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How to Be Seen as Competent in the Workplace
Tweet Share on Facebook December 20, 2011 CommentOne of the most valuable currencies in the workplace is perceived competence.
If coworkers view you as competent, they are more likely to respect you and collaborate well with you—and having good professional relationships can only help your career. If the boss believes you are competent, your chances for increased responsibility and advancement grow.
How do you get people to perceive you as competent? The answer is simple: You must be competent—and you need to refrain from doing things that demonstrate that you are struggling to keep up.
[See The 50 Best Careers of 2011.]
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How to Quit Your Job
Tweet Share on Facebook December 19, 2011 Comment (25)Thinking about quitting your job? Make sure you handle the process well, because you may cross paths with your manager and coworkers in the future—and even if you don’t, these are the people who will be giving you references in the future.
Here are eight tips for a smooth resignation.
[See The 50 Best Careers of 2011.]
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7 Reasons to Join a Global Immersion Program
Tweet Share on Facebook December 16, 2011 Comment (1)The Roman philosopher, Seneca, once said, “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.”
While that quote might be just under 2,000 years old, it’s no less true now. Travel is important and valuable for everyone.
While studying abroad and backpacking through Europe are traditional trips college students and new graduates take, global immersion programs are growing in popularity.
[See The 50 Best Careers of 2011.]
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How to Find a Seasonal Job
Tweet Share on Facebook December 15, 2011 CommentWorking during the holidays may bring to mind frustrated and overworked retail staff, but seasonal jobs can actually be a great way to make extra cash, and there are many types of positions you can find.
First, if you are searching for just the right job and have yet to find it, a seasonal position can be ideal for giving you some experience and filling in gaps on the resume while you’re waiting for the perfect opportunity to come along. Most seasonal jobs also offer flexible hours, so for parents, students, and anyone else who needs flexibility, this is an advantage.
[See The 50 Best Careers of 2011.]
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How to Be Found in LinkedIn
Tweet Share on Facebook December 15, 2011 Comment (10)There’s no doubt LinkedIn is a crucial social network if you care about your career. A recent Jobvite study noted that 73 percent of all hires made through social networks were via LinkedIn and 41 percent of employee referrals for jobs involved LinkedIn.
One of the most useful aspects of any social media platform is the opportunity for people to find you. The adage, “If Google doesn’t know you, you may be no one,” is becoming more prevalent in today’s socially focused environment. LinkedIn tends to rank very well in Google searches, so having an optimized profile is one useful way to be found online.
[See The 50 Best Careers of 2011.]
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10 Things to Consider Before Becoming a Full-Time Entrepreneur
Tweet Share on Facebook December 14, 2011 CommentThe very idea of leaving the cube behind to become full-time entrepreneur can be exciting. But the grass is always greener on the other side, and while entrepreneurship has its benefits, there many things fledgling entrepreneurs should consider before deciding to go it alone. If the lure of “firing your boss” is calling you, here are 10 things to ponder before you make the leap to full-time entrepreneurship.
1. You’re the man, or not. If you want to become an entrepreneur because you don’t want to work for “the man” anymore, consider that working for yourself might mean working for a meaner boss. Also, when you take on clients and customers you end up working for more than one person instead of just for yourself.
[See The 50 Best Careers of 2011.]
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How to Handle a Lazy Coworker
Tweet Share on Facebook December 14, 2011 Comment (5)Your coworker comes in late, leaves early, spends the day on Facebook, doesn’t do much work and messes up what he or she does do, and is rude to customers. Should you tell your boss?
The conventional wisdom in this situation is generally to mind your own business unless the lazy coworker is impacting your ability to get your own work done. But that’s not always the best course of action. Plenty of managers appreciate a discreet heads-up about staff problems … but how can you know if your manager is one of those or not?
[See The 50 Best Careers of 2011.]
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10 Buzzwords to Avoid on Your Resume
Tweet Share on Facebook December 13, 2011 Comment (4)Creative. Effective. Motivated. While you may think that you’re using words on your resume that will appeal to hiring managers, some words can actually turn them off. On Tuesday, LinkedIn released the top 10 words that job seekers overuse in resumes and job applications. Here's the list:
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How to Approach an Informational Interview
Tweet Share on Facebook December 12, 2011 Comment (5)This will be news to some job seekers: "Informational interview” is not code for “sneaky way to get a job interview.”
Informational interviews are supposed to be used when you’re new to a field and seeking insight and information from someone who’s already established in that field. They’re useful when you’re looking for information that is more nuanced than what you’d find online, such as which information out there is good and which is bad, the inside scoop on some of the big players, advice on a career paths within the field, and so forth.
[See The 50 Best Careers of 2011.]
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How to Get Hired at a Killer Startup
Tweet Share on Facebook December 9, 2011 Comment (1)Startups and small businesses are looking like the ideal places to get hired right now. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent employment situation report, the unemployment rate has fallen by 0.4 percentage points, making it 8.6 percent—the lowest since March 2009. Almost half of the survey sample is comprised of companies with 20 employees or less. Now the real question is: How can you get hired at one of these places?
CEO of 2tor, John Katzman, a legendary entrepreneur who also founded the Princeton Review, gave us a little insight on the people he hires for his company. He instilled a “No Asshole” policy, which means exactly like it sounds: Their company doesn’t hire assholes. They encourage employees to be kind to each other and look out for each other. They don’t trade competence for character because they want people with both.
