Show and Tell

Recently, my company advertised an open position on one of the major job boards. This position was not one that required an exuberant amount of education or experience. A basic background in sales would have done the trick. Because of the broad requirements, we received a ridiculous amount of résumés; 400 to be exact.

How does one go about sorting through 400 résumés you ask? Well thankfully we have the ability to turn to our on-site staffing department. Many employers, however, don’t have the same resources and therefore must take time out of their day to do just that: find the perfect candidate out of a pool of hundreds.

You need to make the effort to have your résumé and cover letter stand out as much as possible. I know I am not the first one to let you in on this little secret. But it is a good point to reiterate: be creative, be unique and sell yourself.

Case in point: a good friend of mine is graphic designer. Many designers bring a short portfolio to their interviews. Portfolios are great interview tools but to make sure she was even scheduled an interview she created a virtual résumé website. She designed the entire page and attached a link to it in her résumé and cover letter. She showed them her work without even speaking to them and the best part? She not only got an interview, she got the job.

Of course if you don’t write code, creating a virtual résumé is a little bit more difficult. And for some positions, such as administrative or clerical, it is harder to demonstrate your skills. Here’s an idea that can work for any job you are applying for: create a chart that reflects and compares the abilities the employer is looking for with your own expertise. If you have performance reviews from your previous positions don’t be afraid to send clips of those as well.

Anything you can do to set yourself apart from the vast majority of job seekers is a plus. A good rule of thumb for job hunting? Don’t just tell ‘em, show ‘em!

The Ugly Side of Office Romances

Most work places have a strict policy about dating coworkers. There are numerous problems that can arise from having a relationship with someone you are supposed to be working with on a daily basis. Here are some things to consider before you jump into the cyclone that mixes work and dating.

First of all, it can interfere with your work. When you are dating a coworker you will be consumed by that person instead of your work. You will try to sneak off together or find time to meet in the break room. You will spend your time flirting instead of working. If you happen to break up with this person then you will spend your time avoiding him or her. The situation might jeopardize your work because you might have to be relocated in order to not work with that person or see them every day.

Secondly, can we say favoritism? If you are dating someone either a notch above or below you on the work ladder then favoritism will definitely arise. You could unfairly rise in the work ladder or be put on a special assignment that you don’t qualify for. Your coworkers will resent you if you or the person you are dating is unjustly receiving preferential treatment in the office.

The worst circumstance that could arise is sexual harassment. This is usually due to a breakup and harsh feelings towards the person you were dating. Your ex could cry sexual harassment just to be vindictive and this could ultimately threaten your job.

Just be careful with combining work and pleasure. Dating at work can be extremely uncomfortable when mixing your personal and professional life. Remember that coworkers will gossip and create animosity towards you if they think what you are doing is hindering your work. It is best to respect your company’s policy on dating and avoid any relationships other than friendship at work. Remember that this is your job, your career and your future. Take pride in what you do and try to find your soul mate in your off hours.

How baby boomers can work for you

There are 303,882,247 people in America. 76 million of them are baby boomers. Now, not all of them will retire. And not all of them will retire at the same time. But most of their jobs will be up for grabs. What does this mean for you? Fewer workers equals more job openings, which in turn, means more opportunities for you. And there are many things you can do to ensure yourself one of them.

The “skill gap” or “knowledge gap” will become a huge issue for every industry that currently employs baby boomers (which is all of them). A great idea is to learn as much as you can about the industry you’re interested in, how it works, tricks of the trade. Get a baby boomer mentor if you can. The skills and knowledge you retain will ultimately be to your advantage when the retirement frenzy begins.

When their top-level employees retire, companies will start to hire more from within than outside for replacements. Why? They are losing a good percentage of workers and they already know their current staff is capable. The talent pool is getting smaller and smaller, so if you can get a foot in the door of the industry you want to be in, that’s as good of an idea as any. Even if it’s just for a little while; it should pay off in the end.

If you do get an interview, something to bring up is the fact they will assuredly lose some percentage of their employees due to retirement. Mention that you are a quick learner and would love to train for the job while those employees are still there. This would counter the loss of productivity and add to the efficiency in which new hires can fully take over.

