6 Bad Things Its OK to Say to Your Good Boss

6 Bad Things It's OK to Say to Your Good Boss 4 Work Happy Now! is Karl Staib's blog about “maximizing your work happiness”. When Karl wrote about 6 Things You Should Never Say to Your Boss, all I could think was “Karl, you've had some really bad bosses.” It doesn't need to be like that. You can always talk to a good boss See for yourself. Quotes from Karl's article are in italics. Tip for job seekers: use the hypothetical situations below in job interviews to test if your new boss is someone with whom you can talk freely. 1) Dirty (swear) words When your boss angers you to your core and makes you feel like screaming, you don’t respond with a rant that would make Paris Hilton blush.eval Although name-calling is never a good idea in the workplace, it's important and even healthy for people to blow off steam from time to time and even at the boss when deserved. You'll appreciate your boss much more if you know it's ok to react that way instead of keeping your frustration pent up. 2) ‘No' No boss wants to hear the word “no.” Instead you should respond with:eval “Sure, but let me finish this because it’s really important and I’ll do it as soon as I’m done. When do you absolutely need it by?” Your boss is the one who determines priorities. Convince that what you're doing is more urgent or else put it down and do what your boss is asking for. Also, a good boss stays updated on what team members are doing. If they're asking you to change directions, it's usually because they've already determined that their request is more urgent. That shouldn't stop you from asking about the change since a good boss will never say “just do it because I said so”. 3) ‘This Makes No Sense' “A boss likes to have a resourceful employee. If you absolutely aren’t able to problem solve on your own and need more information then it’s time to ask the boss for help.” Everyone has moments where things don't click for some reason. That's ok and it's normal, and will even happen to your boss too. A good boss who knows and respects you will never assume that you've suddenly gone stupid. They'll dig to understand what's blocking you and then steer you in the right direction. 4) ‘I’m Too Busy' “Never tell a boss that you are too busy, that’s like saying that you don’t care about the project that they want you to do.” This is similar to #2. Wanting to tell your boss that “I'm too busy” means that your understanding of priorities differs from your boss's. Just say so to your boss and discuss until choosing together the best order of attack in the new context. 5) ‘I Don’t Like It When You…' Never come right out with “I don’t like it when you (insert dislike here)” You should absolutely be willing to say this. With a good boss, any uncomfortable situations are usually accidents. However, if an uncomfortable situation repeats itself, you need to find out why. Meet as soon as possible and have a frank, open discussion to understand what's wrong and make sure it stops right away. A quick chat would serve to confirm the accident or might prove that your “good” boss is actually a bad one. 6) “Why do I Have To…” “An employee that questions every move can become really annoying.” Again, this is about understanding priorities. Anyone who questions everything can be really annoying, employee OR boss. Worse- there are always reasons for the constant questioning and none of them are good. If you find yourself in this situation, take it one step further and ask yourself why. Why aren't you getting all the information you need to do your job well? A boss doesn't necessarily need to justify tasks, but a good boss knows that respecting your opinion and giving you purpose will only help you do a better job. Otherwise, you may just want to ask what you're doing at that company. If you liked this article, you'll enjoy How to Smell a Bad Boss in Just One Interview. Looking for a good boss?

