Thursday, December 29, 2011
How to Search for Another Job Without Your Boss Finding Out
I spent the holidays with family and friends, and the one subject that came up over and over again (apart from the discussion that we were all eating too much) was about jobs. Some people were looking for jobs, and others were complaining about their current positions. When I asked these people whether they were planning to look for new positions this year, I got a lot of "We'll see" or "YES!"
If you're thinking of finding a new job this year, you might want to consider this advice I was given for my recent Gannett/USA Today column....
Previously, the only way your employer might get a hint that you were looking for another job was when you showed up in a nice outfit suitable for interviewing during your lunch hour instead of your usual scruffy khaki pants and T-shirt.
Or, maybe you were careless enough to leave your resume in the office copier.
But these days it's a much different story. Employers may be able to glean that you're looking to jump ship by your frenzied activity updating your LinkedIn profile or through a Twitter or Facebook posting that mentions you hate your job and are trying to leave as quickly as possible.
Savvy employers may even use Foursquare to track your movements and see that you've been visiting competitors or spending a lot of time in FedEx Kinko's, where they might surmise you're making copies of your resume.
The problem is that with the job market so full of talented people seeking jobs, your boss may tolerate your actions less than in years past. He or she may believe that your desire to leave should be hurried along — and just fire you on the spot.
"I think there are a lot of people looking for other jobs these days because they've been working really hard and holding onto jobs for a long time that they don't love," says Hannah Morgan, a career and job-search consultant who writes the Career Sherpa blog. "But I also think you have to be very, very careful if you're going to look for another job when you already have one."
Susan Joyce, editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org, agrees.
"People are so clueless," she says. "I don't know how many times I've contacted someone and told them that they need to remove the "Job-Hunt.org" (widget) from their list of LinkedIn groups. Groups are something that are Googled relentlessly by employers."
Employers are doing Google searches on their employees and their activities because they are aware of creeping employee disengagement and dissatisfaction. They know such unhappiness can lead to turnover as the job market improves.
A Gallup poll found that more than 1 in 4 workers are unhappy with the tangible rewards from their work such as pay and benefits and also cite a higher level of on-the-job stress.
Human resources departments and bosses often keep an eye on employees' social media chatter and may do keyword searches to turn up resumes from employees posted to job boards of other company job sites. Using job titles, company names and even industry keywords, employers may be able to find you easily through their searches, Joyce and Morgan say.
So how do you fly below the radar when searching for a job? Joyce and Morgan offer some tips:
• Don't attend job fairs or job-search networking events. On the other hand, going to an industry conference can be seen as necessary for your current job but still give you plenty of chances to network with other potential employers, Morgan says.
"Even when attending these events, don't ask someone whether they've got any openings at their company," she says. "Say something like, 'So, what's new and exciting at your company these days?' It's more subtle, but still raises awareness of who you are."
• Never use company time or resources. Don't use company voicemail or email; your employer can check both, and evidence of a search could be immediate grounds for dismissal.
Joyce even suggests buying a throw-away cellphone just for your job hunting so no one else can tap into your messages or accuse you of using company property.
In addition, access your social networks only through your personal computer and account. Joyce says she knows of one instance where a woman had built up more than 500 contacts through LinkedIn but lost them all when she was dismissed from her job and the account was accessible only from her work email.
• Turn off the updates feature. When updating your profile on LinkedIn, for example, turn off the automatic updates feature so your network isn't constantly being pinged that you're suddenly busy on the professional networking site.
If you're connected to anyone in your company, it might be a red flag to them that you're looking for another job, Morgan says.
• Stay mum. Don't tell anyone, including your best buddy at work, that you're searching for a new job.
If asked about it outright, Morgan says you never should openly admit to the search but rather say something like "Aren't we always looking for another job?" and just try to laugh it off. Joyce says to try to be as cagy as possible with your responses and be prepared with a response if your boss asks if you're looking for another job.
"It's smart to have a comeback in case you're asked," she says.
Any other advice for searching for a job without the boss finding out?