The baby boomers in America are reaching retirement age. This fact ultimately leads to the formerly high unemployment level starting to decline. So look up - better times are ahead for everyone.

The Positive Side of Office Romances

Not all office romances have to go sour. You just have to know how to maintain a good relationship with your significant other, coworkers and boss. It’s a juggling act that may be well worth it to you if you find that special person. Making your relationship work in an office of judgmental and chatty coworkers is a test to see if your career and personal life can coexist in the office.

The best thing you can do with an office romance is to conduct yourself in a formal, professional and efficient manner in the workplace. Make sure that when you are at work that you actually work. It is a professional environment and you need to save squabbles, drama, baby talk and flirting for your off hours. No one wants to see PDA when they are trying to finish an assignment.

Make sure you talk with your fellow coworker and significant other about how you are going to act towards each other at work. Agree to keep it strictly platonic at the office and save the kisses and hand holding for another time. As long as you are both on the same page then there should be no drama in the workplace.

For the sake of your relationship don’t bring work home! In order for your relationship to thrive you need to discuss other things besides work. Talking about a meeting from that day at work is no substitute for pillow talk. Learn to separate your personal life and your professional life. Talking about work all the time will lead to headaches and arguments.

Office romances can work as long as you take the time to set boundaries. Make sure everyone at work is comfortable with the situation and they can come to you if they have a problem. You can let Cupid enter the workplace as long as you understand that you are still there to get a job done.

“I haven’t had my coffee yet” and Other Excuses for Grogginess

Now let me set this up for you; I’m not a small-talker. I don’t like to make small talk to random strangers that I’ll presumably never see again. And even worse than small talk, I dislike silly little clichéd phrases, like “Well, the early bird gets the worm”. That said, can’t we all put cream and sugar into our coffee in silence? Apparently not, because those words actually came out of my mouth one day.

Over the condiments table, I had an early morning chit chat with this guy about how early it was. And that’s when I said it, the dreaded “Yeah, I haven’t had my coffee yet.” Dun Dun Dun…

So the point is, that coffee really does start to muddle your brain when you haven’t had it yet. And if you are one of those people that need their coffee, I might have a solution. In the morning, instead of sleeping in until the last possible second and trying to condense all of your morning activities, try getting up a half hour earlier. Yes, I said earlier.

Here’s why. Sometimes our bodies need to get a running start, especially in those first morning hours. This means that all of that groggy, slow time before we’ve had our coffee needs to happen at home, and you need the time to do that. By gaining this extra time, you can make a little something to eat and relax. You’ll be calm and ready for the day. It also means that you won’t be in a rush on your way to work.

When you finally do get in to the office you wouldn’t have felt pressured to have gotten there by nine, and you’ll be in a far better mood. Then, because you ate, you’ll jump right into the work for the day and you’ll be surprised at how much and how fast you get things done. Your productivity will soar. By the time you look up, it could be lunch time!

Know your Role

“Sometimes a player’s greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team.”— Scottie Pippen

We have all felt at one time or another that maybe we are not as important or advantageous to our company as we think we are. Unless you’re in an industry that boasts instant results, such as stock brokering or sales, there is no way to really know how what we do affects the bottom line. And it would be nice to know that we truly are contributing to it.

When you come into the office and do the same thing, day after day, the work can certainly become tedious. More so than that, you may start to wonder how your daily toils actually contribute to the company. Would anyone even notice if you stopped?

The answer is yes. Bosses don’t give out “busywork”; they assign work that needs to get done for the betterment of the company, even if it’s in small ways.

Not the office superstar? We can’t all be, and chances are if you’re not by now, there’s probably a reason for it (of course I could be mistaken and if you’re offended, then by all means prove me wrong). The only thing to do, then, is the work that’s put in front of you. Do it well. Make the company or whomever receives your work, proud. And don’t be bitter if the superstar gets all of the praise. Know that they wouldn’t have gotten there if it weren’t for the work you did.

Are you the assistant? The go-through girl? The make-sure-this-gets-done guy? Know your role in the company and embrace it. If and only if you excel at that position will you move up in the company. Don’t get frustrated or discouraged; keep up the positive attitude and the hard work -- even if it is a monotonous task.