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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