Career Advice

Negotiating can be a tricky business. Many of us don’t want to ask for what we want for the fear of being seen as pushy or ungrateful (or whatever label you might use). However, as the old saying goes “If you don’t ask, you don’t get”. Learning to negotiate can help you to achieve more satisfaction and boost your self esteem. Women have also been found to be much less likely to ask for a raise in the workplace. For example, men expect to earn 13% more than women during their first year of full-time work. It is clear that both men and women could benefit from being able to negotiate and ask for what they want and deserve. Here are some suggestions to help hone your negotiation skills... Do Your Job Well To negotiate well at work, make sure you are doing your job well. You will have more leverage in asking for what you want with a boss or colleague if you are on top of your job as much as possible. If the other person(s) can see you are trying your best, it is human nature that they … [Read more...] about How To Negotiate At Work

Bullying isn’t something that just happens to children; many adults are the victims of bullying and the workplace is often a place where it happens. Trust Yourself It can be hard to decide whether someone is bullying you, but if something doesn’t feel right about how someone is talking to you, about you or treating you, listen to those feelings. Many bully’s work by undermining the other person to make them doubt their own judgement. Be Direct Bully’s often get away with their treatment of others because no-one calls them on it. It is worth trying to deal with the issue directly in the first instance. If the other person isn’t aware of how their behavior is affecting you it gives them an opportunity to realize and stop it. If after being direct, it continues then it is worth looking at escalating the issue to your boss or HR department. Approaching the other person in a calm and assertive manner will help you maintain your professionalism and … [Read more...] about How To Deal With Bullying Behavior At Work

Dubbed ‘Generation Jobless’ by The Wall Street Journal, college graduates ages 24 and younger face an uncertain future and a competitive work landscape. An alarming 60 percent of college graduates in the United States cannot find a full-time job in their chosen profession. The main question job seekers must ask themselves is, “Do I have the skill set to land and meet the challenges of my desired position?” Holding an undergraduate degree is not always a sure-fire way to beat out the competition or quickly rise through the ranks at a company. If your undergraduate degree did not provide an applicable skill set for the job you are seeking, then you may need to think about a business graduate degree. An article posted on the Jobacle ‘Career News’ section discusses the rise of graduate degrees stating, “Professionals who only possess a bachelor's degree are falling behind the curve.” Gaining an Edge in Today’s Bleak Job Market A new trend is emerging among universities in the United … [Read more...] about The Rise of Faster, Less Expensive Business Graduate Degrees

Just as the ceiling fan in your home attracts an inch of dust and the cobwebs start to look like decorations in your cathedral ceilings, this is what your career often starts to look like too. Unfortunately, it’s not always as obvious, so you need to do some spring cleaning and shake the dust off, whether you think you need it or not. Dust Off Your Resume It is suggested that the potential employers decides whether they are interested in a candidate in 10 seconds or less, while reviewing a resume. That gives you next to no time at all to capture their attention and make an impression. Even if you currently have a job, it does not hurt to update your resume to keep it current. Make sure it has trigger words that employers look for in a resume. These are words that reach out from the page and offer a little poke. Clean Your Workspace Whether you are looking for a new job or a promotion or not, there is always a reason to clean your desk and organize your space. If those snacks in … [Read more...] about Springtime Cleaning Your Career

Do you remember the first few months at your new job? The excitement of a new environment, new co-workers, new projects, and the fact that your got hired in the first place gives way to boredom and job dissatisfaction. According to Right Management, people are so dissatisfied with their jobs that 84% of its respondents are looking for a new position in 2012. Here’s how to keep you happy, even if the “newness” of the job has long worn off… Think Yourself to Happiness A boring and repetitive job, an hour long commute, almost no vacation time, and being underpaid are not the recipe for happiness. Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of your job, focus on the positive by making a list of the good things: You have a job, you are comfortable, you get some social interaction, you get to be creative, etc. Also, try smiling more, even when you don’t feel like it. You’ll find that you’ll start to feel happy just by forcing yourself to smile. Don’t believe it? Smile now and see what … [Read more...] about Is Your New Job Honeymoon Over? How to Get It Back

