Your Probation Period: The I-resign.

com Guide
Your Probation Period: The I-resign.com Guide
You’re about to start a new job and decide to read through your
employment contract for the first time. Is there a surer way to
tarnish your early enthusiasm and optimism than realising that
you will have to work through a probationary period before
becoming a full employee? Learning that early failure to
perform may mean you’re given less than one week’s notice
leaves you feeling like anything but a valuable new member of
the team. Why wasn’t this mentioned at the interview stage?
In fact, you should never be surprised to learn that you will be
on probation for the first few weeks or months with a new
employer. Firstly, most firms require that you serve a
probationary period. Secondly, you should always read your
employment contract before accepting any offer so there should
be no room for shocking realisations at any later stage. So,
armed with the knowledge that you should expect to find a
probation paragraph in your contract, you should be ready to
recognise and deal with any deviations from the norm.
Probationary periods usually last for three months. Some
employers will be happy to take you on as a full employee after
only a few days; others will require you to work for a whole
year before you satisfy their requirement. Next, you need to
know how much notice of termination of employment is
required on each side. In the majority of cases this will be one
week. If the normal terms of your contract would require three
months notice on both sides, then probationary notice may be
one month or more. In some cases, there may be an asymmetry
in the notice required by either side. For example, you may have
to give your employer a week’s notice, while they are only
obliged to tell you the day before, or vice-versa.
Pay attention to what will happen to your remuneration while on
probation - will you be obliged to accept a lower starting salary
for a few weeks? Will your commission from sales be lower
than that of someone who has successfully completed their
probation period? What about absence due to sickness? In each
case, you must scrutinise your contract before putting your name
to this legally binding document. There may be occasions where
your particular requirements are not covered in the contract, for
example, the question of whether or not maternity leave is dealt
with in the same way while on probation. Make sure that you
ask for such to be clarified in your terms of employment before
committing yourself. This section of your contract is, in many
ways, a self-contained employment contract in itself and so
deserves close attention.
We’ll assume that you are now over the shock of having to work
a probationary period and all the implications that has for your
job security, salary, benefits and so on. How do you ensure that
you get through the next weeks and months without any
problems? At this point, it’s useful to remember that this clause
in your contract works both ways - your employer is on
probation too. Do not fall into the trap that you must endure
everything that is thrown at you because your primary aim is to
get through the next three months. No, if your employer does
not come up to scratch, it’s time to think about making the most
of the shortened notice period part of your contract - your boss is
bound by its terms too.
What if you actually like your new job, you get on with your
colleagues, the canteen serves a variety of excellent dishes and
the commute home is bearable? How do you ensure that they’ll
want to keep you on once your probationary period has expired?
Or, to turn that around, what sort of behaviour is likely to get
you ejected? Poor timekeeping is a sure way to make your boss
feel that he or she has made a poor decision in hiring you. Even
if everybody else in your department staggers in at 10:30, you
should make a special effort to arrive in good time because
somebody will be watching and noting your behaviour.
Failure to get to grips with the basic skills and routines of your
post are a certain way to get the sack. The details of these
requirements may not have been obvious when you applied for
the job. For example, your employer may assume that you are an
experienced user of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Many people have found themselves being shown the door after
displaying spectacular ignorance of office technology - be sure
that you can compose and send email, resize windows and turn
the monitor on/off if your new place of work depends on IT. The
mouse should not be used as a foot pedal.
However, there is a flipside to all of this. It is your employer’s
responsibility to take all reasonable steps to help you through
your probation period, to provide any and all training, mentoring
and encouragement that you need. Once again, remember that
they too are on probation. I have seen a particularly good
employment contract that requires that the content of one’s final
probationary assessment should not contain any surprises. If
criticism of your performance is contained in the final report
then it must only be included as a summary and re-assertion of
what has been said before. The same contract also states that the
employer is responsible for keeping one informed of one’s
progress or any lack thereof. Having a clause like this in your
own contract is something worth fighting for.
What are the possible outcomes once the completion date
arrives? In many cases, your boss will call you into the office to
inform you that everything is satisfactory or one morning you
may find a confirmation of completion document on your desk.
If you have really shone, if your performance has exceeded
everybody’s expectations, you may even be offered a promotion
(which may or may not come with its own probationary period).
Sometimes, a worker’s performance may fall a little short of the
target. In this case, it’s possible that the period will be extended
for another month or so or until the employer is satisfied that all
the requirements have been met. Alternatively, a worker who
has demonstrably failed to be up to the job, may be moved
sideways or downwards to another position. The worst case, of
course, is being asked to leave during or at the completion of
one’s probationary period. If this happens to you, be aware that
since 1999, employees in the United Kingdom can only make a
claim for unfair dismissal after twelve months of continuous
employment (before 1999 it was two years). Other countries
have stricter employment laws. For example, a recent case in
New Zealand saw a successful claim for unfair dismissal even
though the claimant had only been employed for 32 hours. The
commission ordered compensation equivalent to four months
salary on the basis that the employee was "ready, willing and
able to perform tasks." It turned out that the employer had never
issued a written confirmation of the employee’s probationary
period.
Finally, if you yourself decide that your employer has not met
your targets and left you feeling unwelcome and undervalued
(perhaps by failing to provide interesting work or proper support
and training), you must give proper notice that you intend to
terminate your employment. We always recommend that you do
this in the correct way and abide by the terms of your
employment contract with style and dignity: arrange a meeting
with your boss in which explain your reasons for leaving before
handing over an appropriate letter of resignation. If nothing else,
this approach will make it more likely that this employer
provides your next employer with a favourable reference.
8 Ways to Make Yourself More Marketable
by Margaret Steen, for Yahoo! HotJobs

The economy is shaky -- and it may feel like your job is, too.

Whether you're already job hunting or believe you may need to

soon, there are steps you can take to make yourself more
attractive to potential employers. Here are eight tips from the
experts on increasing your marketability:

* Use your name as your brand, especially in email. Don't

confuse potential employers by using your maiden name on your
resume and your married name in your email. And the nickname
your friends find funny may not look professional.

"Manager jobs don't go to people with cute email addresses,"

said Marianne Adoradio, a recruiter and career counselor.

* Meet an employer's need. Employers "want a round peg for

the round hole," said Kathryn Ullrich, a career expert and
executive recruiter.

You may want to stretch yourself by trying a job you've never

done before, but there's not much in that for the employer. Any
time you apply for a job, make sure you can tell a story about
your career that shows why you would be the best person for the
job. "It's really about what the employer is looking for," Ullrich
said.

* Maintain a smart online profile. "All that stupid stuff you

put on Facebook -- take it off," said Richard Phillips, owner of
Advantage Career Solutions. At the same time, find industry
blogs and forums and start contributing comments.

* Ask for help. "Ask everyone for one thing they would suggest
you do if they were in your shoes," Adoradio said. "It seems to
reveal things that you wouldn't have thought to ask."

* Become active in a professional association. This means

doing more than paying dues and showing up for meetings. Find
a way to help: For example, perhaps you can organize expert
speakers in your field to be on a panel. It will boost your
resume, build you self-esteem and give you valuable
connections. "You're building up relationships with people who
are going to hire you," Ullrich said.

* Take a class or get a certificate. This is especially helpful if

it teaches you a skill -- new technology that's being used in your
field, for example -- that you don't already have.

* Take on a new project at work. It should be "something that

lets you add something new to your resume," Phillips said.
"Think in terms of the resume that you're going to be writing.
What do you want to have on there that isn't on there now?"

* Be flexible. You may not want to commute more than 10

miles, but being willing to bend a bit will open up more
opportunities. It will also make you a more attractive candidate
because it signals to employers that you're able to handle
change.

How to Avoid Sabotaging Your Job

10 Steps to Insure Your Job Security
by Caroline M.L. Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs

In today's workplace, there are more ways to damage your

career than ever before. An errant tweet. An erroneous
Facebook post. A heated email exchange. All of these can
sully an otherwise impeccable reputation, as can a litany of
faux pas in front of your coworkers.

Workplace expert Alexandra Levit, author of "How'd You Score

That Gig?," shares her insights for avoiding the stumbling
blocks and temptations that inhabit our work lives and work
spaces.
1. Keep your focus on the networking part of social
networking.
She says, "You have to set boundaries as to how you use various
social networks (e.g. Facebook for personal, LinkedIn for
professional) and make sure you communicate those boundaries
so that feelings aren't hurt." While Facebooking has become a
part of many people's workdays, Levitt says, "Don't let your
boss and coworkers catch you chatting and playing with
Facebook applications when you should be working."