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
End Your Multitasking Addiction in 30 Seconds
I'll admit I multitask. Not all the time, but sometimes. But I may have really curbed my impulse to do it while working while taking a 30 second test in a story I did for Gannett/USAToday....
While you may know that studies have found multitasking hurts productivity, the truth is you really haven't stopped trying to do more than one thing at a time, have you?
After all, while some people may not be able to multitask well, that certainly doesn't include you.
Care to test that theory?
Here's how to test your multitasking abilities:
Have someone time you while you write the word "multitask" and then the numbers from 1 to 10. Record your time.
Have someone time you while you alternately write the letters of "multitask" and the numbers 1-10. For example, you will write "m" then "1" then "u" then "2" and so on.
Record your time. After comparing the two times, chances are pretty good you'll no longer think you're a multitasking whiz.
Sanjeev Gupta uses the test when he arrives at companies that hire him to improve their productivity. His company, Realization, has worked with employers such as Delta Air Lines and Boeing, boosting project completion by as much as 50 percent.
But first, he has to prove to employees that their multitasking is causing more harm than good, so he uses the simple test to make his point.
"There are several reasons that people multitask," he says. "One of them is because people want to appear busy. Or, if they get stuck on something, they'll move onto something else instead of completing the task."
He says workers also multitask now more than ever because they feel pressured to get more done.
They're constantly moving from project to project depending on who is demanding their time at any given moment. The result is that they never complete something before moving on, causing a ripple effect that causes other workers to get off track and miss deadlines.
But experts contend that not only is multitasking harmful to your productivity at work, it can affect all areas of your life. An Emory University study earlier this year found that such behavior can sap your ability to control other impulses, causing you to be much more prone to losing your temper or cheating on your diet.
Gupta says he believes multitasking continues to grow as a problem in the workplace because of an increasing number of communication channels: The phone, email, instant messaging, Twitter and Facebook can lure away the attention of an employee who should be focused on a completing a task.
The employee then jumps back into work, only to be tempted to check Twitter updates or answer emails. The multitasking cycle continues, causing the employee to become less and less productive over time.
If you're looking for some ways to break the multitasking habit, consider these tips by Leo Babauta, author of The Power of Less:
• Set a disconnect time each day. Try to work up to about two hours every day that you aren't connected to the Internet, your email, phone or instant messaging.
Let others know that this is a time you're off the grid. You may need to go somewhere without a connection to truly get away from temptation, or start in 20-minute increments and work your way up.
• Break bad habits. If you check your email first thing in the morning, don't open up your browser for a set amount of time and instead use the time to do something else.
If you find you break your rule, immediately call and report yourself to a supportive friend or family member.
• Break your day into sections. Use a set period to write, another period to answer email and another period to think creatively.
Set limits and don't let yourself stray into other territory until time is up.
• Cleanse your social networking habit. Start with 20 minutes, then a half day, then two to three days where you don't connect with Twitter, Facebook or any other social-media site.
Use the time to read books or long essays that interest you or watch thought-provoking films.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
How to Get a Better Performance Review
I have mixed feelings about performance evaluations.
• Finding a mentor. If you need to be a better communicator, ask your boss if he knows someone who might be willing to advise you in this area, or seek out someone you know who excels at such tasks.
• Practicing. Break down each skill you need to master into smaller parts and ask for feedback from your mentor or boss as you tackle each challenge.
• Replacing disappointment with progress. Maybe you weren't thrilled with your review, but keep your boss informed as you make progress. The excitement of moving toward success will help relieve the sting of criticism from an unfavorable job evaluation.
What other tips do you have for improving a performance evaluation?
Thursday, December 8, 2011
7 Ways to Stay Sane During the Holidays
I carry a list in my purse that if lost, would mean the end of my sanity.
The list contains all the presents I have bought so far for Christmas, what I have left to buy and all the things I need to do before I take time off for the holidays. If I misplaced that list, I might just have to go straight to the bourbon without the eggnog.
But I know I'm making a mistake. I've put myself into this frenzy, and decided to write myself a list of reasons why my attitude makes no sense. I'm going to take my own advice, and hope you will also. Here's a story I did for Gannett/USAToday on getting a better handle on holiday stress:
Before the recession hit, work during the holiday season often slowed down a bit.
