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Mission Creep: Hey, Who Changed My Job Responsibilities?
Tweet Share on Facebook November 21, 2008 CommentAt some point in your career, you'll encounter mission creep.
Sometimes, it's more like mission leap. You take on a project, and then ugly things quickly surface—matters that those charming souls who lured you into the task failed to mention. What initially seemed like a simple matter becomes a poisonous swamp.
As bad as mission leap is, at least it seizes your attention. You know that you're swatting snakes and gators. Mission creep, however, can be just as dangerous but much harder to detect. You take on an assignment and don't notice as it slowly shifts into an entirely different and more complicated world. An obvious challenge is that the resources and personnel dedicated to the original mission may be inadequate for the new one. The political support may also be missing. You're working on a project that has ceased to exist, but you're still responsible for the scope of its new incarnation.
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When a Rejection Holds Promise
Tweet Share on Facebook November 20, 2008 CommentI had an internship for a large accounting firm. I applied for a regular position and did not even receive an interview for the one position availabl e. The start of the rejection E- mail seemed like a stock standard reply, but the second half spoke of specific things in my application, my strength as a candidate, and said that I should apply again for positions with the firm in the future.
Do you believe the Recruitment Partner was being genuine about me re-applying or just trying to apply salve to the wound? Logically, seeing as time is money, surely the Recruitment Partner would not waste time sending a quasi-personalized email, but still I do not really want to latch onto false hope. If I am not a suitable "fit" for the firm , then I understand — what can you do if the hole is round and you are a square peg? However , I do not really know what I should do in this scenario.
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How to Get Out of Your Negative Spin Cycle
Tweet Share on Facebook November 20, 2008 CommentHave you ever found yourself stuck in a negative spin cycle when things go wrong? If you're anything like me, maybe you tried something new and fell on your face, and then got sucked into continually beating yourself up about it. That happens to most of us at some point. We take things personally, overreact, and wind up stuck in a negative loop.
One way to break free of that spin cycle is to use your "inner observer." Your inner observer gives you an objective snapshot of the situation. It doesn't get caught up in emotions or self-talk. It just takes a big-picture view and asks: "What's really going on here?"
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9 Layoff Signs to Watch For
Tweet Share on Facebook November 19, 2008 Comment (5)Like a nasty virus, fear of job loss is in the air. Don't panic! But do watch for these signs:
1. You start seeing memos about the company's "new direction." Not necessarily bad—can be harmless or can bode ill. Take a wait-and-see attitude.
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Career Advice: Dad’s Best, and Worst, Pearls of Wisdom
Tweet Share on Facebook November 18, 2008 CommentI recently asked a number of folks to share the career advice their dads gave them. For more of these "conversations," visit my personal blog, www.whatwoulddadsay.com.
The best advice my dad—a self-made entrepreneur now retired from the grocery retail business—has ever given me is that when you're in doubt about a serious decision or situations seem uncertain, "buy time."
—Sue Markgraf -
Letters of Recommendation Are Worthless
Tweet Share on Facebook November 17, 2008 Comment (12)Someone has to break it to you, so it's going to be me: Please stop with the letters of recommendation. Don't attach them to your resume and don't offer them up at the interview. I know you feel good about them but, unfortunately, they aren't useful.
Shocking, but true.
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A Call for Courtesy at Work
Tweet Share on Facebook November 14, 2008 CommentI know that some of the following sins may seem obvious, but apparently that clarity has still not reached a sizable number of people in the workplace. I keep hearing from workshop participants about the friction these issues continue to create.
1. Text-messaging during conversations. Do we even need to explain why this is rude?
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When Your Job Search Gets No Traction
Tweet Share on Facebook November 13, 2008 Comment (1)I have been job searching the past few months and have landed a few phone interviews. All have gone very well, with plans for follow-up phone calls to schedule interviews. Great, right? Well, wrong. These HR people are not calling me back. I sent thank you E- mails and check in once a week or so, but I'm not getting anywhere. But they aren't saying, "Sorry, we are moving ahead with other candidates," either. So, what's going on?
What's going on is that you are under the mistaken impression that these companies' priorities lie in filling the posted job. This is not an illogical assumption, by the way.
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Networking Tip: Ask 'How Can I Help You?'
Tweet Share on Facebook November 13, 2008 Comment (15)With today's economic uncertainty, relationships and the potential doors they open are more important than ever. So it's a wise investment to put time and energy into expanding their reach. And that means networking.
Contrary to a common perception, good networking isn't about who can help you and how. In fact, it's not about you at all. It's about the people you meet. The most amazing networkers I know constantly keep this one question in mind:
"How can I help you?"
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How to Stop Worrying, Even in a Recession
Tweet Share on Facebook November 12, 2008 Comment (6)Maybe you have a good job. Maybe you have money in the bank, under your mattress, or buried in a very deep hole in your backyard. But even if you do, it's still hard not to get caught up in the general tenor of the economic times—and start to worry.
Worry at night. Worry in the morning. Worry all day long.
Worry distorts your vision of reality. And it interferes with your work, your family life, and your health. Which only makes you worry more.