2. Avoid sending a tweet in the heat of the moment.

Twitter is a great tool to help raise your reputation. Levitt
advises, "Use your real name on Twitter to network with people
you wouldn't have the chance to communicate with in real life,
and send them valuable information or interesting tidbits about
their field. Just don't get caught up in the heat of the moment.
Before you post something on Twitter, think about whether
you'd want to read it on the front page of the Wall Street
Journal.

3. Finding friends at the office is fine -- but don't look for

love.
You spend a lot of time at the office, so it may be tempting to
become involved with a colleague. She states, "You can pursue
friendships in other departments and with friends of your
coworkers, but don't ever date a boss or a direct report. And
refrain from dating an immediate coworker unless you can
handle seeing that person every day if the relationship goes
south."

4. Appearances count around the office.

Don't let casual Fridays be your fashion downfall. Levit, also the
author of "Success for Hire," says, "Pay attention to what
constitutes business casual in your workplace (i.e. what others
are wearing) and dress accordingly -- although business casual
usually means khakis and a butto- down shirt. And no matter
what the trend du jour is, "Don't ever wear short-shorts or flip-
flops to work."

5. Practice proper email etiquette.

Almost everyone has trouble managing their inboxes these days,
so don't be so quick to send unnecessary emails -- or those that
might stir the pot around the office. She counsels, "Only 'reply
to all' if every person on the string really needs to hear what
you're saying. Always check the list of people in the 'to' and 'cc'
lines before sending any e-mail. Don't hit reply too quickly in
case that reply-to-all function is accidentally on, and don't use e-
mail for negative or controversial discussion."

6. Think before you speak.

Converse carefully with coworkers, especially at first. "Spend
more time listening than you do speaking. Show an interest in
other people, but don't discuss anything that you wouldn't talk
about with your grandmother or religious officiant -- especially
with a coworker you don't know extremely well. In general,
steer clear of sex, drugs, and politics," she reveals.

7. It's good to be heard -- but not all the time.

Watch your volume control around the office. And don't be
afraid to speak up if someone else's volume is distracting you.
Levit urges, "Say nicely that you're on the phone with a client
and ask if he wouldn't mind keeping it down a bit. Never allow
your desire to avoid confrontation affect your work
effectiveness."

8. Just say "no" to complaining.

Everyone has complaints at the office, but it may be best to
avoid sharing them with coworkers. She admits, "It's good to get
negative emotions off your chest by venting to a close friend or
family member, but don't complain at work at all -- people won't
like you. Instead, think of ways to turn a bad situation into a
more positive one and approach your boss and coworkers with
solutions rather than problems."

9. Handle alcohol with care.

Sometimes bonding over food and/or drink is part of business.
According to Levit, "It's OK to have fun at happy hour with your
colleagues, but keep it to a one- or two-drink maximum. Don't
drink at lunch or during daytime business meetings, and don't
ever get drunk with coworkers even in evening, social settings.
You'll end up saying or doing something you'll regret (and your
coworkers may not forget)."

10. Know the difference between sharing and oversharing.

There's a fine line between a caring coworker and an
overbearing one. She urges, "Develop close friendships with
coworkers over a period of time, assessing how much you can
trust them before you disclose too much personal information.
However, do not assume someone is going to be your best friend
just because you work in the same office eight hours a day; and
when it doubt, you should err on the side of caution
Achieve Your Dreams: Six Steps to Accomplish Your Goals and
Resolutions
By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com

Goals Goal Setting Steps Field Goal Cheat Personal

Development Coach Achievement Software

Don't let your goals and resolutions fall by the wayside. Chances
are that to achieve your dreams and live a life you love, those
goals and resolutions are crucial. Goal setting and goal
achievement are easier if you follow these six steps for effective
and successful goal setting and resolution accomplishment.

You need to deeply desire the goal or resolution. Napoleon Hill,

in his landmark book, Think and Grow Rich, had it right. "The
starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly
in mind. Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount
of fire makes a small amount of heat." So, your first step in goal
setting and achieving your dreams is that you've got to really,
really want to achieve the goal.

Visualize yourself achieving the goal. Lee Iacocca said, "The

greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can
alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind." What will
your achievement feel like? How will your life unfold
differently as a result? If the goal is a thing, some gurus of goal
setting recommend that you keep a picture of the item where
you see and are reminded of it every day. If you can’t picture
yourself achieving the goal, chances are – you won’t.
Make a plan for the path you need to follow to accomplish the
goal. Create action steps to follow. Identify a critical path. The
critical path defines the key accomplish-ments along the way,
the most important steps that must happen for the goal to
become a reality. Stephen Covey said, "All things are created
twice. There's a mental or first creation, and a physical or second
creation of all things. You have to make sure that the blueprint,
the first creation, is really what you want, that you've thought
everything through. Then you put it into bricks and mortar. Each
day you go to the construction shed and pull out the blueprint to
get marching orders for the day. You begin with the end in
mind." He's right.
Commit to achieving the goal by writing down the goal. Lee
Iacocca said, "The discipline of writing something down is the
first step toward making it happen." I agree completely. Write
down the plan, the action steps and the critical path. Somehow,
writing down the goal, the plan and a timeline sets events in
motion that may not have happened otherwise. In my own life, it
is as if I am making a deeper commitment to goal
accomplishment. I can’t fool myself later. The written objective
really was the goal.
Establish times for checking your progress in your calendar
system, whatever it is: a day planner, a PDA, a PDA phone or a
hand written list. If you’re not making progress or feel stymied,
don't let your optimism keep you from accomplishing your
goals. No matter how positively you are thinking, you need to
assess your lack of progress. Adopt a pessimist’s viewpoint;
something will and probably is, going to go wrong. Take a look
at all of the factors that are keeping you from accomplishing
your goal and develop a plan to overcome them. Add these plan
steps to your calendar system as part of your goal achievement
plan.
Review your overall progress regularly. Make sure you are
making progress. If you are not making progress, hire a coach,
tap into the support of loved ones, analyze why the goal is not
being met. Don’t allow the goal to just fade away. Figure out
what you need to do to accomplish it. Check the prior five steps
starting with an assessment of how deeply you actually want to
achieve the goal.

This six step goal setting and achieving system seems simple,
but it is the most powerful system you will ever find for
achieving your goals and living your resolutions. You just need
to do it. Best wishes and good luck.
Employee Performance Reviews - How to Prepare for a
Performance Review and What to Do If You Get a Bad One
Rosenberg McKay

Remember the feeling you got in the pit of your stomach

when it came time for your teacher to hand out report
cards? Whether or not you felt you deserved a good report,
you still had that moment of doubt. With school now behind
us, you would think report cards were part of our pasts.
Unfortunately, this is not the case.

As working adults we must deal with employee performance

reviews, also referred to as employee appraisals or performance
evaluations. Whatever you call them, employee reviews evaluate
our performance on the job. They often determine raises,
promotions, and sometimes whether we get to keep our jobs.
That can explain, why even as adults, these “report cards” often
make us feel uneasy.

* Become familiar with the review process: Sometimes fear

of the unknown is the worst fear of all. You should understand
why some employers use performance reviews as a way to
evaluate their employees. According to the article, How to Do
an Employee Appraisal, the goal of an appraisal should be to
"increase communication, establish clear expectations, reinforce
good performance, improve unsatisfactory performance, and
foster a spirit of cooperation and teamwork."

* Prepare for an upcoming review: Document your

achievements and list anything you want to discuss at the
review. If you haven't kept track of your achievements, you may
have to spend some time figuring out what you have
accomplished since your last review, and most importantly, how
your employer has benefited, i.e. increased profits, grown the
client roster, maintained older clients, etc.

* What should you do if you get a poor review?: If you feel

you have received an unfair review, you should consider
responding to it. You should first try to discuss the review with
the person who did it. Heed this warning, however. Wait until
you can look at the review objectively. Was the criticism you
received really that off the mark or are you just offended that
you were criticized in the first place? If you eventually reach the
conclusion that the review was truly unjust, then set an
appointment to meet with your reviewer. If there are any points
that were correct, acknowledge those. Use clear examples that
counteract the criticisms made. A paper trail is always helpful.
Present anything you have in writing that can back you up. If
you didn't leave a paper trail, remember to do this in the future.

* What should you take away from a performance review?:

Ultimately, you should regard your review as a learning
opportunity. You should be able to take away valuable
information, whether it is about yourself or your reviewer.

Words of wisdom for workers just starting careers

Harvey Mackay
I recently wrote a column about the lessons you aren’t taught in
college. The lessons I shared in that column also apply to those
who have just entered the workforce: Develop relationships and
keep networking, find advisers and mentors, build your
reputation, set goals, get along with people, be happy, smile,
have a sense of humor, be yourself and volunteer.