The slower pace allowed you to get off work early enough to do some holiday shopping, and weekends could be devoted to spending more time with family or baking instead of working or checking email.
But more workers are doing the job of more than one person these days and everyone faces an increasing demand to perform at a high level no matter the time of year. Workers are forever being reminded of how lucky they are to have a job, and stress is growing.
In a recent study by CompPsych, two-thirds of employees say their stress levels are high; 29 percent say they come to work too stressed to be effective on five or more days a year, up 10 percentage points from last year.
When you're facing the holiday season with more personal demands, that stress can grow. If you feel like you're being pulled from all directions, here are some tips to help get your life in better balance:
• Just say no. Maybe you've always baked cookies for the office party.
Not this year. Stop by a bakery, buy cookies, put them on a plate you've brought from home and you're all set. It's not so much that you're saying no to other people, as much as you are giving yourself permission to say no to yourself and do things differently.
• Use positive self-talk. If you get annoyed with co-workers who have had too much to drink at the holiday party or who whine incessantly about their workload, remind yourself that their behavior is just a passing event in your life.
Make a list of all the positive things in your life, like a great family, fun friends or the joy of walking your dog. Consult this list every time you start to feel the stress creep over you.
• Get out. Remove yourself from surroundings that are getting you down.
Whether you're battling crowds in a mall, stuck in a cubicle or working in a home office, change your surroundings when you get stressed. Ducking outside and breathing deeply can help release tension. Even going into a bathroom and washing your hands has been shown to relieve stress.
• Tell yourself "even if." For example, even if you have to work late on a project, you will still spend time with people you love over the holidays.
Or even if you can't cook the perfect holiday meal, you've got a great take-out menu that will come in handy.
• Seek your bliss. Some people love those corny holiday movies, while those classics make others feel depressed because they think their own lives don't measure up.
So what if you want to watch old I Love Lucy re-runs instead of It's a Wonderful Life? The things that make you happy are not measured against someone else. They are unique to you, so surround yourself with what makes you happy.
• Leave regrets behind. Don't feel bad that you didn't get a co-worker a gift when she brought you a jar of homemade jam.
Giving your thanks sincerely is what she's after, not a chance to bring you down. Don't regret the things you haven't done but savor the things you've accomplished. Think about the work you've done this year under difficult circumstances, the things you've done to help out others without being asked. Those accomplishments easily should outweigh any regrets.
• Make your body a priority. You may feel that there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done, and if you just skip a meal or give up a few hours of sleep, you can meet all your demands and obligations.
Unfortunately, your body may not go along with your brain's idea.
Failing to eat right, exercise and get enough rest is a recipe for sickness and injury. And failing to listen to your body's demands may result in some serious consequences.
What others suggestions do you have for coping with the season's demands?
Monday, December 5, 2011
What a Rapper Can Teach You About Finding a Job
There are some days when I think I possibly have the coolest job in the world. Because I'm a journalist, I've attended presidential inaugural balls, I've been with cops as they raid a drug den and I now have interviewed a rapper.
For this latest story I did for Gannett/USAToday, I learned that the power of marketing yourself for a job can be learned from college professors -- and from hip-hop artists. Now, does that make my job cool or what?
Here's the story...
For the past decade, Larry Chiagouris has watched college seniors troop into his office every spring at Pace University in New York, seeking his advice on how to get a job.
As a professor he has tried to share his advice throughout their college years, but not until many of his students are preparing to graduate do they start to gear up for a job search. So he repeats much of what he has told these students for years, telling them to market themselves like a product, promoting their unique qualifications to attract employers.
Because he was beginning to feel like a broken record repeating the same advice, Chiagouris says he decided to write a book called The Secret to Getting a Job After College (Brand New World Publishing, $14.99).
Still, he says he knew from his years of teaching that he needed something else to hammer the message home.
Enter "Timid."
