Job Loss Increases Due To Recession

Currently the economy is as bad as I can remember in my lifetime and that dates back fairly far. People are losing their jobs on a daily basis, and although things may seem bad, there is always hope.
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According to Linda Stern of Newsweek, "In February, 63,000 U.S. jobs evaporated; 17,000 were lost in January. The job market is deteriorating just as a generation of workers is looking to move up a rung."

"People in midcareer are getting jobs now, though they really have to work harder at it," reports Anita Attridge, a career coach with the Five O'Clock Club. "In many cases they are changing careers or industries to do it."

Ms. Stern gives some advice on job hunting. First you should approach it like your life depends on it. Second, she suggests to follow the market where the money is. "Even in a bad job market, some industries and professions are struggling to attract enough talent. You may have to take the skills you learned in a shrinking industry, like utilities, and bring it to a growing one, like human resources. Or you may want to use the current downturn to retrain so you're poised for one of the most popular jobs. What are they? The Labor Department reports that more than three out of every 10 new jobs will be in health care, social assistance (elder care or child care) and public and private educational services. It also is predicting solid demand for workers in fields like communications, information technology, accounting, and leisure and hospitality."

employee 

Kate Wendleton of the Five O'Clock club says, "jobseekers should put more time into researching and targeting specific companies and jobs, even if they're not advertising any openings. Put at least 15 hours a week into it if you have a job; 35 or more if you don't. Call everyone you know who might be connected to your target and request informational interviews and call back about every 6 weeks." vacancy

How to Go From “Take this Job and Shove It” to “Take this Job and Love It”!

The sad fact is that most Americans hate their jobs. Its pure drudgery and they’re just in it for the paycheck. It doesn’t have to be this way. You really can have a dream job, one that you really love and that pays you well.

No, I’m not in fairy tale land. For the 10 years I worked for AOL, I can honestly say there were few days I didn’t want to go to work. The challenges of each position and the company’s ups and downs were never easy, but I always believed my contribution meant something and I felt that I was being fairly compensated. When this was no longer the case, I found another way to grow my career. job vacancy indonesia

But, unfortunately, my experience is not common. After even a few years into your career, you might be frustrated by any number of things – work that’s not challenging, people who don’t value your abilities, being paid less than you’re worth, to name a few. You might even fantasize walking into your boss’ office and shouting “Take this job and shove it!”

That might feel momentarily satisfying, but it’s never a lasting strategy to build your career. The more productive thing to do is to “take this job and love it!” No, not the job you currently have that leaves you frustrated. I’m taking about a new job, a different job that is a great match for you, your abilities, and your desires.

But, how do you go from “shove” to “love” in your career? employee

Pounding the pavement searching for a more fulfilling career is one of the most stressful events in life. I read that it’s in the top three, right along with divorce and a death in the family. Having a road map can reduce your anxiety. Here are my six steps to get that dream job while you’re fully conscious:

1. Determine That You Need To Change Jobs

Sometimes, it’s worth trying to work things out at your current job. Often, you need to move on. In either case, the big thing is that you need to understand why you are dissatisfied with your current so that you can take that into account when you are looking for a new one.

2. Identify The Job You Really Want

The goal is to have a job where you are excited about getting up every morning and going to work. Allow yourself to dream what that new job might be and then explore what that job is like through online research and informational interviews with people who actually do that job now.

3. Find The Company That Has The Job You Want

Start looking in easy places, both on and offline. For example, check the want ads in the largest general newspaper in town plus the largest business newspaper in town. Go online and search job websites such as www.monster.com and www.careerbuilding.com. Don’t forget any schools or related associations who also may have job postings. One huge way people find jobs that’s often overlooked is networking. Get out and meet people and let them know you’re seeking a new opportunity. Often you’ll get a recommendation of a company or someone to contact.

4. Convince The Hiring Manager You Are The Person They Are Looking For

Be prepared for the interview. Learn all you can beforehand about the company and their current situation. Of all the questions you may get, the most critical answers are the ones where you tie your abilities and experience to the company’s needs. That’s what makes you truly valuable.

5. Negotiate A Fabulous Salary And Compensation Package

Never talk money and compensation until you’ve clearly discussed your value – what you can do to meet the company’s needs right now. Know what the job is worth ahead of time using websites like www.salary.com. Let the hiring manager put out the first number, but never accept it immediately. Often this is their lowest offer. You will often get more in salary or benefits if you ask, but only if they believe you’re worth it.