But once you are on the job, you need to keep developing your
skills. Here are some lessons I think are especially important:

Work hard and work smart. Hard work pays off, but smart
work pays better. There is a reason why we were born with both
muscles and a brain. Use everything you’ve got.
Be enthusiastic. If you aren’t getting excited about hitting the
pavement every day, it will show. There is no off switch on a
tiger. If your switch is off more than on, it’s time to examine
what’s making you less than motivated. Is it the job? Find
something to love about it, or find a different line of work.

Work on you. I’m a big believer in lifelong learning. don’t go to

school once for a lifetime; you are in school all of your life.
Read self-help books and business journals. There are many
ways to learn new skills and sharpen existing ones.
Be a good communicator. Writing is part of nearly every job,
even if we’re just talking about e-mails. And good public
speakers are better able to sell their ideas and think on their feet.
Take a public speaking class or join Toastmasters - you will
never regret it.

Follow through. Every salesperson knows that following

through after the order is written is what earns customer loyalty.

Prepare for adversity. It is a constant in this world. Adversity

can be the precursor to wonderful change. I’ve dealt with my
ups and downs, and I’d have to say the tough times have not
only made me smarter, but they’ve also made me stronger.

Be resourceful. Use your brain to think creatively and get the

information you need or the project accomplished.

Be observant. We have two eyes and two ears but only one
mouth, which shows we should see and observe and listen twice
as much as we speak. I try to notice everything about people I
meet. My antenna is always up for their hobbies/interests,
likes/dislikes and any information that can improve our
relationship.
Dress appropriately. Appearance is still important, especially
when you are out making calls on customers or meeting with
clients in your shop.

Don’t be arrogant. One of the deadliest of all human failings is

arrogance. It is the easiest to rationalize and the hardest to
recognize in ourselves. Don’t confuse arrogance with the
confidence that you find in all true champions.

Don’t be negative or hang around with negative people. A

negative person brings you down. Negative people see the
difficulty in every opportunity, while a positive person sees
opportunity in every difficulty.

Be prepared. It takes unspectacular preparation to produce

spectacular results.

Mackay’s Moral: Keep an open mind. Your first job doesn’t

have to be a nightmare.

How to Make a Potential Employer Fall in Love With You

From Susan M. Heathfield,

Do the Right Things Right

Looking for ways to impress a potential employer? Want to
make your resume or job application stand out from the pack? In
the past few weeks, I’ve reviewed 485 resumes and applications
for 18 different positions. I’ve interviewed 23 candidates and
brought six back for a second, more intense round of interviews.
Believe me, I can tell you what rang my chimes. Some of this
advice may surprise you. Some may even make you angry
because it doesn’t seem fair or right to you. I can’t guarantee
that all employers will agree with me, but why take a chance in
this employers’ market
Apply for jobs for which you qualify. My "no" pile of
applications is increasingly made up of people who don’t even
remotely qualify for the advertised position. These job
applications frequently consist of a resume in an envelope.

Why waste the paper, the stamp and the time? If you find y
ourself applying because it’s an area of work you might want to
get into, or think you’d like, don’t bother.
Unless you can make the stretch and fit between your
qualifications and background and the described opening, you
are wasting your time. Each application or resume gets less than
five minutes of my time. You need to quickly qualify yourself as
a potential candidate because the employer doesn’t have or take
the time to do it for you.

Write a targeted cover letter that introduces your key

qualifications and highlights your "fit" with the position for
which you are applying. Address the letter to the person
conducting the candidate search, when known. And, no, don’t
presume familiarity and write, "Dear Susan." Until I know you,
my name is "Ms. Heathfield." Additionally, the cover letter
needs to specifically address the available position. Spelling and
correct grammar do count. So does the spacing of words on the
page, an attractive overall appearance, and the "feel" of the
paper.

Target the resume to the job. Would you like to know how
many people are looking for a "challenging opportunity to
utilize my skills with a progressive employer who will provide
opportunities for growth?" Don’t even ask; the answer will
break your heart if this is how you routinely describe the
position you seek in your resume. Even more importantly, in this
day of instantaneous electronic publishing, no one needs to
photocopy 100 resumes at an instant print store. Customization
counts. Customization is everything when you are looking at
substantially different opportunities, too. Say, you are looking
for a training position or a marketing position. The identical
resume won’t sell your skills for either field.

Lead with your strengths. What makes you different from 40

other applicants? On your customized resume, start out with the
background and experience most important for the position you
seek. The stage of your career is also highly relevant to the
placement of information on your resume. If you are just
graduating from college, lead off the first portion of the resume
with your education and degree.
A seasoned veteran will start with an accomplishment summary
and then list jobs, titles, companies and responsibilities
chronologically. A network administration applicant should lead
with his or her certifications (Microsoft Certified Systems
Engineer (MCSE) and list software and hardware experience
(Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server) before listing jobs and
education. The key is to make it easy for the resume reviewer to
see that you are qualified for the position. You want your
resume in the coveted "yes" pile awaiting an interview or phone
screening.

More About Doing the Right Things Right

Looking for more ideas about getting your foot in the door for
the face-to-face interview? You’re unlikely to obtain a job offer
without a highly effective interview. You have a couple more
hurdles to cross, however, before you get that coveted
opportunity to impress a potential employer.
Not all employers may feel this way, but I hate fishing phone
calls that have absolutely no purpose other than to make you
notice an applicant. Wonder how many people call me each
week to see if I have received their resume? Lots - and only the
people I rarely call back. It’s a wonderful opportunity for you to
make a lasting bad impression. I said to a recent caller, "You are
calling to ask me to look through this pile of 200 resumes to see
if I have received yours? If you are that uncertain, why don’t
you just send it again?" Fishing-for-attention phone calls rarely
help and usually brand you as a pain.
They steal the company’s time, irritate the resume screener and
generally, accomplish nothing in your favor. In one of my client
companies, callers, and especially repeat callers, are known as
"stalkers."
If you want a call from a recruiter or potential employer,
give them a number at which you can be reached. The
majority of resumes I receive list only a home phone. Big
mistake. I gave up on ten candidates with whom I played phone
tag for days. No, I’m not advocating you give a potential
employer your number at your current job. But, in this day of
inexpensive cell phones, you really need to honor the potential
employer’s time by giving them your cell phone number. I need
to reach you to set up a time and date for the phone screening.

Yes, I said, "phone screening." Forward thinking employers

don’t waste their time or yours these days without an initial
telephone interview. Be prepared to schedule a date and time,
usually during the 8-5 p.m. work day. (Your potential employer
is already working ten hour days.) The phone interview
eliminates most of the "yes" resumes from contention.

Be prepared for a mini-interview and to give the interviewer

your salary expectations. People who play coy when I ask about
salary are not invited to visit in person. Why would I waste our
time interviewing an applicant who is making $70,000 or more,
currently, for a $50,000 job? And no, you are not going to be
such a wonderful candidate that I blow away the salary range. In
nine out of ten situations, the salary range is set with a large
number of variables in mind including the local job market and
the salaries of coworkers.
Preparation counts for both the phone screening and the
potential face-to-face interview. If I have set a time with you
for a phone screening, research the company in advance. Visit
the website to see what the employer does. Many organizations
even describe their company culture on their websites these
days. If you take just a few minutes to do your homework, the
quality of the interview goes up exponentially.

Think about my time, too, as your potential employer. Imagine

the decisions I make about you when you ask me for directions
to the company, while driving your car and talking on the cell
phone. "Wait a couple of minutes," one candidate said, "while I
get somewhere so that I can write this all down." Research the
company location online first; call the company for directions as
a last resort.

Invited to the Interview?

You’ve done the right things right. Your materials and
credentials made a good impression. You passed the interview
phone screening and you’ve been invited to the company for that
all important interview. How do you continue to build the
relationship with the potential employer that will lead to an
eventual job offer?

Take time off work for the interview; don’t expect the
potential employer to extend their day by several hours to
accommodate your schedule. If you’re currently working and
looking for a new position, hopefully, you’ve chosen the most
ethical path and your employer knows. If you are unable to
inform your employer, for any reason, I hope you’ve saved up
your vacation time. A recruiting employer is often willing to
interview a good candidate late in the afternoon, but rarely will
the interview extend past 6 p.m.
(Remember, most potential employers started work by 8 a.m.)
You don’t want your potential to contribute as an employee
assessed at the end of a ten hour day either.

