Career Advice

You’re probably thinking that I'm going to talk about the fear of public speaking, which is often identified as our #1 fear. But I’m thinking of more subtle fears that people don’t always discuss that make the workplace extremely difficult for some workers.As a therapist, I’ve treated people with diagnosed anxiety disorders, but also milder anxiety symptoms and signs. Worry over finances, health issues, parenting, school and relationships fall into that category. These fears fall somewhere between the two. What kinds of fears do people struggle with at work?    * Interviewing - some folks are natural salespeople and comfortable selling themselves as the ideal candidate to a potential employer. Most of the rest of us aren’t.    * Talking to the boss about “touchy” topics like asking for a raise or time off.    * Long meetings. Any social gathering can be excruciating for some people.    … [Read more...] about Making Common Workplace Fears More Manageable

It’s not online Shopping, It’s “Research”We’re approaching that time of year where workers typically develop a case of “holiday distraction disorder.” Most of us become overloaded with holiday plans and the end-of-year work push. (I’ll suggest some stress-busters later this month.)There’s much discussion about being productive in this time of layoffs and working leaner/meaner. But let’s not forget the fine art of looking productive while goofing off. Now, I’m not talking about the slackers in your office - any efforts they make to look busy are useless. I mean those of us normally hard-working types who just need to blow a few hours or a day or two. One maneuver I perfected while working in a hospital-based substance abuse program was the “consult.” Our staff rotated on a “drunk watch” schedule - part of your day had to be cleared to do an assessment if a drunk/addict stumbled into the ER. … [Read more...] about How to Look Productive While Goofing Off

You know it’s almost here; that time of year for the ubiquitous holiday work party/ritual. It started last month with the orange and black cupcakes in the break room and will continue into January. Most companies have wisely jettisoned the office party with booze - too many scary liability concerns. But there will still be potlucks and other festivities. How can you avoid them without looking or feeling bad?My husband mentioned that he’d like to avoid, er, politely decline the December gift exchange this year. His department draws names - kind of grade school-level, I think, complete with the person’s “Santa” list. I should say he is an excellent, thoughtful gift giver and actually has a shopping gene (I worked in retail and can’t fathom it myself), so it’s not a stereotypical guy thing. His colleague said she felt the same way and might suggest the department just go out to lunch instead. Great idea!Some people are able to abstain due to … [Read more...] about How Do You Politely Decline the Workplace Holiday Ritual?

I heard a beautiful rumor yesterday.  Word on the street is that our company holiday party will be canceled this year.  That worries me about the financial state of the organization, but since I'm a silver lining kinda guy, it also makes me happy because it eliminates the stress and anxiety of having to suffer through 4 forced hours of awkward conversation as co-workers down alcoholic beverages.The reality is most people don't enjoy these end-of-year celebrations, most of all, company owners, presidents and CEOs.  On the risk/reward scale, the former wins.  Shaky economic conditions give the Head Honcho  the perfect excuse to be a holiday killjoy.Here are the reasons why your company might cancel the holiday party this year.1) MONEY. Economic times are tight and companies are pinching pennies everywhere they can.  Even if the company can afford it, have you noticed how expensive basic foods have gotten!?  These parties ain't cheap.2) LAZINESS. The … [Read more...] about 7 Reasons Your Company Wants to Cancel the Holiday Party

I have always preached that too much is made about Gen X vs. Gen Y in the world of work.  Generalizing an entire generation, regardless of when they were born, is totally unfair.  One can easily sit back and accuse Gen X of being a bunch of anxiety-ridden control freaks who spend too much time sulking and complaining about work at Happy Hour. Or that Baby Boomers are technologically irrelevant and should be forced into early retirement (or at least coerced to take some social media classes!).  It might not be right, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun to write about. Here are several annoying things that Millenials seem to have in common. - "Did you get my e-mail?" - As a member of society who has grown up with computers and the Internet, you know damn well that there's a 99.9% that I received your e-mail.  The question is, have I had time to read it yet?  The answer is no.  So cool your jets and go back to your desk and read TechCrunch until I'm ready for … [Read more...] about 6 Annoying Things Millennials Do @ the Office

Embrace Your Right-BrainI don’t often think of “creativity” and “business” in the same sentence. Of course there are businesses in the creative sector, but I’m talking about jobs in which most people toil day to day. These folks are rewarded for analytical thinking, decisive actions and level-headedness. Too much creativity might get you marginalized.But as an artist, business owner and corporate-world survivor, I think there’s a place for being creative in business. My feeling is that thinking creatively can unblock those stuck points. You know what I’m talking about - you have a presentation to give, a report to write and you’re drawing a blank. Here’s where you summon up that “right brain” stuff.There has been much research on use of our left and right sides of the brain. The left is said to control logic and rational thinking; the right side, the intuitive, creative thinking. A physics professor might be said … [Read more...] about Tapping Into Creativity at Work

The companies we work for are often so blinded by what we can do for them today, that they forget what we have done before.  With the understanding that each of us is hired to help a company achieve their goals (not our own), I still believe that forgetting the past and only looking towards the future is a mistake.The solution is simple.  Re-read employees resumes every six months.This exercise helps managers paint a more complete picture of the employees working for them.  If organizations ignore the past, I propose that it creates several problems which can be detrimental to the employee-employer relationship.Here's why...Valuble skills go unused.  Years ago I interviewed for a job running the Intranet for a major public relations firm.  With thousands of employees based around the world, they set up a database that profiled all of their workers skill sets.  If Bob in London was looking for a Tagalog-speaking graphic designer to help him with a problem … [Read more...] about 4 Reasons to Re-Read Resumes of Current Employees

Don’t Forget to Put Your Name on the ResumeI recently visited a friend in Chicago who is at the point in growing her one-woman business that she needs help. Her biz is in a creative field and she’s fortunate to be in a city with multiple art/creative schools. Hiring an intern from one of these places seemed like an ideal solution; she gets a creative, enthusiastic “employee” and the student gets to learn the biz. Win, win, right? Well…until she placed the ad.The ad stated very clear parameters - the experience preferred, general duties, hours/days, send a resume, etc. In a very short time, she had sixty responses. While she was able to cull some very favorable prospects from the group, there were some surprising clunkers. One person even forgot to put their name on the resume. Duh-oh.Now many of these folks are students at some of the most prestigious, well-respected art schools in the country and I’m sure the raw talent is mind-blowing. But do … [Read more...] about Internship Candidates…Listen Up!

I'm on the prowl for a part-time editorial assistant in the New York area at a major non-profit organization.  The job was posted two weeks ago and has yielded over 450 resumes.  What started out as an exciting task of expanding my skeleton staff has turned into a harsh reminder of how bleak things are out there in the (un)employment world - especially for people with a writing/communications/journalism background.Dozens of applicants have Ivy League educations.  Hundreds have advanced degrees. And almost every single person is over-qualified for the $16-an-hour gig.  The biggest challenge, from a hiring perspective, is finding someone who will stick around for at least six months.  Wading through a sea of applicants is tough work.  But three candidates made my life easy.  They gave me the opportunity to reject them instantly. Why?They each used the EXACT SAME COVER LETTER!B-U-S-T-E-DWhat tipped me off was that each started with a relatively … [Read more...] about 3 Candidates Submit the Same Cover Letter!