6. Start Off Your New Job With A Bang
You’ve worked really hard to get to this point. Don’t wait for your boss or your new co-workers to make you feel comfortable and to give you direction. Reach out to them first. Continue to demonstrate through your results and by creating positive relationships that they made the right choice.

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High-powered Jobs Don’t Come Without Consequences

Katie Couric's recent announcement that she is leaving NBC's "Today" to become the next anchor for CBS News is the dawn of a new era at the network and for television news as a whole. The move also shines the spotlight on the issue of women and their role in high-powered jobs.

Beginning this fall, Couric will become the first woman to lead a network evening newscast alone when she begins her five-year deal as anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News.” The third-place CBS hopes Couric’s celebrity can boost its sagging ratings and restore credibility to a network damaged by recent reporting missteps. job vacancy indonesia

The simple fact that Couric’s move has been treated as a major news story is evidence of the progress women have made in the working world, and the lengths they still have to go. The idea of a woman as the lead anchor going solo on the evening news would have been unheard of 30 years ago. Already quite familiar with a high-powered job, Couric will break down another workplace barrier in her new position. employee

Like many women, it’s likely Couric is familiar with the triumphs and struggles that many women with high-end positions face in the corporate world. Naturally, the overwhelming majority of women can’t relate to Couric’s celebrity or $15 million annual salary, but they are quite familiar with the mixed blessings that come with being a highly successful woman. On one hand, these positions have come with a status and self-fulfillment that have resulted in economic power and the removal of boundaries. On the other hand, high-powered women continue to be labeled as missing something in their lives and having a direct impact on traditional roles like child-bearing.

In a recent and controversial article by Alison Wolf, the Kings College of London academic writes that highly successful women have created enormous benefits for society, but have also contributed to “the death of sisterhood, a decline in female altruism and growing disincentives to bear children.”

In developed countries, Wolf believes that women now have the ability to take virtually any career path and the end result has created and will continue to create a fracture in society. Wolf doesn’t argue that it’s the wrong path for women to take, just a direction that will result in consequences, both good and bad.

“Women used to enter the elite as daughters, mothers and wives. Now they do so as individuals,” Wolf writes in the April issue of Prospect Magazine. “Three consequences get far less attention than they deserve. The first is the death of sisterhood: an end to the millennia during which women of all classes shared the same major life experiences to a far greater degree than did their men.

The second is the erosion of ‘female altruism,’ the service ethos which has been profoundly important to modern industrial societies – particularly in the education of their young, and the care of their old and sick. The third is the impact of employment change on childbearing. We are familiar with the prospect of demographic decline, yet we ignore, sometimes willfully, the extent to which educated women face disincentives to bear children.”

Wolf’s views, of course, have been subject to criticism. Many women believe that life in the high-powered fast lane can result in positive opportunities that other women may not be able to access. Many high-profile mothers with six-figure incomes have perks like on-site daycare for children. 

They also have the benefits of housekeepers, accommodating spouses and other support systems. In an age where even the two-income family is struggling just to make ends meet, the woman with the high-end job will be able to give her children and family the advantages and professional awards they otherwise wouldn’t have.

The woman with the elite job faces enormous challenges every day. And if she has afamily, then the life is even more complex. In spite of recent trend stories the past few years that highlighted women opting out of high-powered jobs to raise children and return home, the Center for Economic Policy has squashed that theory, stating that the number of women in the labor market has remained steady over the past few years, according to a March report in the San Francisco Chronicle. In fact, most high-powered women, whether they’re married, have children or are single, say the emotional charge and rewards from their jobs make them better spouses, girlfriends, parents and people vacancy

Get Hired Faster By Changing Your Job Search Strategy

According to most experts, the average job search takes about five months to complete.

Five months is a long time to spend job searching, especially if you are currently out of work!

Why does the average job search take this long? One of the primary reasons is because most job seekers are using the exact same job search strategies. Most of them are using what could be called the "wait and hope" strategy. job vacancy indonesia

The wait and hope strategy is comprised of three primary steps.

1 - Search for jobs which are being advertised;

2 - Submit a resume for selected jobs;

3 - WAIT AND HOPE for an interview.

This is the primary strategy used because this is the way we were all taught to look for jobs.

