like to tell us. Your job is to take care of the things you CAN control.Good athletes often talk … [Read more...] about 1 Week. 2 Job Offers. What Recession?

I’m not one of those bosses that has to have all the answers. I like to empower my employees, make them feel intelligent and help them find fulfillment and purpose in their position.Instead, I’m talking about how to handle when your employee has the answers because they are TRAINING you. There are many situations in which this could arise, and it can be a tough pill to swallow.In my case, I am a brand new manager being trained by my employee that has been with the company for...28 years. Not a particularly ideal position to be in for a new manager. At first I simply went with it- I treated her as if she were just an objective trainer.But she is not objective. She is critiquing how quickly I catch on, how I react to her instructions, and how I manage her answers. And the toughest part of the process is somehow maintaining authority throughout the training, because technically, she is presently the expert on the subject matter.I can hear you already, Jobacle readers. … [Read more...] about When Employees Train Managers…

In a recent news story, an astounding 59% of employees that were laid off or fired last year admitted to stealing data from employers. Among the data taken were employee records (35%), financial information (16%), and customer information (39%). And get this: 79% of them admitted that their former employers didn’t allow that sort of information to be taken off-site.   I don’t know about the rest of you, but that sounds pretty crazy. If your employer finds out that you took proprietary information for your own personal gain, then you could have some legal troubles on your hands. In my company, we have fairly tight restrictions on data storage and transfer. While I could probably go in and burn a CD with data on it today, I could not use a flash drive, because the USB ports were all locked down sometime last year.   Whose data is it? This is an interesting question. Basically, anything done on a company computer is property of that company. However, with things like … [Read more...] about Are You a Thief? Nearly 60% of Exiting Employees Are

It seems no occupation is truly safe these days. With major corporations from almost every financial sector reducing their workforce to survive the recession, it’s best to keep your ear to the ground to avoid getting caught off guard. Official budget cuts, business mergers and sharp drops in stocks are all obvious precursors of corporate downsizing, but there are more subtle indications that your job may be in danger. The following clues can send a variety of signals, but in the current economic climate they constitute warning signs that you’re about to be laid off.There are rumors of impending layoffsManagers typically try to hide the decision to cull their workforce for as long as possible so as not to affect employee morale and risk having their better staff members jump ship prematurely. However, secrets can be hard to keep in an office. That’s why it’s important to heed any talk of company downsizing and consider the rumor one of the signs you’re … [Read more...] about 5 Signs That You're About to Get a Pink Slip