"Timid" is the rap name of Jaylon Carter. His videoInferno attracted Chiagouris' attention, because he thought Carter was delivering a message that spoke to the fire-in-the-belly attitude students need to develop if they want to find a job.
"The message I had was more than about the book," Chiagouris says. "Young people or anyone has to know their value and be proud of it. No one else is going to know your value unless you market it. And if you can't sell yourself, what can you sell?"
Carter was receptive to the idea of helping others to find a job through his music.
"I know the mainstream message of rappers and hip-hop artists is not a great one," he says. "But I know from being in the culture that's not completely the case. Not everyone fits that negative image.
"I don't think anything since the civil-rights movement has done more for intercultural communications than hip-hop."
Carter says he was further attracted to the get-a-job message because he also is a college student. Enrolled at Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, N.J., Carter expects to graduate in February with a degree in communications.
He knows firsthand the challenges of the current job market but believes, as Chiagouris does, that young people can't become hopeless and believe they won't be able to get a job.
His rap video, also featuring students from Pace University, addresses the difficult economy and job market.
"Truth be told you have to be sort of a salesman, with the product of you packaged ready to sell to them on display," Carter raps for a student audience.
Chiagouris hopes the video will help college students better grasp his message. For those will soon be entering the job market, he also offers this advice:
• Think broadly. Students should list what they're good at and what they like to do.
Then they should take that list and apply it to a career direction.
"Zone in on a couple of occupations," he says. If you write well or are good at public speaking, don't just think about a job in journalism. Every company needs good writers and people with good verbal skills to persuade others, he says.
• Prepare a marketing spin. Chiagouris suggests students complete this sentence: "I'm one of the few graduating seniors who can …"
Maybe you have volunteered consistently, had three internships or have done four or five projects on a particular topic.
"Look hard in the mirror at what makes you, you," he says. "Think about how you can position yourself to stand out."
• Look at your resume with a fresh eye. "Does your resume scream the things you've just learned about yourself?" Chiagouris asks.
He counsels students to think about effective print ads when structuring their resume.
"You will rarely see a lot of copy in these ads, but the main points are made," he says. "Less is more on a resume. Don't try to cram in too much. Put in those things that you like and you're good at."
• Forget the objective statement. Busy hiring managers don't have time to read — and don't care about — objective statements. Instead, summarize what makes you unique.
Go back to the "I'm one of the few graduating seniors who …" he suggests. "You want that statement to be an attention grabber, like a headline."
• Be ready. "The phone is going to ring when you least expect it with someone wanting an interview," he says.
"Be ready to answer questions like, 'Tell me about yourself' and 'What are you good at?' any time you pick up the phone."
Any other suggestions for young job seekers?
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
6 Gift Ideas for Colleagues
Since I know many of you are shopping online this week (wink, wink, our little secret), I thought I'd help with the process regarding what to get your colleagues or valuable customers. Here are some ideas I thought might make nice gifts:
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Does College Make Sense Anymore?
Do you think it's necessary to go to college to be a success and find a good job? College dropouts like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates would say differently, of course, but not everyone is cut out to be a whiz-bang entrepreneur.
If you just want to be employed by a good employer earning a decent paycheck and have some job security, do you have to go to college?
I think this often depends on who you ask. I decided to talk to someone who has been in the academic world about whether a college education makes sense anymore. I think you'll find what she says interesting. Here's the column I did for Gannett/USAToday....
It's often every parent's dream that a child go to college.
But as more young people graduate with degrees from four-year higher education institutions and can't find jobs, it may be a good time to rethink the idea that college is the only way to be happy and succeed, a former college professor says.
Amanda Krauss is a former Vanderbilt University assistant professor who taught cultural history, humor theory and Latin. As college educations often put students or their families in debt to the tune of $80,000 or more, she says it's worth considering other avenues for high school graduates.
That's especially true when a student isn't sure what profession he or she wants to pursue, she argues.
"There's nothing wrong with kicking around for a couple of years to decide what you want to do instead of spending all that money with no idea of what you want to do," she says.
Krauss taught her last class in 2010. Since then, she has become a Web developer and says she is happier than when she was a professor, often working 100-hour weeks and juggling many stressful demands. She says she remains supportive of her former colleagues and the work they do.