Make the right, positive impression at both the interview

and with the company staff. Need I tell you to arrive early,
dress up for the position for which you are applying and bring an
additional resume with references? Remember to treat every
person you encounter with dignity and respect. The receptionist
is reporting his impressions of you to the HR Director. Count on
it, especially in small- to mid-sized organizations. Be unfailingly
polite throughout every interaction you have with the company.
Each person is assessing your potential "fit" within their
organization. Don’t blow your chances by behaving boorishly.

You will be asked to fill out an application, so bring your

resume and other needed information to complete the document.
And, no, "See attached resume," doesn’t cut it. It is likely your
application information is entered into an employment database
and used for company records, government reporting, and more.
The filled out application makes the data entry easier. It also
allows the company to obtain your written permission to check
your references, employment history, do criminal background
checks if you are hired, and more.

The actual interview is the subject of additional articles. For

purposes of this one, remember that the purpose of the
interview is to determine if you and the organization are a
good fit. The real purpose of an interview, sorry to tell you, is
not to gain you a job offer. Do you feel confident that you can
do the job and grow with the company? Have you conveyed this
to the potential employer? If so, you’ll be asked back for a
more-intensive second round of interviews at most companies.

Follow up after the interview with a thank you letter, and

perhaps a phone call. Good manners always count. I received
three thank you letters and a couple of phone calls from the 23
people who participated in a first interview with us. Are thank
you letters going the way of the dinosaurs? Not from candidates
who count with me.
Doing the right things right will result in more interviews, better
job offers and a more successful career. Take a little more time
at each step and your application will rise above the others. I
promise.

Six Tactics for Career Development: Get Where You Want to

Be
It used to be that once you trained in your profession you could
look forward to a stress-free climb up the corporate ladder to
seniority and a company handshake. Not any more. What used
to look like difficult career terrain - constant movement and
short-term contracts -- could actually provide the key to a
dynamic and fulfilling career if you know how to play your
cards right.

So you’re faced with a difficult decision - the career you thought

you had all mapped out has either been stifled in its tracks or has
led you down a path where the next ten years are looking
vaguely familiar - just like the previous two. All of the juicy
executive positions are taken or are disappearing. You love your
field but you want a flexible, dynamic position, which allows for
creativity as well as providing a bit of certainty in these
unpredictable times. You reflect on the career paths your parents
took - they were guaranteed a position at their company and
were well rewarded for loyalty with promotions and composite
benefits. They did not face the endless cycles of contract work
and market-driven hiring practices where every new kid on the
block has the latest and greatest skills. Feeling the strain? Stuck,
but scared to move?

What if you’ve had the opposite experience? It’s not as if ten

years doing the same thing has ever even smelled like it was
going to happen. Your career has lurched from one contract
position to another and now you seem to have exhausted all the
companies in town. Your current goal is to hang onto this
position and do some serious consolidation before you head out
on your own again. In this market, a year in the same company
working at the same job seems as elusive as a cheap holiday in
Vegas.
Of course, there is everyone else in between: you may like your
job, but it is not leading you where you want to go. How can you
maneuver yourself into the kind of work you’d like to be doing
rather than what you have experience doing? This article looks
at some strategies for negotiating an increasingly competitive
job market: how to ride out the lows, consolidate when you need
to, predict how your workplace’s needs will change over this
year, how it will look in two, and even five years. Everyone
knows that the games industry, while offering a lot of freedom,
is also a harsh taskmaster, and sometimes that sure thing just
doesn’t pan out the way you (or the Executive Producer) thought
it would. So how can you effectively plan a career that currently
is either stuck in a go-nowhere rut, or is so unpredictable? You
don’t even think you’ll manage two years in one place let alone
sticking around for the mythical golden handshake.

If you don’t know, how can anyone else?

This may seem obvious, but surprisingly few of us sit down and
take the time to plot out our careers, even though we would
never start coding a game without the specs. (Or at least we all
know that theory!) So a good start might be to sketch out where
your ideal career would place you in one, two, and five years.
Imagine what salary, position and responsibility you would like.
How much of your week do see yourself at the office? Is your
current discipline fulfilling? Be honest. Then do your research.
Are your goals realistic? Will you need to change careers or
companies to earn the salary you have in mind? Can you find or
create the corporate environment that you want? Are you on
track for these aspirations or are you stuck in a position, which
is adequately paid, and fulfilling now but will not be in a year or
two? Even worse, will you stay the same as long as you are
willing to stay in it? Asking questions like these will help assess
factors such as: how much career leverage do you have in your
current position? Another way to think of this is: how do you
move to where you want to be without quitting your job, or
remaining too staid?

The good news is that along with uncertainty, layoffs, contract

work, and short term industry highs, the latest economics have
also flattened out the organizational pyramid; no-one expects to
stay in the same job for thirty years, and no-one expects you to
either. This changing workplace means that advancing through
promotion is only one way to grow your career. Today,
ambitious employees must pursue multiple career pathways.
Having choices provides freedom, and it’s often a case of
evaluating options and taking what’s available (internally or
externally) to advance your career in the direction you’d like to
go. The biggest obstacle to career growth is not lack of
opportunity - it is fear of change. The only way to reach your
goal is to get started.

The Six Tactics

There are many ways to get moving toward your ideal career.
What are the choices, and how can you take advantage of them?
There are six different ways to move from your present position
(with its composite skill set, salary and satisfaction) to that
elusive five-year goal you mapped out earlier.

Lateral Movement

The first type of change to consider can be described as a lateral

movement. This involves a change in job, but not necessarily in
responsibility, status or pay. When organizations grow slowly or
are cutting back, lateral movements are an important career
option. Your current position may not offer dynamic projects
that change with time and which keep a position from getting
too stale. A sideways move can provide you with an opportunity
to expand your base of skills and knowledge in a particular area,
or across different functional areas of the organization. You
know as a QA Tester that you are excellent at your job - but you
want to get to Brand Manager or Game Designer. One way to
broaden those skills would be to bone up on marketing and
technical skills. Ask around, talk to your boss about ways to
move around the company. Discuss your plans and work out a
referral to a different area. Changing departments can give you
the breadth of experience that will be critical for success later
on. Lateral moves increase your portfolio of marketable skills
and widen your network of personal contacts. If you want to
learn new skills, seek the stimulation of new colleagues, relocate
to a different location, or transfer into a faster growing area of
your organization, you could benefit from repositioning yourself
by seeking a lateral move.

Enrichment
Another way to kick start your career is to grow in place.
Enrichment is a process in which you expand or change the
responsibilities of your current job in order to acquire more
relevant competencies. Although your position/title may stay the
same, the content of your work changes. The key to a successful
transition is discussion with your immediate supervisor to plan
how your current position might evolve to incorporate tasks you
would like to perform. It may be that what you thought was your
only option (enrichment) might to your supervisor be an ideal
time to let you take up another position in a related department.
You may be the ideal candidate for training in the new program
manager position the company needs but has been unable to fill.
To perform effectively you must master new skills and build
productive relationships with customers and colleagues. There is
tremendous potential for personal accomplishments and
satisfaction in meeting these challenges. Enrichment goals focus
on making your current job more challenging by increasing your
decision-making power, the variety of skills you use, or the
responsibility and the work itself. Enrichment products can also
provide greater exposure to key individuals in the organization.
While making your current job more meaningful they deliver
more value to your organization. In today’s fast-changing world,
no individual can afford to sit still. Enrichment is critical for
staying current and staying current is critical to today’s
organizations.

Advancement

Then there is the traditional route in which you simply climb the
career ladder. The traditional benefits of advancement in an
organization - money, prestige and power - are well known.
These rewards for excellence were common in the past. In
today’s flatter organizational structures, however, rewards are in
short supply. Advancement is most likely to occur when
individual abilities coincide with the organization’s needs. Learn
the direction in which your organization is going and seek out
assignments that will prepare you for the impending change.
Finding a mentor among the key decision-makers in the
organization is a good way to gain strategic insight and access to
high visibility projects. Expect to put in a lot of hours and work
hard - especially after you reach your goal.