A Better Job Search Strategy employee

Most people are not aware that only twenty percent of all vacant jobs are actually filled through advertising. This fact is a real eye opener for most people. If only twenty percent of jobs are filled through advertising, that leaves an overwhelming majority of eighty percent which are filled without advertising. If a job is not advertised, how is it ever filled? They are filled through the hidden job market!

What exactly is the hidden job market? These are the jobs that are hidden from public view. For the job seekers who only look for jobs through the classifieds or online advertising, they are completely left out of consideration for these jobs. Considering that eighty percent of jobs are filled this way, they miss out on the majority of jobs that are actually available. This is great news for the job seeker who is willing to learn how to tap into the hidden job market!

Five Easy Steps

You can tap into the hidden job market in five easy steps. Here is a short description of each step.

Step 1 - Develop A Target List Of Employers

The first thing you need to do is to develop a list of employers who have the type of job(s) you are interested in, in the locations you want, and are employers you would like to work for. I call this list of potential employers your job opportunity list. This list of potential employers can be very long, or quite short depending on your interests and needs.

Step 2 - Do Some Research

Once you have your job opportunity list together, use the Internet to do a little research on each potential employer. Use the company’s web site to read about the company, it's mission, it's products, any current news, and most importantly, find a company directory. Use the directory to find out who is the director or supervisor of the department you want to be hired into.

Step 3 - Look For Advertised Jobs

No, I haven't changed my mind. Advertised jobs should not be your primary means of finding your next job, but you should still spend a little time and see what types of jobs are being advertised in your area. Pay special attention to jobs advertised by companies on your job opportunity list.

Step 4 - Start Making Contacts

This is where you can start separating yourself from the competition. Most job seekers just won't make direct contact with potential employers. They are not comfortable applying for a job unless the potential employer has put up a big blinking sign (advertisement) that says, "We have a job opening, please send us your resume."

Make direct contact with the employers and let them know about you, your qualifications and experience, and your interest in working for their organization! vacancy

Thoughtful Thank-Yous

I get asked these questions over and over: "Should I send separate thank-you notes to everyone who interviewed me? Can I just send one thank-you note to the hiring manager and ask him/her to thank others involved in the process?" 

The answers are yes and no, respectively.

Send a separate thank-you note to everyone who interviewed you, whether it was an informal pre-interview phone call, an interview lunch meeting, or the final formal interview after a lengthy process.

Don't be stingy with your thank yous!

It's an easy thing to do, it will only take a few minutes--and it will make the recipients feel good about you! Why wouldn't you jump at the chance to do that?

You can make your thank-you notes relatively short. They can be sent via snail-mail or email.

(There are differing opinions on which is best. I prefer the now "special" touch of a real letter over the routine method of email; others think email is best because it's faster. Just remember that what you say is more important than how you send it.)

Make each thank-you note slightly different by mentioning something in particular that you and the recipient discussed. This is a good reason to do your thank-you notes right away, while the interview is fresh in your mind. You might even want to take notes for this purpose.

Here's a great tip that will really impress the hiring manager: add a P.S. that mentions how helpful someone was, by name. I'm not talking about people directly involved in the interviews; they should get their own thank-you notes. But if there was a receptionist, an administrative assistant, or someone else who was helpful during your interview process, say so. Those people are rarely recognized, but may have influence with the hiring manager. The boss will think of you as someone who appreciates his team, notices things most other people overlook, and goes the extra mile.

Why make this a P.S.? Studies show that most people read the P.S. before (or even instead of) reading the main body of a letter. This P.S. will get attention and impress the reader, which will get your entire letter read and your thoughtfulness remembered!

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Leadership Is a Process

By Gbitse Barrow

Do you have a boss, supervisor, manager or CEO who doesn’t meet your expectations as a leader? Are you concerned that your new boss or manager doesn’t have the right attitude, knowledge, skills and behaviour to lead, or are you worried that despite many years in a position of leadership, your boss continues to fall short of everyone’s expectations? These are real life scenarios that play out each day in our workplaces, businesses and communities. Even on a larger scale in society, how satisfied are we of our civil and political leaders and their abilities to lead us effectively and towards success?

