Could blogging score you a job?
If you find yourself seeking new employment, consider taking proactive, positive approaches. All hinge on online methods, which 40% of new job seekers use in their searches (2008 Spherion Emerging Workforce Study).
Year: 2009
Boss presidential?
When provided descriptions of each presidential personality, here’s who American workers compared their bosses to. (Which best describes your boss?)
Meeting savvy: Be smart, not smarty pants
Straddling the line between “smart” and “smarty pants” can be tricky. How do you show off what you know—and become more visible around the office—without alienating people with a showy attitude? Here’s a strategy to employ at department meetings:
Take your finger off the fear trigger
Nearly half of U.S. workers say they’re afraid and stressed about their ability to provide for their families’ basic needs. So it’s no surprise that workplace fatigue, depression, headaches and other stress-driven symptoms are on the rise. Here are four techniques for turning fear into courage, according to psychiatrist and author Judith Orloff.
Stop interruptions: 4 gatekeeper moves
More than half of senior executives say they’re interrupted about once every 30 minutes, according to a Center for Creative Leadership survey. Here’s where assistants can play a vital role. Stave off interruptions by partnering with your boss, using these tactics.
It’s not a job, it’s a career
Feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world economy? I overheard a woman say she was worried about calling in sick because she was afraid her employer might fire her. This, to me, represents the difference between a career and a job. Years ago, these two words may have meant the same thing, but they don’t anymore.
Create and share ‘aha’ moments
If you’re a manager, spawn more golden nugget moments for your team by creating informal learning opportunities: mentoring, on-the-job training, brainstorming and good, old-fashioned trial-and-error. Encourage employees to tap into blogs, discussion forums and wikis.
Frugal shoppers reshape grocery list
As part of the Frugal Family Challenge, Food Network Magazine paired Maile Carpenter with a family of four from Hoboken, N.J., to help them spend less on groceries. Here’s how the family is keeping their grocery bill low:
Performance reviews really matter
Take steps to ensure that you knock this year’s performance review out of the park. Normally, says workplace expert and former HR executive Liz Ryan, only a small percentage of employees invest time in preparing. “But in 2009, performance reviews will matter—a lot,” Ryan says.
Solving life’s little gadget problems
Like McGyver, you probably have a trick or two that you deploy when you don’t have the exact items you need for the job. Maintain your reputation as “the one who always finds a solution, no matter what,” by using these low-tech solutions for common gadget problems: