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RELATED ARTICLES
What Every Employee Should Know About How to Overcome Boredom Do you find yourself easily becoming bored or tired at work for no apparent reason? If that's the case, then pay close attention. Research has shown that fatigue and a worn-out feeling are often caused by unproductive mental attitudes. If this describes your case, read on to learn six ways you can overcome boredom. What To Do When Your Boss Is a Butthead I've never worked for a boss I didn't like or respect. Sure, some were better than others, but I never considered quitting my job because of a bad boss. Unfortunately, many employees aren't so lucky. Unemployment Blues: Mind Over Mood Our lives are tranquil and smooth so seldom, it seems. We have our ups-and-downs, our good days and bad days, our sunny moods and black moods. The less we swing in opposite directions, the happier we tend to be. The biology of our bodies craves balance and consistency -- changes in our thought patterns and emotions interrupt the regularity of our nerve pathways leading to chemical inbalance and internal disturbances. Planning Your Successful Career: 15 Ideas "Doing a good job is one of the most important ways to move up the ladder", says Dr. Don Bagin, Professor of Communications at Glassbro State College. Take the Personal Out of the Workplace: Leave Your Troubles at the Door! Bringing your emotional baggage into the work place is inappropriate for all the reasons you may imagine. Yet employees, managers and business owners do it all the time. Retiring in Paradise I have to admit that I'm starting to slow down a bit. I am definitely in my final career ? and quite comfortable working a 40 hour schedule. I even take a day off here and there to golf/ bike/ ski, although I'm thinking of selling my windsurfing equipment . Interviewing Over Lunch: Are You at Risk? Sometimes a hiring process will include having lunch with the hiring manager. Despite anything said to the contrary (like "It'll just be an informal lunch so we can get to know each other."), this is a formal part of your interview! Chicken Soup for Job Seekers Do you want to change your job but don't know the right way to go about it? Are you vacillating between waiting for your dream job or accepting the first one that comes your way? Or are you a fresher falling in line with what your parents wish you to be rather than what you wish to be? If this is the kind of situation you find yourself in, then the next few minutes will help you get a clearer picture. Here is our bowl of chicken soup for the job seeker's soul. Read on? Yesterdays Project Manager is Todays Project Engineer The rapid growth of technology, greater exposure to knowledge, higher levels of awareness are making the young project engineer act more and more like a project manager. Job Search Secret #1 The job search secret that is so powerful it will blow your socks off is simple - if you think you want or need a Career Change all you have to do is understand this Job Search Secret: Learn a Language for Career Advancement To learn a language for career advancement is one of the best ways to get ahead in the job market. In the 21st century you will need every advantage you can get to keep yourself competitive in the marketplace, and adding foreign language skills is a great way to gain an advantage. Here are just some of the reasons to learn a second language : Benefits of Maintaining a Career Portfolio Have you ever tried to contact a past employer only to discover they are no longer in existence or your former manager has moved on and been replaced by someone else? Of course, if you are an avid networker this shouldn't be much of a problem when it comes time to provide proof of your experience, education and accomplishments. A portfolio of your career should be developed and maintained using all documentation of your career history in order to overcome any problems that could arise in proving any aspects of your career. It should also include your most up-to-date resume which will be based on the contents of your portfolio. Include documents pertaining to your education including continuing education such as diplomas and certifications. Have any of your past managers sent memos or emails to you or your colleagues mentioning any of your accomplishments? Were your accomplishments published in the company newsletter, local newspaper or a trade magazine? Annual reviews, award certificates, and documents or articles recognizing your contributions to projects and/or business growth are proof of your accomplishments and major contributions. Be sure to clip the articles, print the emails, save the memos and add them to your portfolio. Document volunteer experience you have gained. Although you didn't receive compensation from volunteer experience, you gained some kind of experience and maybe even recognition for your efforts. Were you able to help an organization overcome a major hurdle that hampered their mission? Did you provide assistance to the members of an organization? Were you instrumental in developing new marketing methods to spread news about the mission? Were you instrumental in the expansion of the organization? Anything that can document