When you move away from your city, it’s tough saying goodbye to friends, neighbors and nearby family members. But it’s also difficult to leave your co-workers. After all, you spend as much or more time with them than you do your own family! Our relationships with our colleagues have sustained us through those bad Mondays and crazy deadlines. Sure, you pledge to keep in touch via social media and email, but that’s not the same as seeing them every day. Because your work pals are important to you, don’t forget to focus some of that energy you’re putting into moving on the workplace. Even if you’re relocating to a branch office of the company, it’s still important to maintain those ties. The following are some tips that might make these goodbyes and your transition easier. - Let co-workers know as soon as possible – People need time to acclimate to unexpected news. If your colleagues know they have some time to say goodbye, it’s less stressful. - Carry your weight – Even though you … [Read more...] about Saying Goodbye to Co-Workers When You Move
How to Avoid Office Gossip
The water cooler is an office staple with many meanings. Some use it for refreshments while others use it as a meeting place to dish. Rumors fly around the office as easily as they do a playground in kindergarten. Even though some of us have an addiction to juicy gossip and drama, it can prove to be counter productive, especially when we are the subject of it. There are very few ways to avoid office gossip without avoiding everyone you work with, but there are ways to minimize gossip and its affects. Here are a few tips to keep the clucking hens as quiet as possible. Find them before they find you: Learning who the gossipers are before they reach you is imperative to defending yourself from the mud slinging. When you start at a new office, keep your eyes and ears open. The queens and kings of gossip are rarely hard to see. They enjoy being the center of attention as long as they aren’t the subject. They especially enjoy getting their beaks into the new guy. They may actually approach … [Read more...] about How to Avoid Office Gossip
Top 5 Real Estate Industry Jobs
We hear a lot these days about the state of the economy and high unemployment rates. It’s enough to make one want to give up, but the news isn’t as bleak as some people think. Real Estate companies like Cole Capital and other leading businesses in the industry are always on the lookout for the next big star. There are still some great jobs to be had out there, and some of the best jobs available in today’s economy are actually real estate jobs. Not convinced? Read on to learn about the top five real estate industry jobs in today’s economy. 1. Property Manager A property manager is a Field General in the real estate industry. He or she handles leases, reviews budgets, collects rents, determines landlord and tenant responsibilities, and has a direct relationship with tenants. He or she makes sure each property runs smoothly, that tenants receive all their rights and live up to their responsibilities, and acts as the liaison between the landlord and tenant. Property managers are … [Read more...] about Top 5 Real Estate Industry Jobs
5 Tips For Managing Career Transition Stress
Whether you are being forced into a career transition due to a job loss, or whether you are taking the next steps in your career and are excited about the next stage, there is likely to be some stress associated with the changes happening in your life. It’s important to manage this stress, though. You will recover better, and improve your overall situation if you keep your anxiety under control. Here are 5 tips for keeping the stress at bay during a career transition: 1. Focus on the Positive One of the best things you can do to alleviate any kind of stress in your life is to focus on the positive. Try to find the positive side to your career transition. If it’s something you have chosen, focus on why you are making the change. If you are the victim of lay-offs, look for the opportunities that the situation might afford. Try to find the silver lining. You’ll stay positive, feel less stress, and be more likely to succeed as you look for a new job or start a new endeavor. 2. Create a … [Read more...] about 5 Tips For Managing Career Transition Stress
Five Alternative Networking Ideas
The world of business is dominated and controlled by networking. Companies which have the relevant skills and abilities for successful networking are often those which are most successful. However, networking is not all about big business events and traditional lunches. Here are five great examples of alternative networking: 1. Organize your own mini conference Conferences are one of the primary forms of communication between different businesses and companies. They are typically hosted by larger establishments, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a go yourself. Organizing your own mini conference is a great way to help you network with other businesses. Mini conferences offer the perfect platform for meeting new businesses, especially from within your local area. Invite businesses and make sure that you create a professional yet welcoming atmosphere. 2. Network during your commute A good tip to remember is that business networking can occur at any time, in any place. … [Read more...] about Five Alternative Networking Ideas
6 Resume Tweaks to Get Hired Faster
