Career Advice

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.  These were my resolutions in 2008, and they're pretty much the same this year! 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 … [Read more...] about I Wrote Your 2010 Career Resolutions for You

Here’s my axiom that I doubt you will find in any MBA or biz school curriculum: Everyone should be required to work at least 6 months in either retail or food service. I’ve worked in both industries and it’s some of the hardest work there is. (To this day I hate talking on the phone after working as a receptionist in a hair salon.)First of all, you are just out there on the selling or restaurant floor and subject to any and all personality types and their accompanying moods. Secondly, there are always those folks who enjoy treating you like “the help,” in a condescending, dismissive manner. And lastly, you are often being paid at minimum wage or only slightly above.And, yes, I realize that there are people in these jobs who don’t take the work seriously, do the job poorly, goof off or are rude. There are things you shouldn’t tolerate as a consumer - being ignored or treated badly. Sometimes that is management’s fault for hiring them … [Read more...] about Be Extra Kind to the “Help”

Last December I had a great list of goals for 2009 that I had refined over a couple of months. I was going to broaden my scope of writing, pitch a national glossy magazine and try to double my assignments. The financial goals, although less predictable, were at least on paper. I looked forward to the New Year.Then in mid-January, a family member had a fall that resulted in surgeries and rehab that lasted until May. My nicely laid career plans took a distant backseat. In fact, I wasn’t able to do much work at all - concentration was zero. My time was occupied by sitting in hospital waiting rooms and advocating for the patient. Any mental energy left over went towards keeping a minimal work load afloat.While grateful to have work while others were losing jobs, my AR took quite a hit. I quickly revised the financial picture to a realistic level. I’ve spent the last months of 2009 catching up and trying to re-imagine some of those ‘09 goals for ’10. Some positive … [Read more...] about Set 2010 Career Goals, Then Be Flexible

I can already feel my jaw start to clench when someone asks me about my holiday plans. Combined with heavy workloads (last quarter/last chance?) and family expectations, we get a little nuts this time of year, but a lot of that stress is self-imposed. So, how can we not give in to the usual frenzy and stay saner this year? I love a good acronym, don’t you? H.A.L.T. is one I borrow from 12-step programs because it’s especially applicable this time of year. HALT stands for “hungry, angry, lonely and tired.” A great tool for the newly recovering person, it fits for the “lay” population, too. H - Don’t get too hungry: Over-indulging is practically a national pastime this time of year. (I come from and married into a family where eating is almost a contact sport - it’s not pretty.) But high-carb and sugar intake can make you cranky and stressed. Pace yourself.A - Don’t get angry: Going into potentially stressful situations … [Read more...] about Stress-Busters and Holiday Survival Guide

Awhile back, I wrote about skipping the office holiday parties, “How Do You Politely Decline the Workplace Ritual?” If you weren’t able to dodge that bullet or have more work functions plus the usual family fetes coming up, here’s another strategy.We all have those annoying, borderline loony co-workers to contend with - the one who always labels her bag lunch in flowing script with the fat Sharpie, the office-supply Nazi who restricts your paperclip access or the incessant suck-up. I truly believe that we often act out our own little office “family” dysfunction with everyone assuming a specific role. Make it a game (ooh, maybe this could be the new Bingo?)  and look around and see what roles you can identify.Then there’s your real family. Holidays can be especially challenging as they often highlight those not-so-Hallmark-card relationships. But how about making this year about acceptance? Let’s try accepting those close to us and … [Read more...] about Embrace Your Co-workers’/Family’s Dysfunction for the Holidays

Imagine you are looking for a job. You find one, but it is above your level of experience. Should you apply for it? This is a question that I didn't think I would be dealing with for a long time. I started a solid job with a great company about seven months ago. I love what I do and have a great culture at work. But I recently found out that a position will be opening up internally that would be a step up for me. The only problem? I have little experience. However, in the past I have encouraged people to go for jobs that are above their level, because the requirements are really a sort of "wish list" for the company that they use to screen out undesirable candidates. I have nothing to lose from applying for this position, but if I wimp out, I will always wonder if I could have done it or not. I sat down and made a list of what I have going for me in this, and it's actually not as bad as I thought.Pros I know the company, people, culture, and mission. I have a pretty solid … [Read more...] about Should I Apply for This Job?

You can't escape the chair!No one wakes up one morning and decides that they hate their job.  It might appear that way, but the reality is that there have been warning signs and build up for quite some time.  The same goes for oral health problems.  A Gallup-Healthways poll from earlier this year indicated that one out of every three Americans did not visit a dentist last year.  Whether it's fear, laziness or money holding you back, a visit to the dentist's chair is inevitable, so why delay?Caring for your career is a lot like caring for your teeth; when problems arise, they can be severe.  There's also a good chance that they could have been prevented.  Here's your oral care work maintenance tool kit.Regular Checkups.  If you wait for a problem to emerge, it might already be too late to repair it.  Self-evaluate your situation at work on a regular basis.  Don't be overly reactive, but be aware of problems before they arise.  Take … [Read more...] about Care for Your Career Like You Care for Your Teeth

It Starts with “Thank You”A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Businesses Mount Efforts to Retain Valued Employees, started me thinking about the topic of gratitude in the workplace. One thing that was particularly interesting in was a study cited in this piece about the discrepancy between what employers think keeps workers happy (“management climate and workers’ relationships with their bosses”) and what employees say (“pay and benefits”).We all know that a “thank you” from a boss can make a worker to feel appreciated. But that doesn’t always mean just a pat on the back for a job well done. Perceptive employers taking a closer look might acknowledge good employees struggling to accomplish tasks/projects with less personnel and resources. How this is conveyed to workers is a key factor, too.The end of my tenure in Corporate World coincided with the rise of the “consultant” - hiring outsiders for obscene … [Read more...] about Small Ways Employers Can Retain Good Employees

“Today, I’m grateful for…”This time of year, it’s important to feel some gratitude and not just for your mom’s amazing pecan pie. When I was a counselor in an alcohol and drug treatment program, one of the first things patients focused on in early recovery was the “gratitude list.” It’s easy - at the end of every day, list at least 5 things (10 is better) for which you are grateful. It became a habit for me. Some really bad days, maybe all I came up with was “I’m grateful I have a garage so I don’t have to hack 10 inches of snow off my car.” But doing it reminded me to pay attention to the good stuff.How about showing a little love to your employer? What?! The same people who gave you a .05 salary increase this year and laid off your buddies? We are all too quick to go for the negative aspects of working in these tough times. But how about the #1 reason to be grateful - you have a job. Many are not so lucky … [Read more...] about Ways to Show Gratitude to Your Employer

Twitter is all the rage these days. Even organizations like ESPN and CNN are using their own accounts to spread their message far and wide. But for some people, employers may discourage the use of Twitter in the workplace. I'm going to share a few ways that might help you to get your tweet on at work. In my previous job, Twitter was blocked, but I found some workarounds. In my current position, Twitter is not blocked, and I have used it to great success with researching and connecting to other professionals in my industry. I can definitely make the case for tweeting on the job! SpreadtweetUsing Excel? You can disguise your Twitter behind a spreadsheet skin with Spreadtweet. All of the basic Twitter functions can be handled from inside this program. If you're not locked in the '90s with the rest of us, and you have Office 2007 or even a Mac, there are versions to match your software's look and feel. Check out the Spreadtweet site for more info. TwitterGadgetGmail has some amazing … [Read more...] about 3 Ways to Use Twitter at Work