Networking Made Easy or Easier

Networking Made Easy or Easier You know you should be networking. Youve heard most people land jobs this way, and yet, you dread it, avoid it or give up when you don’t get the results you are looking for. If these are your feelings toward networking, you aren’t alone. Most people dislike networking, however, your career success is dependent on the relationships you have with others. Remember, people hire and do business with people they like, know and trust. This post is dedicated to the networking adverse! It will help you identify the people you should be networking with, lay out a strategy for your networking and meetings and provide tips for what to say during networking events so you feel more confident. Who to reach out to Let’s keep it simple. You already have a list of people you know. These are your friends, family, neighbors and the people you know well. This is your current network. These people care about you and your well-being. Have you ever asked any of them for the name of a good electrician, or their favorite restaurant? Why? Because the idea of pulling a name out of directory is risky. You want something reliable and you trust the recommendations of people you know. These are the same people you should begin the networking process with because you trust them and they want to help you. Your extended professional network is composed of people you may have only interacted with professionally. They could be vendors, suppliers, customers or even competitors. They could be people you have served on committees with. And don’t forget service providers, such as doctors, hairdressers, and accountants. You already have a relationship with these people. If you called any of them on the phone they would recognize your name. After you’ve gotten some networking experience under your belt by tapping into friends and family, begin reaching out to this set of people next. Who else do you need in your network? Create a list of people you would like to meet. They could be movers and shakers in your industry, people who work within companies you would like to work for or it may be a person who’s name comes up frequently in conversation. As you write down the names of people you would like to meet, also write down why  you want to meet them! Questions for an informational meeting: Before you reach out for an informational meeting, you need to know something about the person. Research their background and how you think they can help you. Create a list of questions you would like their opinions, advice or insights on. These may help get you started: By: ezrav Ask career path questions Tell me about your career path. How did you get to where you are today? Why did this type of work interest you? What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were entering this field, but didn’t? What publications, professional associations, or events should I check out for additional information on this field? Who else do you think I should speak with? Ask questions about their company What trends do you see in the future that will affect your organization and industry? What is the greatest demand for your services or product? How do you differ from your competition? If this company was known for three things as a workplace, what do you think those would be? How do you think most of the employees would describe this workplace? Remember, informational meetings are not about asking for a job. These meetings are about asking for information. As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind. To ensure this doesn’t happen to you, find a unique way to follow-up with the person. A timely thank you goes a long way, but what about giving them a shout out on your favorite social network, or a handwritten thank you with a gift card? How to start a  conversation Networking can be stressful but it doesnt have to be if you know how to begin a conversation. Build your repertoire of questions and openers by testing out some of these: Any group event By: Executives International What brought you here today? How’s your week going? What do you have planned for the weekend? At an event with speakers What did you think of the speaker? What prompted you to come here today? Have you been to one of these before? What’s been the best session for you? What session are you most looking forward to? Instead of opening a conversation with a safe and rather boring question like what do you do, take it to a personal level and ask, something like how do you spend your free time? What keeps you up at night? or What are you working on? These less-often used conversation starters often result in faster rapport building and most importantly, set you apart. Additional tips for surviving networking events Pretend you are the host of the event by seeking out someone standing alone or just arriving. You will make them feel more comfortable by introducing yourself. Or, volunteer for an upcoming event. Every organization needs volunteers. Ask to be part of the events committee or offer to manage sign-ins at the registration table. This is a great way to force yourself to meet people. Be the connector. Offer to introduce your new connection or even old connection to someone you think they should meet in your network. One way to take the focus off you is by introducing people. Ditch the old pitch. The secret formula is short and snappy and immediately turns the conversation over to the other person. Here’s a framework: I help [who benefits from your work] by [problem you solve]. And what do you do? For example, this is how a human resources professional may respond: I help managers at XYZ company hire and keep the best talent by fleshing out the real job requirements and teaching them how to interview for those skills. And what do you do? Always have a professional business card on hand. Minimally, it should include name, job title, phone number, email and the URL for your LinkedIn account. You could take this a step further by adding key skills, industry expertise and maybe even a short pitch. And remember to include that same information in your personal email signature. How to close a  conversation When networking at a group event, you may need to step out of a conversation in order to meet other people. But leaving a conversation shouldnt feel like the end. By all means, ask if you can connect with people you meet on LinkedIn. But rather than send the invite right then and there from your smart phone, personalize your invite with a very short note from your home computer (smart phone apps do not let you customize your invitations). Your invitation could mention something from your conversation with them. This serves to purposes, first, it prevents your invite from getting overlooks, and second, you make a memorable impression. Close with the give. Instead of focusing on your agenda, needs, wants and requests, listen for the opportunity to give. The give could be a recommendation, tangible gift or just sharing relevant information or resources. Networking isnt really about you or your needs and wants. Think about the memorable people youve met. What was it that made you remember them? They most likely put the focus on you. The best way to network is by making the other person feel special or important. Try it!

