job

Reasons to Trash or Rewrite Your Resume

6:10PM Gina Trapani | Marketing expert Seth Godin says job hunters who are “remarkable, amazing, and spectacular” probably shouldn’t have a resume. Bold statement! Godin writes: Having a resume begs for you to go into that big machine that looks for relevant keywords, and begs for you to get a job as a cog in a giant machine. Just more fodder for the corporate behemoth. That might be fine for average folks looking for an average job, but is that what you deserve? More »

How to Do What You Love on the Job

2:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Do you head off to the office in the morning full of anticipation or dread? The Dumb Little Man weblog tackles the sticky matter of how to do what you love at work. If your overall feeling at the office is icky instead of happy, it may be time to examine your career choices. Take time to reflect on your wants, your desires, your talents, and your unique abilities. Think about the types of jobs that would make you feel fulfilled and satisfied. Once you have determined what you would like to be doing, visualize it. Become whatever it is you wish to be. For example, you may be an office administrator, but long to become an interior designer. Do not say to yourself, “I want to be.” Rather, tell yourself, “I am.” Have you ever gotten yourself out of a crappy job and into one you love? How did you do it? Tell us your story in the comments. Dealing with a Career You Simply Hate [Dumb Little Man] More »

Balance Your Work and Family Life

7:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Some of us work extremely hard and never have time for our personal lives, and particularly, our own families. Perhaps, however, it’s time to change that. Consider this: it’s pretty difficult to be productive for over 80 hours a week. Instead, take a break during the evening and focus on family time (especially during dinner). At the end of the day, you’re making that money so that you can attend to your family—but your family should not be put on hold while you’re hard at work. What changes have you made to emphasise family over your career? Let’s hear your best moves in the comments. Balancing Work & Family [FreelanceSwitch] More »

Prepare for a Layoff

3:00AM Tamar Weinberg | With all this recent hype about the stock market and rising unemployment rates, the best way to protect yourself from being laid off is to consistently look out for other opportunities. Always stay in the game. Even if you’re feeling smug at work, look around for the perfect dream job and keep your resume up-to-date. This will give you a head start if your company is negatively impacted by the economy. If you’re feeling worried, build upon your emergency fund and limit leisure spending. Ideally, you should have three to six months of expenses in your bank account. See these other ways to recession-proof your career. How to Prepare for a Layoff [Lifehack] More »

Manage Overachievers

5:00AM Tamar Weinberg | If you’ve ever employed an overachiever, you know that they need special attention so that you can take advantage of what they have to offer. Constant communication works best, but be inspirational, not commandeering. Overachievers don’t like to be told what to do. Managers get the best results from them if they involve them in decisions and planning whenever possible. If there’s a problem with their work, rather than telling them how to fix it, ask them what they think the solution should be. Praise them for a job well done, tap into their creativity, and be sincere. Remove obstacles and help pave the way to success. Weblog BNET suggests tips on how to identify these overachievers if you don’t know which of your employees have taken that initiative and how to turn them into a team player. While overachievers may demand more, their output often goes much higher than that of other employees. How to Manage Overachievers [BNET] More »

Get a Pay Raise

2:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Do you feel that you’re working more than you’re worth? It might be the right time to ask for a pay raise. Before you make the request, though, do your homework and ensure that your roles and activities—not your job title—are consistent with what you should be paid. If you’re confident that you deserve more, build up the courage and ask, but do it with grace. Rehearse your pay-raise request and make sure that your case is articulated clearly and without negative emotions or threats to quit. Ensure that the timing is right: don’t request a raise when your manager’s stress is high and the workload is overwhelming. Otherwise, your request might be perceived as a distraction and may not be received well. You also need to be honest with yourself. Do you deserve the raise? Was your past performance up to par? Did you exceed expectations? If the answer is yes, it’s time to take the plunge. How to… get a pay raise [Times Online] More »

Find a Job that You Love

4:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Looking for a job you love? For many of us, it won’t happen right out of school and it may take several years until you find a job you’re truly happy with. Blogger Jon Morrow recognizes that most people spend the majority of their waking hours working, so he proposes the question: “why not spend that time on you’re passionate about?” He suggests that you start looking for the right job by defining what you love. Then move onto defining who you are and knowing what you want. Only when you know what you love and you can identify with who you are can you take the next step to define what work is to you. If you want work that you love, then you’ll have to change your conception of work. You might even want to remove the word from your vocabulary entirely. More »

Don’t Put Off Job Search Until After the Holidays

2:00AM Kevin Purdy | Over at work blog TheJobBored, editor Brian McCullough answers a reader’s question about whether to avoid job-seeking during December, when hiring seems scarce and work in general slows down. That’s no reason for anyone to give up, McCullough points out, because jobs that do open up often need to be filled desperately. For those who need to start getting paid again, there’s another upside: The holiday season is a key time for temporary workers. If you need a job now because you need money fast, consider temping. In certain industries, temp jobs are plentiful, and you never know, it could always turn into something permanent. Also worth noting is that January is one of the busiest hiring months of the year, so getting your resume out there can help put you ahead of the pack. Photo by Photo-Mojo. Ask Brian – Job Search During the Holidays? [TheJobBored] More »

See What Interviewers are Asking at InterviewUp

10:00PM Kevin Purdy | So the interview for your next great job is coming up and you’ve got answers for your strengths, weaknesses, and teamwork skills—but can you explain the 5-4-3 rule of computer networking? InterviewUp, a social website focused on industry-specific interview questions, could help you prepare for your time in the hot seat. No account is required to search, post or answer questions asked of candidates, but a free sign-up lets users get email notices when questions they ask get answered. The question pool seems to lean heavily toward the programming, science and health care fields at this point, but other careers and general questions get some attention as well. Interviewees can also check out job interview tips from a recruiter and advice on how to ace a job interview. InterviewUp More »