If you are dealing with a leader similar to the ones described above, or you suspect that you may be indeed that positional leader who is falling short of the expectation, one of the most important lessons you must learn about leadership is that it is a process, and not an event. Leaders grow each day, and leadership is in itself a journey. The mere fact that you have won an election, started a new business, married a wife,gotten a promotion, or arrived at a position of leadership doesn’t make you a leader. Authentic leadership is about a life-long commitment to learning and transformational change, which is required for you to create the positive influence and success required of you as a leader.

Some of the challenges we have with ourselves as leaders, as well as with our positional leaders is because we haven’t recognized and understood that Leadership is a process and a journey. Through this journey of leadership leaders need to grow and become more aware of themselves by reflecting, asking questions, and getting feedback from the people they lead. The new learnings from this process will enable them adopt different styles and approaches and engage their followers more effectively. A lot of leaders jettison this process, and believe that having arrived at their positions they would all of a sudden achieve a “god-status”, and that all the powers and successes that “leaders” have will suddenly become theirs.

A great example of what I am describing can best be seen when a new leader is promoted from within the team. How can you be so myopic to believe that from the first day you will gain everyone’s respect or buy-in; how can you fit into the shoes of the previous leader so quickly; how can you heal all the wounds of the past and move forward? Honestly, these things take time, which if you do not apply yourself to as a systematic process, may indeed take forever, or actually never happen. A lot of new leaders who were great team members and performers fail to recognize this and fail woefully in their first leadership assignments. I have seen people fall into this trap, and struggle to retrace their steps quickly enough and learn the competencies required to be leaders. Some of them escape, wobble and fumble along to higher positions of leadership, but carry with them forever, the scars of their leadership events, rather than the learnings and changes required of a leadership journey.

Look around today, and think about those examples of positional leaders who are not effective leaders, there is perhaps a lesson or two that can be learned from their first leadership events or positions. As you look at newly appointed or elected leaders who seem not to have what it takes - do endeavor to give them a chance and support them through their journeys. If they are committed to life-long learning and transformational learning like all great leaders should be, then their journey to leadership, although challenging will be blessed with success in the long-run.

As we look around us, we must also look at ourselves, and ask the pertinent questions - How have I dealt with my past and current leadership positions? Is leadership just an event, or am I in a committed systematic process of growing each day as a leader? Whatever your answers may be, just remember that you can re-trace your steps and create a real leadership journey as you continue to grow as leader. Focus on continuous learning, feedback and a willingness to change, and be committed, deliberate and systematic about it!

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At the Job Interview, Your Behavior Outweighs Your Answers

Nancy prepared long and hard for her job interview. She researched the company, studied the job description, developed and practiced answers for likely questions, dressed appropriately, and arrived early. She really needed the job!

At the job interview, Nancy answered every question well.

Unfortunately, her behavior sabotaged her performance.

When introduced to the interviewer, she said, “Thank you so much for seeing me. I really need this job.” After answering one of the questions, she added, “I hope I answered that sufficiently for you. I really need this job.” As the interview was ending, the last thing she said was, “Thank you for the opportunity to interview for this job. I really need it!” 

Nancy, like many other job candidates, believed that letting the interview know she really needed the job would help her to get it.

But that’s not true.

As a matter of fact, being “too desperate” for the job is one of the most common reasons hiring managers will reject you, regardless of your qualifications. If they know how desperate you are, they will wonder to what lengths you will go to get the job—would you exaggerate on your résumé or lie during the interview? You don’t want them wondering about things like that. Be enthusiastic about the opportunity, but don’t be a “Needy Nancy.”

Here are six other behaviors to avoid during job interviews (despite the names, all behaviors apply to both men and women):

“Overly Familiar Fred” behaves like he’s best buddies with male interviewers, and flirts with female interviewers. He’ll smile, wink, joke around and try to come across as God’s gift to the hiring manager. It’s OK to be friendly and charming to a point, but there’s a line you should never cross. Professionalism is paramount. Don’t be an “Overly Familiar Fred.”

“Aimless Amy” behaves like she wants a job… and any job will do. It’s obvious to hiring managers that she doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up. Be prepared to communicate clear career goals and give compelling reasons why you want the specific job for which you are interviewing. Don’t be an “Aimless Amy.”

“Rambling Randy” behaves like he’s trying to win a talking contest. He goes on and on, telling personal stories and getting completely away from the point of the question. Listening is as important as talking. Don’t talk just to fill a temporary silence from the interviewer. Stories are good, but they should be relevant and brief. Don’t be a “Rambling Randy.”

