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Rather Than Avoiding Your Boss, Chat Him Up
Tweet Share on Facebook June 7, 2011 Comment (1)You see him out of the corner of your eye; your boss is 30 feet ahead of you in the hallway. You screech on your heels and make an immediate U-turn. This restroom trip can wait. After all, the last thing you want is to get caught up in awkward small talk with your superior.
If you find yourself doing this, you’re not alone—employees often make this mistake. In reality, talking with your boss, no matter how socially painful it might be, can work to your career advantage.
Here are several reasons you should bite the bullet and chat with your supervisor at every opportunity:
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How to Deal With Annoying Co-Workers
Tweet Share on Facebook June 6, 2011 Comment (16)Unless you’re extremely lucky or tolerant, you’ll have your share of annoying co-workers over the years. Here are the six most common types and how to deal with them:
1. The interrupter. Whenever you’re talking with a coworker, this person finds a way to butt in. She answers your questions to other people, and you can’t have a private conversation without her ending up in it.
The solution: There’s only one way to make it stop, and that’s to address it head-on. The next time this happens, say something like, “Actually, I really wanted to get Jane’s input on this. Would you give us a minute?” If she doesn’t back off, say it again: “Thanks. Actually, I really want to talk to Jane about it.” Say it nicely, but be firm.
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How to Stand Out at Your New Job
Tweet Share on Facebook June 3, 2011 CommentYour job-search efforts have finally paid off! You’ve landed a new job, and you couldn’t be happier. But you realize the work doesn’t end there. Now you need to plan for your first few months at your new position. You want to show your new employer that you have a clear direction and take your job seriously.
Creating a 90-day plan is a good way to ensure a positive review from your supervisor during the first three months on the job. It’s also vital to keeping your job for a longer period of time, as many employers use the first few months as a probationary period for new employees.
How can you determine what to include in your plan? Learn more about the position and organization by doing the following:
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How Learning Names Can Boost Your Career
Tweet Share on Facebook June 1, 2011 Comment (4)When you’re in the midst of a job hunt, you never really know what will make the difference between being hired and coming in second place. When there are many qualified candidates, employers often rely on subtle, nuanced reasons to choose one candidate over another. Maybe one applicant seemed to have strong observational skills or one candidate seemed a better fit for the team than another.
One way to help you stand out from a crowd? Demonstrating the ability to learn people’s names. “Name recall will boost your image, earn you respect and differentiate you,” explains Nicholas Aretakis, author of No More Ramen: The 20-Something’s Real World Survival Guide. Dale Carnegie focuses on this important principle in his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. In it, he says, “Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
