There's no such thing as an ideal workplace or a dream job. Mixing different generations, races, cultures and genders opens the door to all kinds of opportunities for conflicts and misunderstandings. But the worst conflicts and misunderstandings are the ones employees have with their bosses.
"When you're feeling frustrated by your boss' behavior, it's easy to become distracted from the job at hand," said Tony Deblauwe, workplace expert and author of Tangling With Tyrants: Managing the Balance of Power at Work. "To improve ways of working, you have to focus on solutions not emotional reactions to behavior. For example, if your boss is prone to yelling, you can say 'When you yell, it's not as clear as when you ask something of me calmly, and I want to make sure I capture all that you're asking.'"
Continue reading "How to Make Things Work at Work"
Posted by Candice Arnold on February 9, 2010 at 1:20 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
I recently injured my back. As I go through daily life with a newfound hesitancy, which I'm sure some of you can relate to, I'm always wondering how far to push it.
I've decided this is a metaphor for career issues, too. Here are some ways in which caring for a hinky back can help you get your career back on track, too.
Don't get stuck - If you've got back issues, sitting too long in any one position can make you feel like the Tin Man in "The Wizard of Oz." Stay fluid in your career, too. You don't need to change jobs at the drop of a hat, but make sure you've got room to stretch and grow.
Align yourself - Many back injuries result from doing something a little off-balance, which over-stresses your muscles and makes them wail. To feel better and prevent further injury, get your body parts lined up the way they should be. If you're feeling discomfort in your career, maybe it's because your goals, objectives and actions aren't in sync.
Continue reading "When to Push On Through"
Posted by Candice Arnold on February 9, 2010 at 9:26 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
Matching your Holland interests or personality to your career choice or "job congruence" leads to higher earnings, according to a new research study involving alumni from 300 U.S. colleges and universities. The study appears in the journal Labour Economics and authors are from the University of Iowa, University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth, and ACT, Inc., respectively. (Citation below)
In short:
To take advantage of these findings and all the research supporting Holland's Theory of Career Choice in career and education decision-making, it is very important that you use a scientifically valid measure of Holland's personality types. You need to be confident that the test has been proven to accurately measure what it says it measures.
On the Career Key website, we have tips on how to tell whether or not a test is "scientifically valid", including a download of a recent National Career Development Association Career Developments magazine article about evaluating and choosing a career test written by Career Key author Dr. Lawrence K. Jones.
Study Citation:
Neumann, G., Olitsky, N., Robbins, S. (2009) Job congruence, academic achievement, and earnings. Labour Economics, 16, 503-509.
Article by, Juliet Wehr Jones, J.D. and courtesy of Career Key, striving to help all people make the best career choices, worldwide.
Posted by Candice Arnold on February 9, 2010 at 9:19 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
In Sunday's New York Times, the least likely person in American business is interviewed in the Corner Office column.
She's Susan Docherty, who "leads" General Motor's US sales, service and marketing team. In case you don't get the joke, GM is one of the more famous bankrupt companies in the US, based on its resistance to building cars that Americans want to drive. If it weren't for their pesky rebuke of its target market, GM's sales, service and marketing team would be doing just fine.
You might expect Ms. Docherty to be keeping a low profile, since GM has reported record sales in China, Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Russia. That would be everywhere except the US and Antarctica.
In terms of a personal brand stance, Ms Doherty personifies the concept of "failing upward." In fact, like so many business leaders, she loves to hire people who have failed because she wants to see how they recovered, grew and changed.
She also wants candidates who have a great answer to this question:
"If you could be in my shoes today, what would be the top three things you'd do?"
For whatever other value this interview might bring, it was worth the read just for that question. You must be able to answer that question -for anyone you meet in a leadership position, your boss, clients, prospects, investors - heck, the head of the CIA, President Obama and the owner of your favorite football team.
If you were asked that question by the people who play a role in your success or failure, what would you say? Think about the people you aspire to meet, those you certainly will meet, and those who are on your "must meet" list. Get to know their lives well enough, their past decisions and their future leanings, so you are prepared to help them.
It's really preparation for your brand to be known as an informed, interested and trusted advisor.
TO DO: Make a list of the people you want to influence. Then go about researching the topics that matter to them. Be ready for your opinion to be asked - or the opportunity to weigh in on the issues that matter.
Nance Rosen is the author of Speak Up! & Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen.
Posted by Candice Arnold on February 9, 2010 at 9:14 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
Who invented the jigsaw puzzle?
A. Ben Franklin B. George Washington C. Abraham Lincoln D. John Spilsbury E. Thomas Edison F. Christopher Columbus
According to this site, an Englishmen by the name of John Spilsbury invented the jigsaw puzzle in the mid-1700s. Mr. Spilsbury was a London engraver and mapmaker and his first jigsaw puzzle was a map of the world. Teachers used his puzzles to teach geography by putting the pieces of the world map back together.
Just for kicks, wouldn't it be an interesting exercise if you took all the various 'pieces' of you and mapped them on a large piece of paper, using images, numbers and words to describe yourself? For example, somewhere on my map, the casual observer would see images of trees, flowers, (nature), books, pens/pencils, travel, music, chocolate, etc.; you would see my favorite numbers and you would see specific words representing my brand, my interests, my passions, and my dreams. What a fun exercise, huh? (Well, I think so, anyway!)
Once you have mapped your images, numbers and words that well represent you, the next step is to scissor-cut your 'map' into small pieces. The goal is to put the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle you back together again. Just as you are trying to make your distinct pieces of the puzzle fit, organizations are also trying to put their own puzzle pieces together, hoping to hire the best talent and the best 'fit' to best meet their own unique needs.
If you are looking for a job in today's competitive market, where do you think you best fit? What organization is just waiting for you to complete their jigsaw puzzle? What entrepreneurial endeavor is just waiting for you to put the pieces together?
Article by, Billie Sucher and courtesy of CareerHub.com. The Career Hub blog connects job seekers with experts in career counseling, resume writing, personal branding and recruiting.
Posted by Candice Arnold on February 9, 2010 at 8:54 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
It's tempting to halt a job search when an interviewer gives every indication that the company is about to make an offer ... after checking one last thing. It's that one last thing that does many job seekers in. For whatever reason, they don't get the jobs they thought were "in the bag." That's why Susan Adams, in her article, When They Don't Call to Offer You the Job," recommends sticking with a job search until a concrete offer has been made.
A concrete job offer is either a written offer or the employees' first day of work, filling out all the necessary papers for HR and the payroll department. As long as there's even a hint of doubt, a job seeker should continue looking. But that doesn't mean that following up to find out how the hiring process is progressing is a bad idea.
The most important thing to remember about following up with a potential employer is to make sure that persistence doesn't become pestering.
Continue reading "Don't Stop Job Hunting Just Yet ..."
Posted by Candice Arnold on February 8, 2010 at 4:09 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
Eight Recession-Proof Tips that Will Keep Your Writing Career Afloat in These Troubled Times
As a freelance writer, the recession is bound to make you nervous. I know it makes me nervous. Unlike other jobs that have unemployment and other benefits like severance and COBRA benefits, the self-employed person has nothing - nada - in which to fall back on. You don't make money; you don't get paid, pure and simple. This lack of a safety net is why it's so important to set yourself up for success as a freelancer.
In some ways, freelancer writers have a chance at excelling in the market and even doing pretty good. The trick is flexibility and following these eight recession-proof tips. Continue reading ...
Article by, MH Bonham and courtesy of Associated Content, Inc.
Posted by Candice Arnold on February 8, 2010 at 1:05 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
