Career
No Bonus Bummer: But No Layoffs
Nearly one-quarter of those surveyed said they would give up the shot at an annual bonus to keep their job; another 24% would work longer hours without a pay increase, and 23% would accept a reduction in benefits.
At the Office: No “Politics” Please
There are appropriate forums to talk about politics, but the workplace is a tricky place to do it well. To start, office hours are for working. Also, you never know who’s listening.
Job Interview: Do the “Due-Diligence”
Research your target company. You don’t want to be jobless in a year because of sweeping organizational changes or a merger. You also should research competitors—who may offer similar job openings—to get a better sense of how different companies position themselves in the market.
Is “Temporary” The New “Permanent”
More than a quarter of people who have found jobs since the recession ended have landed in temporary positions, according to government data, though private estimates range far higher. The numbers reflect a fundamental change in the way Americans work, with neither businesses nor their employees expecting to stay together for life.
How to “Behave” in Behavioral Interviews
The types of questions that are asked using this technique are used to find out how and what you did in the past and the skill sets you used in the process – if you did it before, can you do it again!
Interviewing: Be Careful What You Ask Candidates
Asking about a citizenship or birth country can imply discrimination on the basis of national origin—and that’s illegal. However, Federal law does require you to verify legal status and right to work.
Unemployment: Low Skill Level, Not Much Luck Getting Hired
Bean’s predicament is not unlike that of many people who have a high school education or less. Not only were they hit especially hard by the recession but they have continued losing ground in the recovery that has followed.
College Degree: No Certainty for Employment
College graduates and advanced degree holders, once they are unemployed, are as vulnerable as high school dropouts to long-term joblessness, a new study has found.
Happy at Work — Huh — Really
Happiness and unhappiness (in work and in life) result entirely from the rules in your head that you use to evaluate events. Those rules determine what’s worth focusing on, and how you react to what you focus on. Many people have rules that make it very difficult for them to happy and very easy for them to be miserable.
Please: No More Resumes
A résumé doesn’t provide much depth about a candidate. We are most interested in what people are like, what they are like to work with, how they think. Companies are increasingly relying on social networks such as LinkedIn, video profiles and online quizzes to gauge candidates’ suitability for a job.
What “Really” Happens to Your Resume When Hit Send
Job boards and networking sites help broadcast to a wide audience, but the flood of applications tends to include a lot of duds. Recruiters report that at least 50% of job hunters don’t possess the basic qualifications for the jobs they are pursuing.
To Lower Workplace Stress: Just “Chill”
Age, occupation and family circumstances, among other factors, can all play a part in how workers respond to different stressors. But experts say there are steps that can help you take control of your happiness at work this year. Let’s look at a few few of them.
Interviewing: Prepare, Prepare and Prepare
If you have ever left an interview and thought of a better answer to one of the questions on the way home in your car, you were not appropriately prepared when you walked in.
Fired for “Working Through Lunch”
The company’s human resources director became involved, explaining that hourly non-exempt employees were required to take a 30-minute lunch break, a policy that had been in the handbook for 10 years.
You Smoking; You’re Not Working Here
No smoking — at work or anytime. Each year, smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke causes 443,000 premature deaths and costs the nation $193 billion in health bills and lost productivity.
Corporate Diversity Gets an Upgrade
Having a diverse work force no doubt helps a company’s image, and some say it can also impact the bottom line by reducing employee turnover, boosting innovation and attracting new business.
Personal Branding “Secret Sauce”
People no longer have an interest in buying things, but do have an interest in joining things. Are you building a community that offers real value to people? If not, get a clue or do something else. Spend less time selling and more time creating memories in the minds of your followers.
Don’t Forget the “Soft Skills”
In 2012, creativity and adaptability will be key to landing and keeping a job for many workers, as staff levels remain lean and employees are expected to respond to a wide variety of demands, experts say.
Is This Your Job or The Only Job Available
When you’re in the energizing vortex with a potential employer, it’s easy to miss red flags. If you’re interviewing for a job that wouldn’t please you, or one with an employer who won’t appreciate you, you’d be smart to bail. Once in the vortex, though, it’s easy to get pulled right through.
“Overqualified:” Not So Fast
What employers mean to say is that the match isn’t there for some reason. You don’t need a power drill to put in a thumb tack, and you don’t need a very skilled and experienced person for a simple job. Here are 3 possible reasons, most closely related to the overqualified excuse.