Does it feel like you've been looking for a job forever? The problem might not be with you or your credentials it could be how they are presented on your resume. Resume advice from ten years ago is outdated and, especially if you are new to the job-seeking market, your resume might not be as effective as it once was. Fortunately, by making some quick tweaks, you can make your resume start working for you again, leading to a better chance of being noticed by a hiring manager. 1. Change Your Method of Delivery If you are just firing off a resume in an email to every job ad you see, chances are your resume is winding up in the trashcan. You have to make your resume stand out. That might mean faxing, mailing or even hand delivering your resume. 2. Change the Recipient of Your Resume Networking is the name of the game today. Looking to be hired at a company where a friend or an acquaintance is working? Instead of emailing your resume to the HR department, ask your friend who is involved … [Read more...] about 6 Resume Tweaks to Get Hired Faster
11 Ways to Erode Your Personal Brand
Accept a new job offer? Drive the company car? Exercise during your lunch hour? Whether you are on the company's clock or not, you are representing yourself, 100% of the time. You've heard it before, but it's worth repeating: YOU ARE YOUR BRAND. And you need to be cognizant of your actions around the office - both big and small - to keep your integrity in check. Here are several ways that employees damage their personal brand at the office: Engage in Gossip. If you are going to talk about other people, it's safe to assume that they will expect you to talk about them too. The real problem with gossip is that much of the information is not based in fact, this can cloud other people's perceptions. Words might not be a stick or a stone, but they are verbal termites that can quietly destroy your foundation. Make Enemies. Unless you just had your wisdom teeth pulled, it doesn't hurt to smile. A pleasant greeting and reasonable eye contact can be enough to get someone on your side. If … [Read more...] about 11 Ways to Erode Your Personal Brand
The Worst Halloween Costumes for the Office
If your office has a Halloween party, you are likely Googling costume ideas while you are at work. For the record, I am not a fan of office Halloween parties. In my experience, people use the holiday as an opportunity to show something off. It could be large biceps or ginormous breasts; if you've ever been to an office Halloween party, you know what I'm talking about. In general, it is best to keep your costume simple and generic. I know that doesn't sound like much fun, but we are talking about your livelihood, and in these troubled economic times, now is not the time to risk your job to get a laugh. Here are several of the worst costume ideas you can wear to Halloween party at work. Nun/Priest/Crucified Jesus: Bringing religion into your place of work is never a bright idea, no matter how innocent or funny the idea may seem. Don't Bring Sexy Back: Turning Snow White or Cinderella into a tramp, or showing off your Pimp cane during the 9-to-5 is a loser idea. No Twins: Never … [Read more...] about The Worst Halloween Costumes for the Office
5 Tips for the Office Halloween Party
Office Halloween parties are becoming as popular office Christmas parties. Even though it's a time to celebrate, you don't want it to become that story that everyone's whispering about for months (the kind where they stop whispering when you come in the room). All office parties are a great time to mingle with your boss and co-workers and to have a little fun, but you should remember to remain professional at all times. It may be a party, but you're still at work. Here are 5 tips for how to navigate the office Halloween party: Be Festive Parties are a great opportunity to relax and get to know your boss and co-workers on another level. Take the opportunity to show that you're a team player and someone that people want to know. Be a full participant in the festivities: wear a costume, get out on the dance floor, and talk to a wide variety of people that you don't already talk to every day. Don't be that person standing in the corner with your drink and not talking to anyone. Show … [Read more...] about 5 Tips for the Office Halloween Party
3 Tips to Determine if Your (Future) Employees are Trustworthy
People who are interviewing potential employees always have one single overwhelming concern: that the person across the table is out and out lying to them. There's little worse than sinking thousands of dollars in taxes, fees, training costs, and materials into an employee only to have them turn out to be a dud. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to find out if an employee is trustworthy or not -- some obvious, some devious. Get Your Facts If the candidate has passed a few rounds of interviewing and looks quite promising, you can (and should) take the time to contact their previous employers. Get every bit of information you can about how they were as employees, why they left, and so forth. Also, call their references and ask for details that might be less than perfect about them. Then, simply ask them about their previous work experience. If they don't give you a perfectly honest answer, that's OK -- everyone has a tendency to remember the good and forget the bad -- but if … [Read more...] about 3 Tips to Determine if Your (Future) Employees are Trustworthy