Exploratory Option

Never forget to ask the people in your network where they see
your position headed. It may be well known to everyone except
you that Producer positions are in short supply. Executive
Producers and Team Leaders may see their staff needs changing
in the next few years. You may be a crack Java programmer, but
have you thought about how C# will effect your skill set? This
might be a good time to do some research. Many people reach a
stage in their careers when they just aren’t sure what choices are
available or appropriate for them. The exploratory option
requires seeking the answers to such questions as ’what else can
I do?’ and ’where else can I go?’ The goal of the research is to
collect the information necessary to decide how best to build
your career. Through exploration you can identify other jobs that
require your skills, interests and values. This exploration can be
done through short-term job assignments, temporary task force
participation or informational interviews. In today’s
unpredictable world no-one’s position is so secure that you can
afford to be unaware of your alternatives. Exploratory activities
can also clarify whether your career aspirations are realistic.
They may even validate the growth potential of your present job.
The exploratory option can be pursued with or without the
support of your organization. Knowing what your alternatives
are inside or outside of your organization gives you a sense of
personal control over your career. You are less likely to feel
trapped or disempowered in your current job situation when
actively exploring other options.

Realignment

This used to be a no-no, but often if you want to change what

you’re doing then taking a step-down into another more relevant
area can really be a boost to your new goal. Realignment
involves a downward move in either your present organization
or another organization. You may be a technical expert
promoted into a management position but dissatisfied with the
new assignment. You may opt to return to your previous
position and develop your skills in the direction you really want
to go: e.g., designing cutting edge graphics tools. If you like
your company and don’t want to leave, refocusing in this way
can be an effective response if your unit is disbanded. Taking
this path could provide a way of staying with the company while
beginning a new career direction. People move down by choice
for a variety of reasons. Realignment or downshifting can be a
strategy for reconciling the demands of your work with other
priorities such as a return to study, family or health
commitments, or a career change. Sometimes less demanding
work in a faster growing part of the organization can put you in
line with new career opportunities. Seeking different work from
what you are used to can provide you with a new set of
responsibilities and challenges. Realignment can also be a
training step. Acquiring new basic skills can provide you with
the experience necessary to move in a different career direction.

Relocation

Moving on requires leaving your organization. There are

situations in which your current work just doesn’t match your
skills, interests or values. If you have a career goal that is not
realistic in your current organization, if your technical specialty
is undervalued, or on its way out, or if you want to develop your
entrepreneurial skills, relocation may be the best option for you
to consider. You may choose to move away from a city with no
potential for you to retrain in what you really want to do, for
example, CEO a small start-up. Movement to another city might
allow you to re-assess your cost/income equation and attract the
funding you need to get your new company off the ground. In
the meantime you will be able to afford to live. Even if your
departure isn’t your idea you can still seize the initiative by
turning it into an occasion for career growth. Periods of
transition are a valuable time for reassessing your direction,
clarifying your priorities and setting new goals. Some people
decide they must find a position in the same city they currently
live in only to find that their dream job is located on the other
side of the country or overseas entirely. Have you really
considered how such a move might advance your career or
stimulate your personal life and that of your family? You may
find that your spouse has been offered a position in another city.
What would this scenario look like to you? Would you decide
that this is a disaster or look at ways to use the new situation to
your career advantage? Careers are not set in stone and can
develop in surprising ways if they are allowed to. When career
planning is confined to a single organization or metropolitan
area your range of choices will obviously be restricted. When
you look at an entire industry or at many different organizations
in many different geographical areas the possibilities are
immensely multiplied.

Conclusion

It’s important to look at extraneous factors when evaluating your

career. Career moves do not occur in a vacuum. You will need
to discuss your available options with your boss and/or your
peers. Finding a mentor in your current company who is already
in the position you have targeted remains a great path to learn
new ways to achieve your career goals. Make yourself useful in
the company and take advantage of one-off offers that come
your way. An opportunity to grow may be hidden in downsizing
or cutbacks that force you to move to a city you’d never
consider living in when things were more stable. Change can be
frightening, but it can change your life for the better. Although
you may prefer and be ready for certain options, they may
simply be unattainable for you at the present time. A lack of
credentials or connections can place a particular option out of
your reach. Competition for limited opportunities may be
another factor. The growth rate of your organization also
influences the availability of new opportunities. Make sure you
ask all of your contacts about information they have about the
company, where it is headed, and about new developments in
your own field and related fields. If you actively plan change in
your career, you will look forward to those times when change is
thrust upon you suddenly. Instead of panicking, you will be able
to assess the situation and come up with three or four different
ways to manage your career while still maneuvering it in the
direction you’d like it to go. Embrace the change of your choice
from the many ways to advance your career and you will be in
control regardless of what your company or life throws at you.
How to Make Your Current Job Work
From Susan M. Heathfield,

Can You Make Your Current Job Work?

Executive Summary: Part one of the article summarizes

reasons why you might want to quit your job along with
potential solutions to these issues that may make your current
job and workplace viable. In part two, read about more issues
related to quitting your job, plus, learn the number one reason
why people quit their jobs.
Are you feeling increasingly unhappy about your job? Do you
find yourself day dreaming about other things you could do with
the time you spend at work? Do you dread the thought of
Monday mornings?
Then, it may be time for you to quit your job. Or, alternatively,
address the issues that you dislike about your current job.
Without leaving your job, you may be able to solve the problems
and make your current job - work.
Take a look at these six common reasons why people often leave
their job.
These will help you determine whether it’s time to quit your
current job or take action to make your current job - work. With
a little work, you can identify changes that will re-invigorate
your job and career.
Determine Why You Are Unhappy in Your Current Job
Do you dislike the work you do day-to-day on the job? Or, are
there other problems that affect how you feel about your job? If
you like the work and pinpoint other issues as the problem,
consider what you can do to resolve these problems before you
quit your job.
Good jobs are difficult to find. You don’t want to make a hasty
decision or burn any bridges until you’ve thoughtfully
considered your options. You may be able to make your job -
work.
Following are the six common problems that prompt people to
want to quit their job. See if you can find your reasons and use
the advice provided to turn your work situation around. If you
make your best effort and it doesn’t work, see: The Top Ten
Reasons to Quit Your Job.
You Feel Stuck in Your Current Job
Are you feeling stuck in your current position with no hope of
promotion? You look around your organization and don’t see
any job you’d like to do next. You may want to explore options
with your boss.
 • Talk to your boss to make sure you’re right.
Ask about opportunities for lateral moves and
for more interesting, skill-stretching
assignments. Most workplaces value initiative
and people who want to continue to learn and
grow.
• Consider swapping assignments with a
coworker who feels like you do about trying
something new. (Ask for your manager’s
agreement, of course.)
You Feel Unappreciated in Your Current Job
You work hard every day, but you don’t feel your boss or your
workplace recognize your efforts. You can’t remember the last
time anyone thanked you for your contributions.
• Tell your boss you would like her input about
how she views your work. Tell the boss you’d
like to sit down with him regularly to obtain
feedback, both good and bad, so you can
improve.
• Offer to chair an employee recognition team
that can develop a process for recognizing the
hard work and efforts of all your coworkers.
After all, if you’re feeling unappreciated, you
can bet others are, too.
• Sometimes, feeling unappreciated has to do
with money. Ask your manager for a raise or
ask when you can expect your compensation
review. Follow up to make sure it happens.
More About What You Can Do to Make Your
Current Job Work