The Boom of Social Sites and Personal Branding - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The Boom of Social Sites and Personal Branding - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Here is a fantastic infographic that helps to visualize the relative size of social networks over time. The timeline is quite interesting you can really see the explosion of social networks in 2003 2006 and the relative slowdown in their creation after 2007. There was also a considerable slowdown during the tech bubble crush in 2001. You can also see that the big dogs of social networks (Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin) were established from 2003 2006. If you look back at a company like Google that went public after about 10 years of operation, that puts SWAG target dates on IPOs for the big dogs anywhere from 2013 2016. And, yes, these social networks will eventually go public. For a longtime nobody thought Google had a business model how did that one turn out? The big dogs will eventually figure out business models that work for them too. Part of the next wave of innovation in the world will revolve around social networks, personal brands, massive amounts of online data, collaboration and making sense of this information to create value. In the next decade, the best opportunities will go to those that have created their personal brands and are seen as leaders in their niche. The best opportunities will find the most powerful personal brands and be unsolicited. There will be more internal company social networking over the next decade as Web 2.0 social networking is brought to your workplace. Yes, your personal brand will follow you everywhere you go. The most credible and visible personal brands will stand the greatest odds of success in an increasingly online and competitive world. What do you think is next for social networks, sites and personal brands over the next decade? Please share your comments below. Author: Chad Levitt is the author of the New Sales Economy blog, which focuses on how Sales 2.0 Social Media can help you connect, create more opportunities and increase your business. Chad is also the featured Sales 2.0 blogger at SalesGravy.com, the number one web portal for sales pros, the professional athletes of the business world. Make sure to connect with him on Twitter @chadalevitt.

In 2009 Become a Generalist AND a Specialist to Keep Your Job - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

In 2009 Become a Generalist AND a Specialist to Keep Your Job - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career When it comes to personal branding, I typically recommend that you become the master of your domain (a niche) instead of trying to position yourself for a large, saturated and boring topic.   Well, the economic landscape has changed and you cant just succeed by being a specialist within a corporation.   If youre an entrepreneur and have a steady business, focused on a niche, then this disregard this blog post.   The new means that in order to keep your job, you must be flexible (easy adapt to business changes), learning new functions within your business, and networking outside of your group or organization, while still specializing. The role of a specialist A specialist aligns their passion with a specific skill set and contrives a personal brand statement from that.   Specialists become the go-to-people in and out of the office.     Sometimes a specialist is a natural at what they do, while other times, they have to work very hard to perfect their knowledge in a specific area.   Malcolm Gladwell states that it takes 10,000 areas to assume mastery over something in his new book, Outliers.     Specialists get called upon when a certain opportunity surfaces or when there is a business challenge that can only be handled by someone of that caliber.   As a specialist, you may have to learn complimentary skills as well. The role of a generalist Generalists have to have a good, not perfect, understanding of a broader topic and many topics across a business. Dont listen to people that say being a generalist is a waste of time.   When I was in school, my resume building strategy was 100% focused on being a generalist.   I had 8 internships that covered every single area of marketing and a consulting business.   I purposely took classes in marketing research, advertising and other marketing disciplines in order to have flexibility and a wider selection of companys to choose from upon graduation.   Behind my generalist cap, it was clear to the hiring managers that my strengths lied in internet marketing, web development and design.   A lot of corporate leadership development programs help you become a generalist and give you generalist titles.   The higher up the corporate ladder you go, the more of a generalist you have to be.   When both come together Being a specialist and a generalist simultaneously is the best route to being successful in a good or bad economy, but it 10x more important in a bad one.   For instance, lets say you specialize in social media PR, but generalize in all of marketing.   Your company is going to outsource the PR organization, but sees that you can add value in a product marketing or a communications role.   Instead of being laid off like your peers, you get a new job.   Ive already heard these stories multiple times since October.   You need to start learning other areas of the business, while mastering a specialty. This of course means you have to work much harder!

Looking For John Hancock Professional Resumes Writing?

