The Career Coach's Blog

How Throwing Up May Be Good For Your Career

Great post from a great writer, Adam Rico. Love the title too.

Here's an excerpt:

Recently I had an exchange with someone that went like this.

“How was your fifty mile run?’

“It went really well.  After I finished the run I threw up for three hours.  It was great!”

It was great?  I thought about that statement for a couple of days afterwards.  Here was a seemingly lucid man I’ve known my entire life.  He’s never been crazy before.  Poor guy, I wonder what happened?

However, as I thought about it more, I realized how throwing up for three hours could be considered a great experience!

Full blog post at:

http://www.workyouenjoy.com/career/how-throwing-up-may-be-good-for-your-career/

Updating a Résumé for 2011

WSJ article: Back in the job market after 10 years, a reader wonders how to update her résumé to make it more current by today's standards.

"Today, they need to craft a package both online and off to present to a prospective employer."

Here's some of the tips:

Embrace technology. The biggest change is also the most expected one: a move toward technology. An online networking presence is no longer just an option but a requirement.

Expansion is good. The one-page rule for résumés no longer holds true. While one page makes sense when you have little experience, you have 10, 20 or more years of experience."

Looks still count. If an employer or a recruiter is seeking you out because of a reputation, the résumé's appearance may not matter. If you are seeking out an employer's attention, its appearance does matter."

Full article at:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576363612674900024.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_4

How to Criticize Your Boss Nicely

WSJ article: Just as important as what you say,  is how you say it.

"Depending on the relationship you have with your boss as well as the tone you use, it could work to bring you closer or end up causing a rift."

"Any time you are offering unsolicited advice, you run the risk of alienating versus helping."

"Catch them in a moment when they're more receptive and not racing around or short on time."

"The conversation doesn't have to be long or drawn out. It can be delivered simply and to the point."

"It is quite common for people to feel like they need to correct or fix others. But the fact is we are judging by our own personal standards."

Full article at:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703834804576301343634619546.html?mod=WSJ_article_RecentColumns_CareersQ%26A

How to Handle a Bad Boss

WSJ article: I really like my job and all the people who I work with except for one: my new boss.

What do you do? Here's some tips and highlights from the article:

"While looking for another job may turn out to be your best option, don't start your search just yet. A job you really like and coworkers with whom you get along are benefits you don't want to lose in the current economy. What a disappointment if you leave your current job, only to find yourself in a new job with a whole new set of problems. So, try to resolve your issues first."

"Start by making a list of the essentials you need in order to be effective and happy at your job. Next, set up a meeting with him/her. The meeting can serve as an opportunity to bridge the gap between your needs and those of your boss. Discuss the company, the group, and the team strategies and priorities along with your boss's priorities and how you can best support them."

"Many times, new bosses are completely unaware of the discomfort their styles are causing."

"The biggest mistake you can make is to sit around and wait for your boss to leave."

"Bosses come in all shapes, sizes and with all kinds of backgrounds. The way to succeed is to find a way to become important to that new boss. In doing so, the boss wins, you win and the company wins."

Full article at:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704529204576256842937738676.html?mod=WSJ_article_RecentColumns_CareersQ%26A

Does Busier Job Equal Happier Marriage?

WSJ article: Working moms tend to be happier with their marriages when they are shouldering heavy workloads on the job, says a new study.

"One reason may be that when working moms’ workloads increase, their husbands tend to help out more at home."

"For many people in general, working hard can be energizing and can complement one’s role as a spouse."

Full article at:

http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2011/06/06/does-busier-job-equal-happier-marriage/

Learn to Like Your Job

WSJ article: Toxic workplace relationships, failing company fortunes and limited advancement opportunities are just a few reasons to quit a job. But experts say many problems employees think are irreconcilable can be improved with action and a change of attitude.

"Find out if your problems are unique. Reach out to co-workers in other departments, peers through industry associations or even call colleagues at other companies to compare notes."