“Emotional Emma” lets her feelings interfere with her performance. If a tricky interviewer insults her appearance or skills to gauge her reaction, she’ll become visibly upset—perhaps even burst into tears or hurl insults back at the interviewer. If you have a temper or cry easily—or tend to get overly nervous—focus on remaining calm during the interview, no matter what. I’m not saying you should hide all emotions; no one wants to hire a robot. Let your personality show. But don’t be an “Emotional Emma.”

“Arrogant Andy” behaves like he’s doing the hiring manager a favor by coming in for an interview. He speaks in a condescending tone when answering questions he feels are beneath him. He enjoys bragging about his accomplishments, never mentioning team efforts. He is confident that his qualifications are far superior to those of other candidates. He’s sure the interview is just a formality, and believes the job is his if he really wants it. No matter how qualified you are, it’s more important to be likeable. No one will hire an egotistical jerk. Don’t be an “Arrogant Andy.”

“Timid Tina” behaves like she’s afraid to be noticed. She avoids eye contact, speaks in a quiet voice, answers questions with the fewest words possible, and rarely smiles. When asked if she has any questions as the interview winds down, she quickly says “No,” and looks longingly at the door, eager to escape. Many people are shy; very few people enjoy being interviewed. But no matter how desperately you wish someone would hire you based solely on your résumé, it’s not going to happen—you’ll have to talk your way into the job. Force yourself to show confidence and enthusiasm. After all, you have a lot to offer! You can’t offer anyone anything if you’re afraid to be noticed. Don’t be a “Timid Tina.”

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7 Ways to Shine at Your Next Job Interview

Job interview time!
You’ve managed to secure a job interview for a position that fits you PERFECTLY. Now comes the moment of truth: Are you REALLY ready for the interview?
If you’ve rehearsed what you’re going to say and know the perfect answer to every potential question, you’re half way there. There’s just one important thing you’ve forgotten:
Yourself.
How do you sell yourself and show your potential employer how valuable you can be to their company? You want to make them hire you today and not even think about other applicants.
How do you sell yourself and show your potential employer how valuable you can be to their company? You want to make them hire you today and not even think about other applicants.
You know you’re the right person for the job, so how do you make them see that?
Here are seven simple steps you can take to really make yourself shine during the interview process.
1. Find out everything you can about the company you’d be working for. Who are its customers? What is its mission statement? How does the job you’d be performing relate to the company’s goals? Finding out this type of information gives you great insights about the kinds of questions to ask your interviewer, and shows them that you’ve done your research and already have some background related to the company’s business and objectives.
2. Read over the job description carefully. Analyze your own strengths and see how you can tie them directly to the job description. If you have previous experience, make note of those times where you helped achieve a specific result. Employers give more serious consideration to applicants who have a background and a track record in their industry than those who do not.
3. Make a great first impression. Arrive 15 minutes prior to the interview, dress appropriately, greet your interviewer with a firm handshake and maintain eye contact throughout the interview. Be enthusiastic, personable and outgoing. Show a sincere interest in the people you meet and the work you’d be doing.
4. Show that you can solve problems and work well under pressure, since nearly every job will require both skills. If you can identify a particular problem in your industry or that you may face when doing this job, give the interviewer some ideas of how you would solve it. Be calm, relaxed and confident. Some nervousness is expected, but your overall mannerisms (such as fidgeting, nail-biting, slumping in your chair) will be an instant giveaway on how well you really work under stress. Likewise, if you project confidence and security in how you carry yourself, the interviewer will definitely notice.
5. Ask questions. You should always have questions ready, but if your mind goes blank when asked if you have any questions, consider asking how long the position has open. What’s the company’s track record and turnover rate? Are they performing well and keeping employees on board? Remember, you’re not just selling yourself on how you’d be a great fit for this company, but finding out how this company could also be a great fit for you.
6. Deflect inappropriate questions. If an interviewer asks a question that makes you feel uncomfortable, smile politely and ask, "Why would you like to know?" He or she is prohibited from asking you personal questions, including references to your race, gender, sexual preference, marital status and child care situations. Your interview should be focused on how well you can perform the job, not your home and family life.

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Interviewing Over Lunch: Are You at Risk?

