The Career Coach's Blog

What happens when the difficult co-worker is you?

I was quoted in this article. Thanks Sarah for including me!

Everyone has a co-worker horror story.

But, have you ever thought, maybe, you're that person in the office to someone, too?

"You might feel like people are staring at you or talking about you. Coworkers leave the room when you arrive, or you're not invited to lunches or parties," says Deborah Brown-Volkman, Career Coach and President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc.

"People do their best to limit interactions with you."

"When I point annoying behaviors out to clients, they already know they have them." says Volkman.

Full article at:

http://littlepinkbook.com/little-pink-book/coworker-horror-story

 

Admit Your Career Is Not Working

We all want the dream career. The one that gets us excited to get out of bed everyday. The career that gives us meaning and purpose. The career that we know we were born to fulfill.

While this is the goal (and the dream) sometimes the jobs we take before we reach this goal are not that great. Maybe you are in a job now that is overwhelming or boring, but you need to keep it because of the state of the economy. Or, maybe your career could improve if you could communicate more effectively with your boss or co-workers, but you don’t know what to say, or are afraid to say it, so you don’t say anything.

Whatever the reason, the truth is you are unhappy where you are. I understand unhappiness. Not every job is the dream one. There are bills to pay and responsibilities to take care of. But still, you are unhappy. How much longer do you plan to endure your unhappiness? Your career gets better when you make it better. Making it better is up to you.

So What Do You Do When Your Career Is Not Working? Follow These 3 Steps Below.

1. Admit Your Career Is Not Working

You cannot fix what you do not admit. People ask me all the time how can they fix a broken career. I tell them the first step is recognizing there is a problem. Recognition brings it to the surface. Denial is the enemy of progress. Once you recognize the problem, you can face the issue, and prepare yourself to tackle it head on.

 2. Acknowledge The Courage It Took To Recognize Your Problem

Saying “my career is not working” is courageous.  These words have meaning; now you are accountable for your situation. You will have take action. You will have to make room in your schedule for making changes and you will have to add more items to an already busy calendar of things to do. Recognizing the problem sets you on a path, one that will require work and effort that will pay off in the future, but will add more to your place now. That takes courage. Good for you.

 3. Do Something About Your Situation

Now, the work begins. What specifically is not working in your career? Write it down. What needs to be changed? Write it down. What is your goal? Where do you want to be in the future instead of where you are now?  When will you get there? Write it down. What are the top 3 things you need to do to achieve your goal? Write them down. What is the priority of these 3 items? Write them down. What actions will you take first, second, third, etc?

See the theme here? Writing things down is the first step to making them real because you cannot do what you cannot see. Career change is a journey, not a sprint. You may want your change to happen quickly now that you can visualize it.  Understandable.  Your change will happen as long as you have a plan, you implement your plan, and you don’t stop until you reach your destination.

McKinsey Tries to Recruit Mothers Who Left the Fold

Wall Street Journal article: McKinsey & Co. wants its moms back.

"The big consulting firm is quietly reaching out to female employees who left some years ago—presumably to start families—to see whether they are ready to return."

"Details of the initiative, still in its early stages, are sketchy, and McKinsey offered no further information, except to say it isn't a companywide policy. But the effort is one small signal that at least some companies are re-examining some of the most basic terms of women's working lives."

"The issue of lost women workers remains a delicate one for many companies, particularly in highly skilled professions, such as consulting or banking. After spending their 20s in high-intensity jobs, many women leave or switch to part-time work when they have children."

Full article at:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323764804578314450063914388.html

Make Different Choices In Your Career

Article I wrote:

Your career is filled with choices. Some of them will empower you, and others will hold you back. 

Wherever you are now in your career, you have arrived there by choice. Maybe your choice was something you chose outright. Or, you chose not to choose, which was also a choice. Either way, if you are unhappy in your career, you must realize that your choices have contributed to your unhappiness.

Of course, no-one intentionally makes bad choices. Every time you were about to make a choice about a new job or project, you probably thought it was the best choice at the time. You weighed your options and believed that you were doing the right thing. But then, the result was not what you expected. When you learn to start questioning choices that are bad for you before you make them, that’s when you can make choice that are more beneficial for your career in the future.

So How Do You Make Different Choices In Your Career? Follow These Important 2 Steps Below.

1. Take Responsibility For Your Choices

Setbacks in your career usually do not arise not by accident, but as a result of the choices you’ve made.

For example:

• You choose to complete a project on your own. This choice holds you back because you are alienating others, rather than building a supportive network. Not only have you lost valuable allies, you have also needlessly caused yourself to work harder.
• You choose to send e-mails when you are angry. This choice holds you back because co-workers remember your rash decisions, thus straining your relationships with them.
• You choose to work excessively long hours. This choice holds you back because your hectic schedule drains your energy, clouds your perspective, and casts a shadow over your relationships. It creates an unbalanced life.
• You choose to coast through your career. This choice holds you back because your lack of passion will surely lead to lack of focus and direction.