However, that doesn't mean she doesn't see room for improvement. For example, she says too many business classes rely on teaching theories, which doesn't provide any practical experience to attract an employer to a
any practical experience to attract an employer to a student upon graduation.
She sees no reason more professors can't lend a hand toward developing "real-world learning" that will help more students in the job market, such as asking them to develop portfolios of work that can be shown to employers.
"Personally, I'd be far more interested in hiring someone who shows me the website they made for a class on 19th-century Parisian poets," she says. "If nothing else, any professor can ask a student to do something that helps the person develop good presentation skills."
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that professional and business unemployment remains higher than manufacturing. Some employers are clamoring for skilled labor such as machinists and welders, especially as older workers with such skills retire and no one is available to take their places.
But young people often don't think to pursue trade or vocational schools, and parents may remain stubbornly affixed to the notion that a child must attend college for a professional degree to get a good job.
While more jobs do require college degrees, Krauss says other options exist to gain needed skills and education.
Do you think college is necessary to get a good job?
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Networking Key for Vets to Find a Job
I just have one question for you today: What have you done to help a vet find a job?
Read this story I did for Gannett/USAToday and promise yourself that you'll spend some time this Thanksgiving holiday giving thanks for our military and their families. And then help one of them find a job....
In 2008, when Jessie Canella returned home from Iraq where he had been deployed as a Marine, he wasn't sure how to get a job in the civilian world.
So he turned to what he had heard was a place to find lots of jobs: online job boards.
Canella soon learned what other job seekers have discovered: Competing with thousands of others online is often like throwing a resume into a black hole.
The one person who did contact him about a job was merely a front for a scam, asking Canella to provide cash to get a job. He declined.
Finally, bored and feeling down about his inability to get a job even though he had conducted more than 180 combat missions as a lead gunner and personal body guard to the mission commander in Iraq, Canella took a part-time position as a bartender.
He also decided to get a haircut from a barber he had known for decades. While in the barber's chair, Canella confided that he was depressed about his job prospects. The barber learned that Canella wanted a job in security and mentioned that he cut the hair of another man who owned a security company.
While that contact said he wasn't hiring, he also said he could put Canella in contact with other security companies that might have a position for him.
"I just put my heart on my sleeve and told them I just really wanted a job," Canella says.
He landed a position with a security company that soon had him rising into the supervisory ranks.
Even though Canella finally landed a job, he still felt a need to help his fellow veterans. He found that he couldn't really connect with vets at the local VFW and American Legionhalls because they were from older generations.
When another vet who was a friend committed suicide, he moved into action.
Canella understood that military veterans may have an even more difficult time finding work than he did.
Based on his own job-hunting experience and his desire to find other vets who could understand what he had gone through, he launched HonorVet, to provide resources and support online for veterans and their families.
Canella needed money to make HonorVet a reality, and set up a gala to collect donations and get the ball rolling.
At the event, he met leaders from System One Holdings, a company that provides technical outsourcing solutions. They told him they also wanted to do more to help vets get jobs and soon hired Canella to head their efforts.
Canella, now 25, is general manager at System One and chief executive officer of HonorVet.
He says he has learned a lot about the value of networking through his own experiences in re-entering civilian life, and he and others want to provide such help to vets and their families.
With some 40,000 troops withdrawing from Iraq by the end of the year and veterans' unemployment rate now at 11.7%, he says he knows the need will become greater.
Fundraising events have helped gather more than half the money needed for his HonorVet website, and Canella hopes to have it up by early spring. The site will offer a secure way for vets and their families to communicate about everything from mental-health resources to career mentorship.
Only those who have been thoroughly screened will be allowed to participate, Canella says, so veterans won't have any violation of trust or scams such as the one he experienced.
"When you're in the military and on base, you're surrounded by people you trust," he says. "But it's a real wake-up call when you enter the civilian world. It's like starting all over again. You're trying to figure out who are good people and who are not."
Even though the website isn't yet functioning, Canella says that HonorVet has helped 35 veterans get jobs in the past year.