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3 Ways to Reach More Qualified Candidates

3 Ways to Reach More Qualified Candidates Attract Top Talent in a Rapidly Evolving Job Market Over the summer the search engine behemoth Google made waves as it entered the recruitment space with Google for Jobs, and then, in October, rumors surfaced that Facebook began testing a résumé feature to boost companies’ recruitment efforts. These industry shakeups have job boards on edge, wondering if eventually Google and Facebook will monopolize job search and advertising. While Google in particular could reinvent how job search works, this represents only one way to reach candidates and savvy job boards are reinventing themselves by going beyond the job ad to help employers find more effective ways to better reach candidates. Savvy recruiters and HR professionals need to proactively engage a wider audience pool, embrace the new innovative recruitment tools on the market, and rethink their recruitment brands. Joe Weinlick, Chief Marketing Officer for Nexxt, a recruitment media company, and I spoke about tools and techniques recruiters can use in today’s tight labor market to capture a competitive edge in reaching and hiring new talent. #1 Proactively Engage Candidates If you’re an HR professional, you probably use job boards as your main source of leads when filling positions â€" many companies do. But job boards as they exist today are no longer effective as a single-pronged recruitment strategy and it’s not enough to simply post an ad waiting for a candidate to bite. In fact, many eligible candidates aren’t necessarily scouring job boards every day. According to a recent survey conducted by Nexxt, 14 percent of respondents said they’re actively searching for a new job, but a much higher number â€" 58 percent â€" are open to job offers. Meaning, there’s a large gap between the number of candidates open to moving onto the next great opportunity and those actually applying for the job. Candidates who are not actively looking but are open to opportunities are referred to as “passive.” You might even be one yourself if you don’t feel hot or cold about your job. “There are a lot of really talented people who lack passion for their current job or company â€" and that is both a great tragedy and a perfect opportunity for employers to start conversations with these potential candidates,” says Weinlick. “But it takes a lot of effort to apply for new jobs, so employers need to get creative if they want to engage candidates who haven’t committed to that effort yet.” One of the most effective ways to reach the passive qualified candidate who is daydreaming of a new job is through text messaging. “Like most people, I’m addicted to my smartphone and, while I might ignore an email, I never ignore a text message,” says Weinlick. “People live on their devices! So as a recruiter, you know any communication you send by text message will be read and read immediately.” The personalized nature of text message is also a strength for this recruitment tool. A tailored text message addressed to a prospect is more likely to elicit a response than more traditional forms of reaching candidates, and with conversational text products allow recruiters to carry on live conversations with interested candidates. #2 Reach Candidates Through Retargeting In addition to text messaging, employers can also take a different approach to advertising their open positions through retargeting. This popular online marketing tool, also known as remarketing, has been used by retailers for years. That’s why consumers see those pair of shoes they’ve been lusting over popping up in ads on Facebook and Google days after they first clicked on them on the retailer’s website. This marketing technique is proving useful in the recruitment industry as well. With retargeting, that disgruntled worker who clicked on your job advertisement this morning and then got on with their day will now see your job ad pop up as they skim their Facebook timeline or check the score of the game online. It’s the perfect way to subtly nudge a candidate to commit to applying for your job. With job boards becoming more crowded and less targeted, retargeting is an ideal way to ensure your company’s positions get noticed. #3 Rethink Your Recruitment Brand In today’s tight labor market, a company needs to stand out from the competition to attract the most qualified talent. One of the easiest ways to differentiate yourself from the company next door is to strengthen your recruitment brand. Similar to a corporate brand, your recruitment brand communicates important details about your company, but more specifically, it shares with potential applicants what day-to-day life is like as an employee at your organization. The key part of your recruitment brand is a single strategic ethos or message that runs through all company communication, from the newsletter to the social media channels to the website. “Everything about your brand needs to inspire and motivate,” says Weinlick. “When candidates and employees read your corporate mission statement or job ad, they need to feel something. That feeling should give them the reason to apply to your job or get up and go to work in the morning.” There are a lot of companies with strong recruitment brands, sourcing incredibly qualified talent from around the world â€" Amazon, Facebook, Google, to name a few. But you don’t have to be a big Silicon Valley powerhouse or even a household name to effectively communicate why it’s great to work at your company. The first steps include revisiting what your brand stands for, fine tuning the feeling and message you give candidates when they visit your external channels, and weaving that message through all company communications. What we thought we knew about the recruitment industry is no longer true and the way jobseekers search and apply for jobs has evolved. To keep up with these changes, employers need to reevaluate the way that they recruit. A shrewd recruiter needs to target the 58 percent of jobseekers who are open to new roles, use new recruitment tools like text messaging and retargeting to do so, and take a fresh look at their recruitment brand to ensure that what makes their company unique is being communicated well to candidates. Job boards aren’t going anywhere â€" they’re still the backbone of any recruitment campaign, but recruiters and employers need to be innovative to get in front of candidates in order to remain relevant in today’s competitive market. 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Proof Job Seekers Dont Get Social