Explore how to make your current job - work, with the first
suggestions in this article.
You Feel Overworked on Your Job
You probably are overworked. Employers have cut back on
hiring and are expecting employees to do more with fewer
resources.
At a local university, a customer service counter was staffed by
five people until recently. Now, one person staffs the counter. Is
she overworked or was the counter overstaffed in the first place?
You will never convince her that the answer is anything but the
first - overworked.
• Talk with your employer, after collecting good
data and evidence, if you find that the job is
indeed more work than one person can
comfortably handle. Brainstorm options that
include these:
--hire a new employee,
--assign a part-time employee or intern to work with you,
--identify tasks you can stop doing, and
--determine the value-added tasks and eliminate non-critical
job components.
• Take time to flowchart your work processes
and see where you have waste in the process.
 Are you doing rework? How does extra time or steps make
your work processes more difficult and time-consuming than
they warrant?
You Dislike Your Career Field and Job
Sometimes, people discover that they have chosen the wrong
career or field of work. They dislike the activities and the actual
content of the job.
When I was twenty-one, I taught special education. While I
loved the young people, I disliked the school setting and had
little in common with many of my coworkers. I was not
challenged for long by the content of the work either. Now, it’s
thirty plus years later and I’m still teaching, just not in a public
school.
You may experience something similar. If you fundamentally
don’t like the work, consider these actions.
• Spend a year exploring your career options and
needs.
--Meet with people already working in the fields you are
exploring.
--Determine education or credentials necessary to move on.
--Read books by authors such as Barbara Sher and Annie
Gottlieb. Wishcraft and other recent career and job search
books are good choices.
--Visit related career websites at About.
• Make a careful plan with a timeline, and move
on.
You Dislike Your Employer, Coworkers or Customers
Maybe you like your work but dislike your current employer,
coworkers or customers. Explore your options to move to a
different employer.
Make sure that the unhappiness isn’t inside of you, however, and
that it really is due to the actions of others. (Perhaps your
employer is unethical in his treatment of the customer. Maybe
your coworkers are all miserable and constantly complaining
about their work.)
Look carefully for a pattern in your own actions. As an example,
do you repeatedly start out at a new job and location but then
quickly becoming disillusioned? If you identify a pattern, the
unhappiness may all be internally generated. If the unhappiness
is inside of you, only you can make you feel better and make
your job - work.
If you’re looking at new life options, consider signing up for
these emailed tips:
Your Tip of the Week for Success in Work and Life.
Ten Days to a Happier, More Successful Career and Life.
• Start out by exploring whether you have any
control over any aspect of the situation that is
bothering you. If you identify areas you control,
try fixing them. Perhaps sitting in the break
room listening to people complain is ruining
your good spirits. Stay out of there for awhile
to see if your outlook improves.
 • Consider transferring to a new work area or
trading customers with a coworker.
You Can’t Stand Your Boss
This is the number one reason people give for why they leave
their current job or employer. When managers are nasty,
abusive, and controlling, this is understandable. There are more
subtle things some managers do, however, that drive staff away.
These include failing to:
• provide direction,
• involve people in decisions about their work,
• appreciate staff contributions, and
• help develop the talents and abilities of their
employees.
If you find yourself in such a situation, try these actions.
• Talk to your manager about your concerns.
Many people don’t realize the affect their
actions create. Others just don’t care. See
which category your boss falls in.
• If you are planning to leave anyway, you have
not got a lot to lose. Talk with your manager’s
boss or your Human Resources department to
see if they can remedy the situation.
• Transfer to a different department. Try to
remove yourself from the manager’s influence.
I trust I’ve given you some ideas about addressing your current
work situation that might substitute for leaving your current job.
There are, however, legitimate times and legitimate reasons for
moving on. Let’s explore those next in the The Top Ten Reasons
to Quit Your Job.
More Job Solutions Instead of Quitting Your Job.

5 Ways to Wow Your Boss

by Caroline M.L. Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs

It's more important than ever to make sure your boss is

happy with your performance. In tenuous times, your
supervisor is one of the few people who may be able to shield
you from a layoff. She may also be able to help you pursue a
promotion down the road.

However, like any relationship, the one between you and your
boss can get stale. You may grow complacent over time or you
may never start off on the right foot. The good news is that it's
never too late to breathe new life into how you work with your
supervisor, thanks to these expert tips from Alexandra Levit,
author of "New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing
Yourself in a Bright New Career."

If you heed these five hints, you'll not only contribute to your
job security; you'll also win your boss's admiration and
appreciation -- as well as a little loyalty.

1. Be humble. In other words, be mindful of the fact that it's not

all about you. Says Levit, "Don't approach your boss with a
sense of entitlement, as though he is personally responsible for
furthering your career. Instead, focus on learning what you can
do to make his life easier, contribute to your company's goals,
and make him look good to his boss."

2. Be honest. Everyone makes mistakes -- and you're no

exception. Be forthcoming about it from the start. "Admit if you
do something wrong, and then ask your boss how you can
rectify the situation. Don't allow yourself to get caught in a maze
of lies or excuses that will result in a loss of credibility," she
advises.

3. Be respectful of the boss's time. If you think your plate is

full, consider that of your boss. Use your time together wisely
and efficiently. Levit suggests, "Appear in her office with a
checklist of things you need to cover, and don't dwell too long
on any particular subject. Your boss will be more receptive to
meeting with you if she knows you'll be in and out of his office
quickly."

4. Be self-sufficient. Be mindful of the fact that your supervisor

doesn't have the bandwidth to hold your hand through every
crisis or help you make every difficult decision that lands on
your desk.

"Only approach your boss with a problem or complaint if you've

explored all options for resolving it yourself. When you do, be
prepared to have a solution at hand that you could implement
with her help," says Levit, who is also a contributor to The Wall
Street Journal.
"Choose your battles wisely, and decide carefully if bringing an
issue to your boss's attention is really necessary or if you would
be better off letting it go," she adds.

5. Be a "can-do" employee. Redefine the concept of a "yes

man" (or "yes woman") at the office. She advises, "When your
boss asks you to do something, accommodate him, if possible.
The words 'I don't have time' should never escape your lips. If
you know something needs to be done, do it without being
prodded, and if your boss asks for help in a group setting, be the
first to volunteer."

If you're always amenable, Levit believes, "Your boss will

quickly come to see you as a huge asset to the team and as
someone he can count on."

by Caroline M.L. Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs

You share a lot with your coworkers over

time: Projects. Lunches. Office space.
Cocktails. Family photos. Birthday cake. But,
even after many years of working together,
should you share the details of your salary
and compensation package?

No, says compensation expert Dick Dauphinais of

Strategic Compensation Partners. "We all know
employees talk, and things can never remain
totally confidential," he says. "But an outright
exchange of salary details probably isn't the best
idea."

Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe

When companies have different employees on the

same job and one of them is paid differently, many
unfairness issues surface. "It can happen in any
'open shop' that differentiates pay for any reason
(seniority, performance, etc.)," says Dauphinais.
You could run the risk of alienating valued
colleagues if they learn you earn more for what
they perceive to be the same job.

Dauphinais, who has more than 30 years of human

resources experience specializing in both the
compensation and benefit areas, instead urges
organizations to focus on structure. "I am a big fan
of sharing the compensation 'structure' and all the
components that dictate how employees progress
through that structure with staff members."

Democracy Doesn't Always Work at Work

There are organizations that openly share

compensation information around the office.
However, warns Dauphinais, "Unless all similar jobs
pay the same rate, I would advise that open salary
concepts don't work well."

The confidential nature of your salary, in fact, can

be a greater benefit to you. "It creates an
opportunity for a manager to have a confidential
discussion with employees as to why they are
being paid what they are -- and how they can work
toward making more money," he says. "Each
employee can then move forward with confidence
that they have 'bonded' with their supervisor on
their individual issues -- good and bad -- without
involving others in the process."

Don't Let Under-Compensation Undermine You

If you learn that someone who holds a similar

position earns a bigger paycheck, don't panic. First,
do some due diligence to determine if you are
being underpaid in general. Use the Yahoo! HotJobs
salary calculator, and also reach out to your out-of-
office network to find out how people at other
companies are being compensated.

Next, says Dauphinais, "I would go to my boss and

ask the reasons why." Open a rational dialogue to
understand what skills or experience you'll need to
improve your performance -- and earn more
recognition and financial rewards.

Get new-job alerts from Yahoo! HotJobs on Twitter

by selecting to follow the appropriate account
here: http://twitter.com/yahoohotjobs/following.
Choose the "list" view, and select to follow
accounts based on relevant metros/industries.

How Flexible Should You Really Be?

by Margaret Steen, for Yahoo! HotJobs

In tough times, job-seekers are often advised to be flexible

about issues from commute length to salary to job title. But
while it's true that you have to be realistic, some
compromises may end up hurting you more than they help.

"I don't believe that you just cave and take anything," said Mary
Jeanne Vincent, a career coach in Monterey, Calif., and owner
of WorkWise. "I have an underlying philosophy that you always
sell value."

Steve Levin, CEO of Leading Change Consulting & Coaching in

Portola Valley, Calif., draws a distinction between what he calls
"healthy resiliency and begrudging compromise." One is a
reasonable response to a challenging market. The other is a self-
defeating trade-off.

To tell the difference, experts suggest asking these six questions:

* How badly do you need money? If you're about to lose your

home or are having trouble putting food on the table, you may
need to take whatever job is offered.

* Will the job make yo u miserable?Taking a job that's not

right for you increases the risk that you'll be laid off again
within a few months -- something that can make it even harder
to find the next job. If you will feel resentful rather than excited
about the job, you might be better off continuing your search.

* Can you explain why you're taking it? If you take a job
that's less than your previous one, you'll need to be able to
explain this apparent step backward the next time you're
looking. Saying you couldn't find anything else is not likely to
impress an interviewer.

But if you have a good reason for taking a position -- to gain

experience in a new industry, for example, or to learn a new skill
-- a step down doesn't have to hurt you.

* What's most important to you? Perhaps you'd be willing to

take less money as long as you got the title and authority you
wanted. A longer commute may be more palatable if you can
telecommute some of the time.

"You really need to do all this thinking -- what are the tradeoffs
you are willing to make in order to be employed?" said Libby
Pannwitt, principal of the Work Life Design Group in San
Carlos, Calif.