It’s always easier to blame someone else for mishaps in your career. But when you can honestly look at the part you’ve played, and take responsibility for your piece, that’s when your choices can change going forward.  No one is saying things haven’t happened to you. I am saying that if you focus outward instead of inward, your career will stay the same.

2. Decide To Make Different Choices

Today is a brand new day, and although you cannot change your past choices, you can change your future ones.

Ask yourself the following. What choices am I making today? What choices am I continuing to make even though I know they are not good for me? Do I know in my gut that it’s time to make different choices, but I still hesitate?

Now, ask yourself these questions. What will I do differently going forward? For example, will I take deep breaths before sending emails? Will I be more inquisitive during job interviews? Will I work less hours so I can be more productive with my time?

Can making this decision transform your career that easily? Yes, because it’s a place to start, and when you start doing things differently, that’s when you get different results.

 

Why Employees Like Zuckerberg and Other Popular CEOs

Bloomberg Business Week article:

"Apparently Mark Zuckerberg isn’t liked just among his 17 million followers on Facebook. Of nearly 200,000 CEOs reviewed in the past year on job site Glassdoor.com, Facebook’s (FB) chief executive had the highest employee approval rating on the latest rankings of 50 CEOs, at 99.3 percent. Not coincidentally, Facebook also ranked as the best place to work on Glassdoor."

"The ranking is based on employee response to the question: “Do you approve of the way your CEO is leading the company?”

“Mark Zuckerberg is famous for not even having his own office. He sits in the open seating area along with every single other employee, and they see him in a regular bathroom as they would anyone.”

Full article:

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-18/why-employees-like-zuckerberg-and-other-popular-ceos

Editorial: Put Long Island brain power to work

Great artice in Newsday about where jobs in Long Island can come from. 

"Long Island has to compete in research and innovation and the commercialization of new ideas to produce homegrown start-ups. The payoff would be high-paying jobs for software engineers, biologists, chemists, physicists, technicians and spin-off jobs to support the vibrant new sectors."

Full article at:

http://www.newsday.com/mobile/opinion/editorial-put-long-island-brain-power-to-work-1.4780258

Great resource for what job would be perfect for you

Found this today and loved it: http://www.insidejobs.com 

"At Inside Jobs, we’re dedicated to helping people shape confident futures through career exploration."

"By developing data-driven information, engaging resources, and a community of career conversations we help people discover what they want to become."

Very cool.

Why You Didn't Get the Job

US Money/On Career article: You're not as hot as you thought you were. Here's why you missed the boat.

"You were perfect for the job and your interviewer seemed to love you—or so you thought. But you just found out that you didn't get the job, and now you're wondering why. "

What happened? Here's some reasons why:

1. You were qualified, but someone else was more qualified. 

2. You weren't as qualified as you thought you were. 

3. You turned off the hiring manager in the interview. 

4. You were annoying. 

5. You only seemed interested in what the job could do for you, not what you could offer the company.

Full article at:

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/02/25/why-you-didnt-get-the-job

How studying your taxes can help your career

CBS News/Money Watch article: Let the IRS be your career counselor.

"Studying your tax return can help you make these wise career moves."

Here are some things to consider:

Figure out if you're underpaid. 

See if your salary matches your life goals.

Consider worst-case scenarios.

Full article at:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-57573136/how-studying-your-taxes-can-help-your-career/

How to Turn Your Hellhole of a Company Into a Great Place to Work

Lifehacker article.

"There are some companies people would kill to work for, and you probably know already whether yours is one of them. At some companies, people love coming in every day. At others, the paycheck is the only thing stopping the staff from burning the place down. If your company sounds like the latter, there are things you can do—at any level of the organization—to make your company a better place to work."

Great guide that walks you through some things you can do, whether you're entry-level, standard staff, middle management, or a manager, to make your company—or at least your team—more friendly.

Article's closing thoughts:

"Let's be honest: It's easier to just quit and find a company that has the perks that you like, or keep searching until you find a corporate culture where you really fit in than it is to actually make these small changes and try to improve your working conditions from the inside. It's why so many of us just give up when things start sucking and start looking for a new job."

"Unfortunately, jobs are scarce these days in every industry, and everyone knows it. Sometimes it's better to put in a little effort to keep the one you have, and starting off small and slow like this is a great way to make the kinds of changes that will ultimately make your company not just better for you, but more attractive to other great talent. You need to be willing to stick to your guns, lead the charge, and go out on a limb to make the time you spend at work a little better for everyone. After all, you spend  at least 40 hours a week (and many of you said you spend  more than that) at the office. It should at least be an enriching experience."

Full article at:

http://lifehacker.com/5988849/how-to-turn-your-hellhole-of-a-company-into-a-great-place-to-work