"Separate the demands of work from your own expectations of yourself. If you're unhappy about falling short of your own personal career goals, try breaking your big goals into smaller, more realistically achievable ones. This can improve your morale by reinforcing small successes."

"Pitch your boss on a less formal and more goal-oriented workplace. And offer improved results in exchange for more autonomy.  Most people are generally happier at work when given more creative freedom to do their jobs."

Full article at:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576366032609504632.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_4

Anthony Weiner: Mixing Business With Pleasure

WSJ article: The Weiner scandal highlights how there is very little separation between private transgressions and public and professional fallout.

"Anthony Weiner admitted to sending sexually suggestive photographs and messages to six women online over three years and lying about his behavior."

"Weiner joins a disturbingly long line of public figures (Eliot Spitzer, John Ensign, Christopher Lee, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Edwards, Mark Sanford, Bill Clinton and on and on) behaving badly in their private lives."

"The Weiner scandal, like those that have come before, highlight that in this age, when public figures send personal musings (and lewd images) from their official Twitter and email accounts, there really is very little separation between private transgressions and public and professional fallout. Indeed, what made the recent Schwarzenegger revelations so surprising was not that he had fathered a son with his housekeeper, but that he had managed to hide it for a decade."

Secrets eventually come out. Today, they just come out quicker.

Full article at:

http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2011/06/07/anthony-weiner-mixing-business-with-pleasure/

Business Lunches Beat the Clock

WSJ article: Restaurants court executives with no time to spare, offering fine dining that takes 30 minutes, from ordering through dessert.  Hold the chitchat, please.

"Time-pressed executives are ordering something new for lunch—fine dining at the speed of a drive-through window."

"In cities from New York and Chicago to Dallas and San Francisco, many white-tablecloth establishments are catering to their booked-solid clientele with a formal lunch that takes 30 minutes, from ordering through dessert. It's not exactly fast food. But the format does bring a new level of efficiency to a business ritual that otherwise can go on for an hour or more."

"The 30-minute moniker appeals to executives worried about slow service. We're seeing a shift of lunches from social to functional. All of us are working harder than ever and have less time in our day to get stuff done."

Now. lunch is efficient too.

Full article at:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576363883848608592.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_2

 

The 10 Hardest Jobs To Fill In America

Fortune article: The staffing firm ManpowerGroup surveyed 1,300 U.S. employers in the first quarter of 2011 to find out what kinds of employees were the most wanted. It turns out the hardest positions to fill are those in skilled trades, which includes carpenters, plumbers, electricians and other tool-wielding tradesmen.

"Employers say they’re having trouble because job candidates are looking for more pay than is offered, they lack technical skills, or they lack experience."

“There are a number of factors that contribute to the ongoing difficulties related to filling skilled trades jobs. The demographics tell us that skilled trades professionals are starting to age out of the workforce, so the existing talent pool is shrinking, and the pipeline of new talent isn’t large enough to replace the retirees. In the U.S. we tend to encourage young people to attend four-year colleges and universities, when in fact that is not the only option, nor is it the right track for everyone. The skilled trades are honorable professions, and we need to bring that attitude back.”

Full listing with pictures here:

http://www.forbes.com/2011/05/31/hardest-jobs-to-fill_slide.html

Is Your Commute Ruining Your Relationship?

Fortune article: New research from Umea University in Sweden suggests that a 45-minute commute each way increases the likelihood of a breakup by 40%.

"Social geographer Erika Sandow examined the habits of 2 million couples over 10 years, and concluded that the social costs of work travel may outweigh the monetary gains."

"One reason for commuters’ increased love troubles may be an imbalance of commute times. If one partner travels farther, the other might get stuck with greater family or household duties."

"Another possibility is that the couples weren’t meant to be in the first place. Those that managed the commute for over a year, Sandow found, were generally in the clear."

Full article at:

http://blogs.forbes.com/jennagoudreau/2011/06/03/is-your-commute-ruining-your-relationship/