* Will this job help in the long term as well as the short
term? Consider what you'd like to be doing several years from
now -- and whether this job could help you get there.

"I really believe that a lot of people panic and get anxious about
short-term needs and forget all about their long-term goals,"
Levin said. If a job will give you an important new skill, for
example, it may be worth making other trade-offs to take it.

"In a knowledge-based job market, learning is your quickest

pathway, your best investment," Levin said.

* What is the alternative? To know how flexible to be, you

have to know the market. Long-term unemployment is hard on
both careers and finances.

If you decide to wait for a better job, "What are you doing with
your time while you're waiting?" Levin said. "If you aren't
working for someone else, then work for yourself - by treating
your job search as a full-time endeavor.
Should You Be on Facebook?
by Caroline M.L. Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs

Social-networking sites are all but putting business-card

printers out of business. Instead of trading a 3.5 x 2-inch
piece of paper, people are trading names and tracking one
another down on sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook.

While LinkedIn has a decidedly professional bent, Facebook can

be a much more intimate look into one's personal life and inner
circle of friends. Still, a lot of folks are on Facebook and use it
as a professional networking tool. But is it right for you?

Because Facebook makes it easy to blur the lines between the

professional and personal, most experts caution against this,
unless, perhaps, you work in the entertainment industry. "When
you think about Facebook and other social-networking sites, you
have got to think about these profiles as an addendum to your
resume," says Lauren Milligan, founder of ResuMAYDAY.com.

Daisy L. Swan, of Daisy Swan & Associates, agrees, "Now that

there are so many people who are going to be looking for new
positions, it's good to be able to be found -- so long as you're
presenting yourself as the professional you want to be."

Here are some tips to put your best face forward on Facebook:

1. Keep it strictly professional. Career strategist Swan says,

"Have a consistent message," meaning if you're marketing
yourself as a top accountant, make sure your Facebook profile
reflects that image. Milligan tells users, "Keep the social aspect
separate. I've had clients who've been way too attached to their
Facebook pages and all the personal content on there, but I ask
them, 'What's your priority? Finding a job or revealing all?'"

2. Mind your status. Your status can be used for more than
goofy one-liners. Swan, for instance, shares, "You can use your
status to let people know about additional projects you're
working on, which sends a message that you're more than just
what you do at work every day." Also, if you friend your
coworkers on Facebook, make sure you don't accidentally throw
yourself under the bus by revealing you weren't really sick when
you called in sick to work, as one Facebook user learned (see
related incident on Shamebox blog).

3. Choose your friends and your groups carefully. Whom you

friend and the groups you join are a reflection of who you are.
Think through the requests you accept and the company you
keep on Facebook as potential employers may take those things
into account. One group of Virgin Atlantic employees recently
started a Facebook group in which they openly traded insults
and complaints about customers and colleagues -- and 13 of
those workers were fired. Resume and career expert Milligan
reminds users, "If you're an employee, you have to be
considered an advocate of your employer at all times."

4. Mind your identity. Another plus of keeping your privacy

settings high or, ideally, keeping your profile strictly
professional, is that you're less likely to divulge personal
information that could leave you at risk of identity theft. Alaska
Gov. Sarah Palin's personal email account was famously hacked
by someone who successfully guessed the answers to her
security questions. Avoid divulging your pets' names, your
mom's maiden name, and other details that could leave you
vulnerable to fraud by including only professional details on any
social-networking site.

5. Don't get sucked in. Swan, whose practice is based in Los

Angeles, says, "I've been hearing that entrepreneurs are getting a
lot of encouragement to be on Facebook and they're marketing
full force that way. But it's not the be-all, end-all solution for
marketing. It may have some value toward your bottom line, but
it may not if you're spending too much time on it. Check your
return on investment."

Milligan adds, "It cannot be your priority. The time you spend
on it cannot infringe on your professional life."

As recruiters and companies look to Facebook as an additional

source of finding new talent, it behooves you to at least be
familiar with such sites. Swan states, "In terms of new
partnerships and for job-search purposes, it can be a great
networking tool to let people know about you, and it's a great
way to learn about people and companies and options. Just be
sure to use these sites in a savvy manner to your benefit."

Milligan warns, "If job-search tools will be available, if that is

the conduit between you and a job, you'd better be professional."

Interpersonal Skills
Written By - Iyer Subramanian
- I will pay more for the ability to deal with people than for any
other ability under the sun. – John Rockefeller.

We do not have business problems. We have people problems.

When we solve our people problems, our business problems are
substantially resolved. People knowledge is more important than
product knowledge. One need to build a pleasing personality &
it is a combination of a person’s attitude, behavior, &
expressions. Steps to building a positive & pleasing personality
are as under.

• Step No.1. Accept responsibility. Responsible behavior is to

accept accountability & that represents maturity. Acceptance of
responsibility is a reflection of our attitude & the environment
we operate in.

• Step No.2. Show consideration, courtesy, & politeness.

Thoughtfulness shows a caring attitude. The more considerate
we are, the more courtesy one extends & the more polite we are
towards people we automatically come close to people.

• Step No.3. Think win/win. When we think of serving our

customers, our families, our employers, employees, colleagues
we automatically win. One need to create a win / win situation
& the result shall culminate into happiness, prosperity,
enjoyment & gratification because they are not thinking of
themselves alone.

• Step No.4. Choose what you say rather than say what you
choose. That is the difference between wisdom & foolishness. A
fool speaks without thinking; a wise man thinks before speaking.
One particular word spoken can cause irreparable damage, so
whenever you utter any word visualize its consequences. Spoken
words cannot be retrieved.

• Step No.5. Don’t criticize & complain. Criticize with a spirit of

helpfulness rather than as a put-down. Criticize the behavior, not
the person because when we criticize the person, we hurt their
self esteem.

• Step No.6. Smile & be kind. It happens in a flash, & the

memory of it may last forever. Cheerfulness flows from
goodness. It takes more muscles to frown than to smile. It is
easier to smile than to frown. Smile often & make it a habit.

• Step No.7. Put positive interpretation on other people’s

behavior. In the absence of sufficient facts, people instinctively
put a negative interpretation on others’ actions or inactions. For
example, how often have we put through a call & not gotten a
reply from the other party for 2 days & the first thought that
comes to our mind is “They ignored me.”

• Step No.8. Be a good listener. Listening shows caring. When

you show a caring attitude towards another person, that person
feels important. When he feels important, what happens? He is
more motivated & more receptive to your ideas.

• Step No.9. Live while you are alive. Don’t die before you are
dead. Enthusiasm & desire are what change mediocrity to
excellence. Water turns into steam with a difference of only 1
degree in temperature & steam can move some of the biggest
engines in the world. That is what enthusiasm helps us to do in
our lives.

• Step No. 10. Give honest & sincere appreciation. Sincere

appreciation is one of the greatest gifts one can give to another
person. It makes a person feel important. The desire to feel
important is one of the greatest cravings in most human beings.
It can be a great motivator.

• Step No. 11. When we make a mistake, we should accept it

immediately & willingly. Some people live & learn while others
live & never learn. Mistakes are to be learned from. The greatest
mistake a person can make is to repeat it. A mistake is a mistake
if it is committed twice.

• Step No. 12. Discuss but don’t argue. Arguing is like fighting a
losing battle. Even if one wins, the cost may be more than the
victory is worth. It will take you nowhere & the more you argue
with people, the more they distance away from you. Emotional
battles leave a residual ill will even if you win.

• Step No. 13. Don’t gossip. A gossip never minds his own
business because he neither has a mind nor a business. A gossip
is more concerned about what he overhears than what he hears.
Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves nothing
unsaid.

• Step No. 14. Turn your promises into commitments. A

commitment is a promise that is going to be kept no matter
what. Commitment comes out of character & leads to
conviction.

• The quality of your life will be determined by the depth of

your commitment to excellence, no matter what your chosen
field.

• Step No. 15. Be grateful but do not expect gratitude. Gratitude

is a feeling. It improves our personality & builds character.
Gratitude develops out of humility. It is a feeling of thankfulness
towards others. Think of your most precious possessions. What
makes them special? In most cases, the gift is less significant
than the giver. Seldom are we grateful for the things we already
possess.

• Step No. 16. Be dependable & practice loyalty. Ability is

important but dependability is crucial. If you have someone with
all the ability but he is not dependable, do you want him as part
of your team? No, not at all.

• Step No. 17. Avoid bearing grudges. Forgive & forget. When a
person refuses to forgive, he is locking doors that someday he
might need to open. When we hold grudges & harbor
resentment, who are we hurting the most? Ourselves.

