On Careers
-
Does Having Passion for Your Work Even Matter?
Continue reading… 4 CommentsWhat good is passion? I mean, really, besides making for a more fun way to spend your day, what good is it? Does passion really matter, or is it just self-indulgent fluff? It’s probably no surprise that my opinion is, yes, it absolutely matters! Here are several reasons why passion is one of the best investments in your career that you can make:
-
The Best Way to Quit Your Job
Continue reading… 3 CommentsA majority of Americans are unhappy with their jobs, according to a recent Conference Board survey. What does this mean? For one thing, it’s a clue that as soon as this economy improves, an awful lot of people are going to be setting off for greener pastures.
-
Why You Should Never Hire a Quitter Back
Continue reading… 9 CommentsWhile I have had good and bad luck with this idea, more often than not, you create more problems for yourself if your company has a practice of hiring quitters back.
-
How to Respond to an E-mail That Enrages
Continue reading… 1 CommentImagine that you are angry, very angry, at a coworker in another department who has just sent you a very irritating E-mail. You believe this person has broken a promise, betrayed your trust, and is playing Machiavellian games. “Livid squared” might best describe you as you sit before the keyboard and prepare to hammer out a scathing reply.
-
7 Questions for Every Career Changer
Continue reading… 0 CommentsI love dreaming about what could be. I love playing with ideas and refining and expanding my vision. Where I run into trouble--more often than I would like to admit--is actually taking the action to breathe life into those ideas. And without that implementation, dreams remain little more than puffs of smoke. Needless to say, I have plenty of experience figuring out how to take myself out of my dreamworld and make the rubber meet the road.
Here are seven questions that I have discovered help me take action and get traction:
-
When FMLA Time Off Affects Your Performance Review
Continue reading… 3 CommentsI was out [under] the Family Medical and Leave Act for four weeks. I have now been back to work for four weeks, however I have doctor's appointments three times a week. I try to schedule them as late in the day as possible. However I was placed on a performance improvement plan (PIP) yesterday, due to my attendance and performance. Now, with being out for four weeks, I understand that my performance and my team's performance would have gone down.
-
10 Tips for Playing Well With Others at Work
Continue reading… 5 CommentsWho would you rather work with: a genius star performer who’s an incredible pain in the you-know-what or a “merely” competent worker who’s a breeze to get along with?
Your coworkers think so, too.
-
How Much Interview Follow-Up is Too Much?
Continue reading… 5 CommentsA reader writes:
Just before Thanksgiving, I had an initial phone interview with a company. It went well and in the first two weeks of December I was called back for a second and then third interview, as I was up for two different slots in this company. Since then, I was told I was one of the final two for one of the slots. Also since then, the holidays have happened, a [reorganization], and now someone gave notice in the group I was one of the final two for. I've been touching base weekly with my recruiter just to see if there was any news. In my last E-mail with her, she told me she would let me know when something changes.
Should I still keep touching base every week or so, or am I becoming an annoyance?
-
Don't Encourage the Dysfunctional Defenders
Continue reading… 3 CommentsYou have probably met a dysfunctional defender or two in your career.
These are the folks who are convinced that their coworkers and management are giving away the store, and if it weren’t for their dedicated work, the place would fall apart. They believe that they are the defenders of high standards and models of solid performance.
-
4 Steps to Taking Your Career Off Autopilot
Continue reading… 0 CommentsDo you feel like you’re drifting along in your career without any meaningful focus or direction? Do you feel stuck or uninspired, but you keep showing up for work day after day without taking any significant action to jump out of your rut? If you do, you just might be on autopilot. And if you want to make the most of your career, the time to break out of that mode is now. Here are four ways to take your career off autopilot, put your hands on the wheel, and jump-start the journey to a career that lights you up.
