Career Advice

Like many of you, The Shawshank Redemption is my favorite movie. In fact, it's arguably the greatest film ever to get completely snubbed by Oscar. I'm not usually a movie quote guy, but I think this flick has much career advice to offer.  There are some spoilers below, so if you've never seen the movie (shame on you!) stop reading and go Netflix it!"Get busy living or get busy dying" - Andy DufresneAndy utters these words to Red the day before he makes his triumphant escape from Shawshank. We'd never compare work to prison (nah!), but we do think it's a fair question to ask yourself on a regular basis. Are you 'dying' where you are working or 'living?' More..."How often do you really look at a man's shoes." - RedSorry Red, more often than you might realize - especially at the office. While you might not be violating any dress code laws, your shoes ARE noticed by your colleagues (and not just the freaky fetish guy in I.T.). Paying attention to every detail of your wardrobe - … [Read more...] about Career Advice From Shawshank Prison

It's a cardinal sin at work. Even though you know what the person in the cubicle next to you is earning annually, you can never use that information when negotiating a higher salary for yourself.But does the same rule apply to benefits?We're brought up with the workplace mentality that it's 'every person for themselves.' We each have the power to negotiate a better situation: more days off, special hours, and so on. However, I pose the question of whether or not this is fair. Shouldn't it be a level playing field for all? 'What's good for the goose is good for the gander?'(I never realized that a gander is just a male goose, meaning that what's good for the woman is good for the man.)If Judy is getting tuition reimbursement, shouldn't you?If Luke is given time off to study, shouldn't you get it too?When one department leaves early, why can't yours?We're not here to whine or cry about how everyone else is getting major perks while others suffer. Rather, we'd like to gauge how YOU feel … [Read more...] about Are Your Work Benefits Equal and Fair?

One of the most interesting aspects of blogging about careers and the workplace, is the 'people watching.' Everyone has their own unique style. One style, which I personally find quite irritating, I've coined as is 'Mr. Forceful.' You know the type. In fact, there's a good chance he's sitting next to you.He thinks imposing his will on you will help his 'career progress.' He thinks he's slick, but his actions are easily identifiable. Tactics used by this guy are more transparent than he'll ever know. Talking Loud: Particularly at meetings and in groups. As if the louder the decibel the greater the influence.Controlling All Information. You ask for a report and get the runaround. Even the simplest request gets stonewalled.Inability to Assign Tasks. Mr. Forceful has a staff, but you wonder what they're doing. He also likes to surround himself with passive people.Finger In All Pies. He tries to be involved in everything, yet is a master of none. Mr. F doesn't understand boundaries and ends … [Read more...] about Do You Work With Mr. Forceful?

It's early in the new year, and that means that well-intentioned, business-minded folks will be looking to better themselves. One way that is accomplished is by continuing education.My employer offers a pretty generous benefits package, but unfortunately, tuition reimbursement is not among the perks. I've been thinking about how to approach management to make a case for myself. Here's what I have so far. Any other ideas?Ways to lobby for tuition reimbursement...Read the rest of my post at US News & World Report. … [Read more...] about How to Get Your Company to Pay for College

While communication moves quicker than ever before, the presentation has digressed. We can send an email in a flash, post a blog up in less than a minute, and send text messages without even looking at our phones. The convenience of it all has taken away from the quality. And when it comes to workplace communication, the inferiority of our messages can cost us respect or worst of all, sometimes our job. Although they have been reviewed before, a 2009 refresher couldn’t hurt. Avoid these top 10 email mistakes at work... 1. Cursing or using inappropriate slang in email. Even if you think it makes you look cool, it doesn’t: Just unprofessional. 2. Forwarding chain letters. You really think your coworkers want the make a wish, send to 10 people you know, and the wish will come true email? 3. Leaving the subject line blank. Let people know what you want. That way they can decide to automatically delete it, or just a quick once-over. 4. Don’t be too lazy for spell check. It … [Read more...] about Top 10 Work Email Mistakes

I think it's fair to say I was pessimistic from the start; a career advice book written by a sports agent? Once I put my Jerry Maguire stereotype aside, I was pleased to find Your Dream Job Game Plan, by female sports agent Molly Fletcher, a pleasant surprise.The book is a solid reminder of many of those Career 101 lessons that we take for granted. You will also find some unique advice peppered throughout.Sports fans will find this book of particular interest. The premise of the book is based around becoming a 'five-tool player.' In baseball, this means you can...- Hit for power- Hit for average- Have superior fielding ability- Are lightening fast - Have superior throwing abilityThe five tools the book will teach you are to discover...- Your passionate style- Your fearlessness- Your game plan- Your flawless execution- Your managing choicesAlso covered are the intangibles. A great example is Derek Jeter. He might not have all of the five tools, but he certainly is a proven winner and … [Read more...] about A Dream Job Game Plan

Happy 2009 everybody!  Odds are you are settling back into your work routine; the end-of-year holiday memories already fading fast.  Start the new year off right by printing out the free 2009 Sick Day Calendar. Get the Calendar (PDF) Download the Podcast Here's the official release... Free 2009 Sick Day Calendar Released By Career Blog Jobacle.comRapidly-growing career blog and podcast releases its third annual downloadable sick day calendar.New York, NY (PRWEB)  -- Rapidly growing career blog and employment news podcast, Jobacle.com, has released its third annual Official Sick Day Calendar. Available as a free download, the 2009 calendar highlights days that have "optimal sick day potential." Notably, days that bridge standard holidays into longer leaves of absence."With close to 600 million vacation days lost by American workers each year, it's quite likely that the number of wasted sick days is even greater," says Andrew G.R., creator of the calendar and the … [Read more...] about Press Release: Free 2009 Sick Day Calendar

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.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 addiction but I would like you to take more action and do less research. Trolling 15 career … [Read more...] about We Wrote 13 Career Resolutions for YOU

I did something last Friday night that I've never done before.I answered survey questions from a telemarketer.When the phone initially rang, my instinct told me to ignore it--or worse yet--pick it up and give the caller a piece of my mind.But then something happened: A wave of compassion came over me and I decided to play along. After all, the voice on the other end of the line is only trying to do his job, and who am I to stand in the way of a job well done? Read more of my blog entry at US News & World Report. … [Read more...] about Give Kindness to the Workforce This Season

Given the spate of highly negative (and justified) press that the financial world has recently received, and that bureaucracies always get, I thought it ironic that I would be assigned to review a new book titled 'Creating the Intrapreneur,' by Victoria DePaul. I mean, hey-we're finally realizing the tremendous damage that uncontrolled entrapreneurs can cause us. We are seeing, in the final analysis, that these thieves, crooks and assorted con men are, once their patina of affluence is stripped away, nothing but common criminals.Worse yet, the subtitle 'the search for leadership excellence,' seemed to be but just another in a (too) long series of books offering advice and counsel on how to become the king or queen of your own proverbial hill. After all, almost all celebrities, politicos, and the like have sought to capitalize on the public quest for more knowledge in what's really quite an illusory area.Yet, this is a book that is not only highly readable, but very thought provoking as … [Read more...] about How to Become an INTRApreneur