• Step No. 18. Practice honesty, integrity & sincerity. Honesty

inspires openness, reliability, & frankness. It shows respect for
one’s self & others. Honesty is in being, not in appearing to be.

• Step No. 19. Practice humility. Confidence without humility is

arrogance. Humility is the foundation of all virtues. It is a sign
of greatness. Sincere humility attracts but false humility detracts.

• Step No. 20. Be understanding & caring. Relationships don’t

come about because people are perfect. They come about
because of understanding. Practice generosity. It is a sign of
emotional maturity. Being generous is being thoughtful &
considerate without being asked. Be tactful. Tact is the ability to
make a point without alienating the other person.
• Step No.21. Practice courtesy on a daily basis. Courtesy is
nothing more than consideration for others. It opens doors that
would not otherwise open. A courteous person, who is not very
sharp, will go further in life than a discourteous but sharp
person.

• Step No. 22. Develop a sense of humor. Learn to laugh at

yourself because it is the safest humor. Laughing at yourself
gives you the energy to bounce back.

• Step No. 23. Don’t be sarcastic & put others down. Negative
people’s humor may include sarcasm, put downs & hurtful
remarks. Any humor involving sarcasm that makes fun of others
is in poor taste. An injury is forgiven more easily than an insult.

• Step No. 24.To have a friend, be a friend. Friendship takes

sacrifice. Building friendships & relationships takes sacrifice,
loyalty & maturity. Sacrifice takes going out of one’s way &
never happens by the way. Selfishness destroys friendships.

• Step No. 25. Show empathy. The wrong we do to others &

what we suffer are weighed differently. Empathy alone is a very
important characteristic of a positive quality. People with
empathy ask themselves this question: “How would I feel if
someone treated me that way?” Show a lot of understanding,
sympathy & compassion towards others.

Successful people build a pleasing & magnetic personalities

which helps in getting friendly cooperation from others. A
pleasing personality is easy to recognize but hard to define. It is
apparent in the way a person walks & talks, his tone of voice,
the warmth in his behavior & his definitive levels of confidence.

In an organization where you work you need to relate extremely

well with all kinds of people irrespective of their positions &
status they hold. You need to get the best out of them at all
times. People are imperfect, people will remain imperfect & it is
how you get the work done through these imperfect people is all
that matters. THUS, interpersonal relations are the key to any
successful organization.

The source through which this article has been written has been
many. I have gone through several management books, self
development books, journals & magazines before I decided to
write this article. I always felt that as a resource people are the
most important resource & with experience & expertise the
value of the people increase with the advancement of age. If one
needs to be successful in his business place, he needs to possess
people’s skills in abundance.
Source : 123oye.com

The Job Seeker's Top 10 List

by Clea Badion, Robert Half International

It goes without saying that today's job market is more

challenging than it has been for many years. That means you
have to work even harder to uncover opportunities and
distinguish yourself among a crowded field of applicants.
Here are 10 strategies to help you gain an edge in a tough
employment market:
#1: Leave your comfort zone. Don't limit your search to your
current industry or field. Expand your horizons by focusing on
your transferable skills. When writing your resume and cover
letter, note the qualifications you possess that are valuable in
any number of jobs, such as leadership and communication
skills, and showcase how those abilities would apply to the open
position.

#2: Minimize work history gaps. Hiring managers look for

applicants who have remained professionally engaged and kept
their skills current during periods of unemployment. If you are
unable to find a position right away, consider temporary
assignments, internships, and volunteer opportunities to stay
active professionally. You also might consider taking a class to
increase your knowledge in a specific area.

#3: Be flexible. Remaining open to all possibilities is essential

in a challenging economy. Don't overlook a position even if the
job title, salary, or benefits may not be exactly what you hoped
for. Once you get your foot in the door and prove yourself, you
may be able to renegotiate aspects of the position.

#4: Manage your digital footprint. Think your friends are the
only people who viewed those wild vacation photos you posted
online? With a few mouse clicks, potential employers can dig up
information about you, too, on blogs, personal websites and
networking sites. As you look for employment, keep tabs on
your online reputation to make sure there is no information
about you on the Web that could affect your professional
reputation.
#5: Find jobs before they're advertised. Read local
newspapers and business publications to identify companies that
may be expanding, and send them your resume, even if they
have no advertised openings. These firms may be searching for
good talent anyway.

#6: Cast a wide net. While the major job boards can be
extremely useful, don't forget to investigate industry sites
specific to your industry or professional discipline. These
venues may list more targeted career opportunities.

#7: Network online and off. Tell everyone you know that you
are looking for a job, including those you've met through
networking websites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Just keep
mind that, while online networking is effective, it's still
important to arrange face-to-face meetings. Ask an online
contact to a lunch meeting to build rapport.

#8: Customize your materials. Sending out a generic resume

isn't likely to catch a potential employer's attention. Tailor your
application materials to showcase your relevant skills for each
opportunity, based on the job description. Employers want to see
why you are the best fit for a particular position.

#9: Enhance your marketability. Find out what skills are most
in-demand in your field and take steps -- such as enrolling a
class at a community college or a weekend seminar -- to give
yourself an edge in these areas. Attending events hosted by a
local professional association and reading relevant trade
publications are good ways to determine which abilities
employers in your field value most.

#10: Meet with a recruiter. Staffing professionals often have

access to open positions that aren't advertised and can
effectively double your job search efforts. They also can provide
useful feedback on your resume, cover letter and interview
skills, helping you improve your job-hunting techniques -- and
chances at landing a position.

Robert Half International is the world's first and largest

specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 360
offices worldwide. For more information about our professional
services, please visit rhi.com. For additional workplace articles
and podcasts, visit workvine.com.

Deceptive Targets in the Job Hunt 5 Methods That Waste

Your Time
by Caroline M.L. Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs

Time is money -- whether you've got a job or not. While it

may be tempting to chase down every possibility when
you're searching for work, don't. Many can lead you down a
blind alley -- where you may lose the contents of your wallet.

A focused search using tried and true methods, especially

networking, will lead to your next job, not tactics that smack of
desperation.

Avoid these five job-hunting "don'ts" that will yield the poorest
of results, according to leading workplace advisor Liz Ryan.

1. Spray and pray.

Don't blindly send your resume unsolicited, electronically or

otherwise, to any company without first making verbal contact.
Says Ryan, founder of AskLizRyan.com, "Tossing out un-
customized cover letters and undifferentiated resumes in huge
volumes and crossing your fingers is a job-search non-starter.
That doesn't work, and it hasn't worked in 10 years, or more."
Establish a connection before sending a customized cover letter
and, adds Ryan, "You can even customize your resume if a job
opening calls for it."

2. Stand in line for a job fair.

Admits Ryan, "Sad to say, but most job fairs are a waste of time.
Avoid the huge cattle call-type job fairs where zillions of
employers have booths, yet no one is taking resumes." There are
some job fairs that have value. Ryan, a former human resources
executive, points to company-specific open hours and college
placement job fairs. Tap your network to learn if anyone can
recommend worthwhile fairs. "Ask around before you head off
to a job fair or risk having your time wasted and your ego
dashed."

3. Earn certifications nobody wants.

It's common to feel less-than-confident in your skills if you're

having a hard time finding work, but don't rush out to spend
money on any additional training unless you're certain it will
yield improved results. Ryan reveals, "Before you sign up for a
certification training program, check the job boards to make sure
that employers are asking for it. There's no sense investing time
and money in a certification no one wants."

If you're getting the hard-sell from an educational institution,

Ryan says, "Ask the people at the school that's doing the
certifying, 'Which local employers have hired your graduates in
the past year?' If they can't tell you, run away."

4. Pay a headhunter.

Don't dole out money to any kind of recruiter or sign a contract

agreeing to do so. "Real headhunters, also known as search
consultants or third-party recruiters, won't take your money.
They get paid by employers to fill open jobs." She warns, "If a
recruiter calls or emails you to say s/he's got jobs open, and then
invites you to his or her office for a counseling session and
presents you with a range of career-coaching services, bolt for
the exit. Real search professionals won't take a dime from their
candidates."

5. Sign up with a resume fax-blast service.

This old-school -- and desperate -- tactic is a total turn-off to

potential employers and smacks of spam. Ryan says, "Services
that send out hundreds or thousands of your resumes might have
been worthwhile 20 years ago. Today, they're worse than
pointless, because it irks employers to get unsolicited resumes.
Forget the fax-blast services and do your own careful research to
reach decision-makers with messages they actually want to
hear."