Career Advice

Our friends at Wellspring Camps, a weight loss organization for young adults and families across the U.S, reminds us of several ways to incorporate calorie-burning exercises into our daily work routine.      * Record steps per day on a calendar posted at your desk    * Seek parking spots and further away from destinations    * Walk to lunch destinations whenever possible    * Make a game out of guessing the number of steps it takes to go from one place to anotherIf you're lucky enough to work for a company that has an office gym, be sure to follow the proper gym etiquette.The Mayo Clinic has some additional ideas on how to burn calories at work.Related links:Overweight Discrimination @ WorkExercising With Scissors … [Read more...] about How to Burn Additional Calories at Work

Office jobs are filled with stretches of monotony, I don't care how exciting you try to tell me your job is.  One thing that helps me pass the time and stay motivated is music. I listen all day long.  Every second that I'm at my desk is another second colored in by music.   And my employer should thank me.Research from the University of Illinois found that when (256) office workers listened to music of their choosing, they were more relaxed, in a better overall mood, enhanced their job performance and even had a reduced interest in switching jobs.Whoa.  And I thought I was just drowning out all that annoying thermostat chatter!So let's crank those speakers (to a reasonable volume) and take a look at the best services to listen to music with at work. RHAPSODYFor several years, I have scraped up $14 a month to subscribe to Rhapsody.  The service allows me to stream as much music as I want and has an impressively large catalog -  8 million and counting.  … [Read more...] about Music at Work. Why It's Important and Where to Get It

The year ended with people scrambling to use up their remaining vacation time.  The conference room table was littered with an endless supply of junk food.  And your boss even left you alone for a little bit.  But nothing is permanent.A new year is upon us.  For those of us fortunate enough to be returning to work after a lax holiday season, it can be difficult to put your "work" hat back on.  There are new goals to meet.  Quotas to hit.  Meetings to attend.  It's not easy.  Here are a few tactics that work for me.- TIE UP LOOSE ENDS.  If there is anything still unresolved from 2009, I urge you to close it out as soon as possible.  Do whatever it takes.  Work nights, weekends and holidays - just get it off your plate.  It will be hard to face a new year and new challenges if the ghost of last year is still present.- SET GOALS.  Not resolutions, goals!  These are work objectives that have quantifiable numbers … [Read more...] about 6 Cures for Post-Holiday Work Trauma

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