There are very few jobs these days that don’t involve the use of a computer to some degree and many require you to spend long hours in front of the screen. Even outdoor jobs often require some updating of computer records, so working comfortably in front of the screen is something that is really important. Like with many things in life it is easy to slip into bad habits and the same is true of computer use. Bad habits can make your working day uncomfortable and more tiring, which can ultimately lead to a reduction in productivity. A comfortable worker is generally a good worker and for this reason employers are putting more and more effort into ensuring that the work station is set up correctly. Bad computer habits can lead to many symptoms of the eyes and the most common ones are as follows: Headaches: Headaches are a common problem associated with computer use and they typically affect the front (frontal) and side (temporal) of the head. They are likely to be characterised by a … [Read more...] about 5 Bad Habits to Avoid on the Computer

Team building is an important tool in creating a well-developed and efficient work environment. From simple bonding exercises to bespoke workplace simulations, there are a lot of options out there: Here are 10 easy and effective team building ideas that can be used in any company. (1) To help new teams to get to know each other, an easy ice-breaking exercise is to let staff guess each other’s names. You’re likely to raise a few laughs and it gets people re-evaluating their first impressions of each other. (2) Or, to flex employees’ creative muscles a bit, hand out pens to everyone and have them roughly design a personal logo that they feel reflects themselves, then have the group guess which logo goes with which person. (2) The issue of touching is always a personal one in the office. What some people might consider a friendly pat on the back, others might find inappropriate. (3) Provide staff with a few different scenarios and let them brainstorm whether they’re appropriate or … [Read more...] about 10 Team Building Ideas

We've all been there. The afternoon meeting where your eyelids suddenly start to feel heavy. Maybe lunch was a little too good, maybe the speakers' voices are a little dreary, but before you know it, all you can think about is closing them. Just for a second... Perhaps things don't get quite that bad. Perhaps you simply find yourself losing concentration and failing to keep up with what is being said. If that's the case, you're not making the most out of this vital workplace environment. Modern businesses move swiftly, and a loss of focus for even a couple of minutes could mean loss of crucial information. So how best to stay focused, relaxed and attentive? Here's five useful tips: A Clear Agenda Nothing is less mentally appealing than a long, poorly focussed meeting. Your brain simply gives up listening. Keep control of the direction and pace with a clearly written agenda. Make sure it is distributed before the day and that it succinctly introduces all the topics for discussion. A … [Read more...] about Stay Sharp – Make the Most of Work Meetings

Motivation sometimes comes easily and other times it is elusive and hard to find! A new year is often seen as a good time to start afresh in and out or work. Here are a few ideas to help you get and stay motivated: Choose Work You Love The easiest way to feel naturally motivated is to do work you enjoy, as much as possible. That might mean asking for a transfer within your current job or quitting the job you are in and finding something more suitable. What Are Your Values? Knowing what your values are helps you to know what naturally drives you. For one person, it might be security and for someone else it might be making a difference (for example).  If you are unsure what motivates you, spend some time thinking about  and using the link above to get clear what is important to you. Remind Yourself What difference does your job make? What does it make possible for other people? Reminding yourself of the larger purpose of your job is a great way to tap into that well spring of … [Read more...] about How To Get (& Stay) Motivated

Whether you literally are afraid to board that giant bird, or if you simply have no desire to leave your family, telling your boss you won’t travel is never easy. Some people jump at the opportunity to pack their bags and get away, even if it is only for a morning meeting and a free night on the town. If you are not this type of person, and find yourself anxious at work, you are better to tell your boss sooner than later. Keep in mind that once you do it the first time, it will likely be expected of you in the future. Pre-hire Ideally, the best time to bring up the fact that you won’t travel is during the interview. If the employer hires you  being fully aware of your intentions, they can’t expect you to change them, and you certainly shouldn’t have to feel bad about reminding them. Be firm when setting your boundaries. Don’t tell them maybe you will travel or that you won’t mind doing it once in a while. An occasional business trip to you may … [Read more...] about I’m Scared to Fly: How to Tell the Boss You Won’t Travel