your career history could prove to be valuable in your career advancement or job search. In the event you are unable to make contact with a former manager or provide up-to-date contact information to a potential employer, your career portfolio could serve as a means of proving your value to the potential employer. Don't take your career lightly. Document your career and maintain your portfolio. Your children and children's children will also thank you in years to come because they will have proof of your accomplishments and the mark you made in history, too. Resume Writing Dos and Donts Do these things Include your full name - don't use nicknames or abbreviations Use a telephone number that you can always answer - use a cell phone if possible or make sure there is an answering machine at the listed phone number Use bullet points to highlight information - it is much easier for an employer to absorb relevant information while scanning your résumé Print your résumé and cover letter on high quality paper - when printing your résumé you should use paper with at least 50% cotton content Be concise and get to the point - say what you need to say and nothing more Use action words and descriptive phrases - be creative when trying to get your point across using as few words as possible Target your résumé - address your résumé to the position you are applying for to show that you are really interested in working for that company Focus on relevant facts only - list skills, accomplishments and personality traits you know the employer is looking for List quantitative support for statements made - back up your skills and experiences with real scenarios, facts and figures Begin statements with action verbs - action verbs demonstrate your importance to the achievement or experience being described Don't do these things Have any grammatical errors - always have someone else proofread your résumé for errors and flow Have any spelling mistakes - always spell check your résumé, your contact's name, and the company's name Misrepresent your background or experience - employers oftentimes verify this information and can fire you if it is discovered that you were dishonest Fill in employment gaps with unrelated information - wait to discuss this information in person to put a positive spin on it Use lengthy paragraphs - employers notoriously skip over paragraphs in résumés Use long sentences - just like paragraphs, the reader easily skips over long sentences Use personal pronouns - keep your résumé impersonal for a more professional image Forget to list basic skills - all employers want to see that you are a team player, take charge of situations and are reliable What Can I Do To Improve My Job-Interviewing Skills? Whether you're a student job seeker or a polished and proven executive, the first thing you must come to terms with is, "Regardless of the position you seek, you are now in sales!" The product you are selling is YOU! The interview is your opportunity to differentiate yourself in the eyes of your customer [the interviewer] when compared to your competitors [other job applicants]. What Not To Include In Your Resume Do you have a difficult time determining what does not go in your job resume? The rule of thumb is to only put enough information about your qualifications in your resume in order to get the employer interested enough to contact you about an interview. How to Tell if You are Fired and Just Dont Know It No one should be fired and be surprised about it. There are always warning signs. The trick is in learning how to recognize the signs and to have a plan of action. Many time subtle hints are given that allude to the ax falling. Writing a Resume: To Template or Not To Template? Are free resume templates a viable answer to preparing a killer resume? Negotiating Skills: How to Obtain the Salary You Want Salary negotiating is an important topic that must be addressed prior to your initial interview with a prospective employer. Knowing your bottom rate, and being able to live with it [or on it?] is an important thing for candidates to uncover before the first interview. Why then do so many of us make the tactical mistake and go to the interview unprepared? Why Do Interviews Die: That Sinking Feeling and How to Prevent it! Interviews die because a mistake occurred. Sometimes, you've made a mistake; sometimes they die because someone who screened a resume did. Freelance Work: The Changing Face of Employment The world sure is changing, and if you look at job employment you will see what I mean. Let's just go back to our grandparent's generation, even though I'm sure if we went back further we would see very different structures of work in the tribal periods of our history. Our grandparents usually found a skill, and then used that one skill to work for their whole career. An example is my grandfather who was a salesman for the same suit company for 44 years. There is nothing wrong with this. His job was secure; he knew there would be a superannuating fund when he retired, and that there would always be food on the table for his family. These days in the 21st century things have changed, and they are still changing rapidly as we speak.
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