Sometimes a hiring process will include having lunch with the hiring manager. Despite anything said to the contrary (like "It'll just be an informal lunch so we can get to know each other."), this is a formal part of your interview!  This can be a very tricky situation.

Impressions made in a restaurant are just as important as those in an office or meeting room.

If you don't want an "eating mishap" to ruin your chances at a new job (or a promotion if you're dining with the boss), follow these tips: 

1. Avoid ordering messy foods.

This includes long pasta, of course, but also anything with stringy cheese... you know, the kind that stretches up with your fork from the plate to your mouth.

Watch out for soup, anything with a sauce or other "drippable" ingredient. No matter how careful you are, you know an invisible hole can magically appear in your spoon and cause you to drip all over yourself!

Even a salad can be hazardous! Have you ever tried to spear a cherry tomato with your fork and squirted yourself, your neighbor, or watched the tomato go flying off your plate? Not impressive. Avoid cherry tomatoes.

2. Mind your manners.

First, let me say I am definitely NOT "Miss Manners." These are just common-sense tips, not something you'd learn at charm school. (So don't send me an email with the "proper" etiquette, OK?)

This may be considered old-fashioned and unnecessary by some (especially women's libbers, if there's still such a thing), but I think it's still a nice courtesy for a man to pull out a chair for a woman. Either sex can offer to take someone's coat and hang it up. In general, just be nice, thoughtful, and courteous.

Thank the servers.

If you're in a fancy place with 6 different forks, 3 knives and 2 spoons, don't freak out about which to use for what. In general, they're placed in the order in which the food that you use them with will be served... implement furthest from the plate being used first. So when the salad comes out first, grab the fork furthest from your plate. Or just watch what the big shot does and follow his/her example.

If your food comes out first, don't start scarfing it down while the other(s) wait for their food to arrive. If they're courteous, they'll invite you to go ahead before your food gets cold. Likewise, if someone else has been served and is waiting while your food is delayed, invite them to go ahead and eat.

Don't reach... ask someone to pass.

Don't use your bread to mop up sauce, soup, or anything else.

Don't slurp or burp. Ever. Yes, this may be acceptable in some countries as a way to show appreciation for good food, but if you're in the U.S., don't do it. Even if the big shot does.

3. Watch the cost.

It doesn't matter if you've been told, "Order anything you'd like, this is on me." Do not order the most expensive thing on the menu! Even if the big shot does.

4. Beer or wine?

Have you seen that commercial where several guys are at a restaurant with a big shot and he asks what they want to drink? They go around the table and all order a non-alcoholic drink except for the last guy, who orders a Sam Adams (beer). The big shot is "impressed" and orders the same.

Hah! Never fall for anything you see in a beer commercial!

Would you have a beer or glass of wine at the office? (You better say "No!") Despite the surroundings, food and drink, if this is a business function (and it certainly is if you're interviewing or discussing business with your boss), do NOT order alcohol! Even if the big shot does.

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How to Answer Questions About Underperforming Co-workers

A new subscriber recently asked me how to respond to this type of interview question: "What would you do if a colleague was not pulling his weight?"

Note: since the question is worded with "colleague" and not "employee" or "subordinate," I'm going to answer this as it would apply to a NONSUPERVISORY position. 

There are generally two management styles that determine how employers want their people to handle such situations. Unfortunately, they are completely different.

One style encourages employees to resolve conflicts and fix problems at the lowest level. So in that case, they'd probably want you to talk to your colleague one-on-one, to explain what he or she is doing wrong and how it's bad for the company and his/her own job

security. Then offer to help that person improve (as long as it did not adversely affect your own duties). If you can help this person improve, then you are helping the employee pull his/her weight (meaning he/she may not have to be replaced), you are helping the company maintain its quality standards, and also helping the supervisor/manager by saving them from having to deal with this problem.

The other style encourages employees to notify supervisor/managers immediately whenever there is a problem. The theory here is that management needs to know what's going on so they can make improvements. If there's an employee who is not performing up to standards, it could mean that employee was poorly trained, is not being properly motivated, or should never have been hired. Any of those situations should be addressed by management, so the best thing would be to bring the colleague's poor performance to the attention of your supervisor. He/she can then decide what to do about it.