Once private and public employers are educated about the skills former military personnel can bring to the workplace Canella believes everyone will know what extraordinary employees America's veterans can be.
What should vets be doing to help break into the job market?
Monday, November 14, 2011
Could You Start a Fire With Your Multitasking?
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Why a Missing Button Could Keep you From Getting Ahead
I recently watched a news clip about a local mall where the shop owners stated that not only were they currently hiring for seasonal jobs, but they were hoping some of those candidates would turn out to be permanent hires.
Good news right?
Then the reporter cut to an interview with a woman walking out of a local employment agency. The woman began talking, constantly playing with her hair and smacking gum.
"Yeah, I'd like a good job," she told the reporter after being informed of the mall openings. "Especially, since, like, you know, I got fired from my last job."
Then, I kid you not -- she turned and spit on the sidewalk.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is one of the reasons this story I did for Gannett/USA Today is so important in so many ways....
A new generation of job candidates entering the work force may have spent much of their formative years communicating with a computer.
They're smart, they're technological savvy and they are texting wizards.
Yet they may not have a clue about how to conduct idle chit-chat with a real, live human being at work. Nor are they able to read an interviewer's body language or network with an employer at a job fair.
The result is that many young people, whether looking for work or starting a first job, are having difficulty finding success. They may miss important clues in a person's body language that will help them communicate better or give the wrong impression when meeting a hiring manager for the first time.
That's why communications expert Dianna Booher says young people need to go back to the basics of professional behavior, to hone their interpersonal skills as much as their technical skills. By doing so, she says they better prepare themselves to interact with others so they can then climb the career ladder successfully.
"There have been some people who have been sitting behind a computer so long that they just don't have the interpretive skills they need," she says. "Sometimes, they have no idea how to even ask a question or contribute something meaningful to a discussion."
One thing that Booher, author of Creating Personal Presence: Look, Talk, Think, and Act Like a Leader, (Berrett-Koehler, $15.95), wants to emphasize is the importance of personal appearance, which she says is No. 1 in making an immediate impression on others.
Research backs up Booher's experience: A recent study found that people judged women wearing makeup to be more competent than those without cosmetics. Those seen as attractive are viewed as more intelligent and often are offered jobs over those who aren't seen as handsome or pretty.
So how do you level the playing field if you're not Brad Pitt or Halle Berry?
The key: Learn to dress correctly, use gestures appropriately and communicate well so others see your potential instead of your flaws, Booher says. By improving that first impression, you position yourself to get ahead.
Booher offers these tips:
• Package yourself well. Research shows that taller people can earn $789 more a year per inch.
Even if you're well past your growing years, you still can find ways to make more of an impression. Ask a personal shopper at a high-end department store or a good tailor to give you tips on clothing designs that flatter your figure or make your legs appear longer.
• Pay attention to detail. In Booher's 20 years of coaching executives and asking them about their employees, some of the most frequent complaints have to do with appearance.
Bosses often complain about employees' sloppy dressing, wrong kind of shoes and messy hair. Even a missing button could derail your aspirations if a boss believes your lack of focus on your dress translates to a lack of focus on your job, she says.
• Improve your body language. Using small gestures, standing with your arms crossed or rolling your eyes are turnoffs when communicating.
They may prompt others to see you as defensive, unsure or hostile.
• Speak with confidence. Don't use a longer word when a shorter one will do, and make sure you're using and pronouncing terms or words correctly.
For example, many people pronounce "library" as "li-berry" instead of "li-bra-ry." Such slips can hurt your image, even if you're dressed to the nines.
• Prepare talking points. Whether you're going to a job interview, networking event or a meeting with colleagues, consider the issues you want to discuss.
If you don't plan, you may babble too long or not make key points. Impress others with well thought-out ideas conveyed in a concise, clear way.
• Drop arrogant language. If you say "Let me be perfectly clear," you may be seen as patronizing.
It's better to use "I want to emphasize …" Or, instead of blurting out, "You're wrong," say "I disagree" or "I have a different opinion."
What other advice do you have about making a good first impression?