Proof Job Seekers Dont Get Social Jobvite has released their newest study, Social Job Seeker 2012, which surveys how job seekers use social networks. What the study points out to me is that there is still a lot more these job seekers can do to pro-actively look for new employment. The shift in how companies hire people (primarily through referrals) doesnt match the actions or behaviors taken by job seekers. 69 Percent Jobvites study reports 69% of employed Americans are seeking or at least open to a new job. They call them job seekers and so will I. (The study reports 75% of the workforce (employed and unemployed) are seeking new opportunities.) 9% are employed and actively seeking a new job 60% are employed and open to a new job Let this be a warning to all companies! Your employees want to leave you! It is Harder to Find A Job When 61% say it is harder to find a job this year than last year, shouldnt that mean they need to try new tactics and strategies? If you continue to do what youve always done, wont you continue to get the same results? Social Profiles Dont Equal Use 85% of   job seekers have a Facebook profile 44% of job seekers have a LinkedIn profile 51% of job seekers have a Twitter profile Merely having a profile isnt going to be enough. The real value of social networking is the ability to connect with people. This is one of the largest misconceptions- If I put it out there, they will find me! While that CAN happen, the true value of social networks happens when you connect with people, mine your network for meaningful industry data and trends (not job postings), and ask for advice and information. What Actions Do Job Seekers Take On Social Networks? Can you call items one through four career activities? These are reactive job search actions. No wonder those interviewed for the study found it harder today to find a job.   They are engaging in the most competitive, congested, and less productive activities. Updated profile with professional information Provided your own profile on a job application or during an interview Modified privacy settings with work in mind Searched for jobs Researched a potential employer before/ during application process. Connected with a potential employer Had contact with a recruiter None of these As a matter of fact, the none of these responses were quite high across all three social networks: 48% on Facebook, 62% on LinkedIn, and 66% on Twitter. In my mind, this indicates they are missing opportunities to connect with potential employers and not really users of social networks, but takers! Facebook Faux Pas More job seekers are taking steps to professionalize their Facebook accounts by updating professional experience. Thats the one area of improvement. 51% of job seekers are NOT using Facebook for career gain. In other words, they did NOT do any of these things: I made new professional connections I asked a contact for help with a job search / career advice I shared a job opportunity with a contact A contact shared a job opportunity A contact referred me for a job A contact provided an employee’s perspective on a company They looked for posted jobs. And I find it odd that while 20% reported receiving a job lead from someone on Facebook, only 12% reported sharing job leads themselves. They must have missed the give to get message. Loosely LinkedIn 62% of job seekers with LinkedIn accounts are NOT using it for career gain. I am not sure why they are on the network at all? I would be interested to know how and what they are using LinkedIn for if they are serious about transitioning to a new job. Twitter Trouble 65% reported they did not use Twitter proactively. While they did receive referrals and job leads, only 7% shared leads themselves. The good news here is that 11% of Twitter users reported asking for insight on a company. Yay!  Social Networks Are There are certain strategies great marketers use to build brand awareness and promote their product across social networks. It would benefit all job seekers to learn how to use these strategies to improve how they are leveraging the power of social networks. Here are some of the better practices of businesses on social networks: Engage in discussion with potential customer, clients, employers Pull, dont push your message. Create valuable content and draw your customers to you. (This means more than updating a profile) Give to get. In other words, help others more than you promote yourself. Uncover the needs and wants of potential customers, clients, employers and develop a campaign to reach them. Follow great thinkers within potential companies. Build a tribe! Partner with organizations and people who believe in you and will help distribute your message. Systematically and purposefully grow your network with people who can help. Ask for advice and help! Be authentic but dont be vulgar. If you consider yourself a business of one, these actions should make sense. If, however, you consider yourself merely an employee looking for a job, well, youll be at this a long time.