As you can see, these management styles are opposite in nature. If possible, it would be good if you could find out which type of approach is preferred by the company involved. But I realize that may be difficult. In that case, I believe the best way to answer that question is something like this:

"My first step would be to determine how ABC Company prefers for these types of situations to be handled -- whether they want such problems resolved at the lowest level, or immediately broght to management's attention. Can you tell me which is preferred by ABC Company?"

If they do tell you, then you can easily adjust your answer to fit their particular management style. If they do not tell you, then you'll have to say something like, "Well, if they prefer that these situations be handled at the lowest level, then I would personally try to help the employee to improve his performance (as long as it did not affect my own duties)." (Then go into some detail about ways you could help, such as answering his questions, showing him how to do a particular task, etc.)

"If my attempts to help the employee were unsuccessful and I felt his performance was going to continue to be below ABC Company standards, I would bring the matter to the attention of my supervisor. I know that ABC Company prides itself on quality service and performance, so I feel it would be my responsibility to ensure those standards are upheld, not only by myself, but by those around me.

"If ABC Company prefers that such situations be immediately brought to the attention of the appropriate supervisor or manager, then I would, of course, do that instead of spending time trying to help the employee improve."

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I'll File a Grievance!

I recently went to a retirement party with my husband for one of his co-workers. I worked at this same place six years ago (that's where I met my husband, but that's another story), so I knew most of the people at the party. 

One person I didn't know (I'll call her Jill but that's not her real name) was talking about how bored she is in her current job. She's been with the agency for about three months and is doing administrative work.

"I'm way overqualified for this position," she said. "I used to be an Office Manager. I only took this job because I heard this agency was a good place to work. I know I can get something better."

Jill told me she planned to apply for a new opening at the same agency -- a slightly better-paying administrative position. That position became vacant recently when that secretary retired. It's been filled by a temp for about three weeks.

"I know I'm way more qualified than that temp!" Jill said. "If she gets hired instead of me, I'm going to file a grievance!"

If she hadn't quickly disappeared, I would've given her some advice. If you've ever had the same attitude as Jill, maybe you can use this advice.

First, an employer is not under any obligation to hire the most qualified candidate. They can hire the least qualified candidate, as long as that candidate meets the minimum qualifications stated in the position announcement.

Second, employers are people, and people hire those they like and want to work with. As long as there is no discrimination based on race, religion, color, national origin, marital status, age, gender, sexual orientation or physical/mental disability, employers can legally hire whomever they want.

The fact of the matter is, a candidate is never hired based solely on her qualifications. A candidate is hired because she convinces the hiring manager that she can do the job and be a positive, enthusiastic, pleasant-to-work-with member of the team.

Someone who is blabbing to co-workers (and strangers!) that she'll file a grievance if she doesn't get hired is unlikely to fit that bill.

If you're thinking of applying for a promotion within your current company, please realize that more than your experience, skills and qualifications will be judged.

What's your reputation? If you're a dedicated team player, great!

But if you're a complainer whom your current boss and co-workers would not miss, you've got some reputation repair work to do first!

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When and How to Say "I Just Can't Do It!"

We naturally hesitate to tell our boss when we can't do something or are feeling overwhelmed in our job. Bosses don't want to hear that, right? Well, it depends. 

In many situations, your boss is so busy that he/she doesn't keep track of how much work you're doing. When your boss gives you a new project, he's not thinking about all the other projects you're already working on.

And here's the kicker -- unless you speak up and tell your boss that you can't handle the workload he's giving you, he'll assume everything is fine. 

This can have bad consequences for you AND your boss. You know what will happen. Eventually things will start falling through the cracks or you'll rush through tasks and start making mistakes.

You can only do so much in a day, and deadlines will be missed. While you're stressing out, work that your boss needs you to do is NOT being done.

When this happens, your boss will not appreciate your excuse: "But I had too much to do, I was overloaded with work!" Saying that AFTER the fact will be much worse than telling your boss up front -- before mistakes occur or deadlines are missed -- that you're having trouble with your workload.

It is your responsibility to tell your boss when you are overwhelmed, and there's nothing wrong with doing this.

Of course, you don't want to tell your boss, "I can't do that; I'm too busy." But you can say, "I'll be happy to take that on, but I need your help with prioritizing the other projects you've already given me. Which jobs can I put on hold or delegate to someone else while I work on this new one?"

That's way better than keeping your mouth shut, trying to do too much, and failing miserably.

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