Displaying All Posts from July, 2010

Inspirational Quotes for Work

Do inspirational quotes affect your daily life? Do you surround yourself with them in your cubicle or work space? I have found that being constantly surrounded by quotes is something that helps me get by, especially when I’m not having a real motivating day. Inspirational quotes for work are, of course, just words. But if you heed what they have to say, they could aid you in your working and personal life. Click Here to Read Article …
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Do You Get More Done Working Alone or Around Others?

The idea of working all alone seems pretty tempting: nothing to distract your thinking process, no stress from the jerk on the cell phone.  Just quiet.

Too quiet.

Sometimes my mind gets distracted by the silence – I find myself wondering where everyone is.  So, like some other people who work from home I put on the television.  Sometimes that does the trick, but at other times I just really wish there were some people around.  Not co-workers, not people I know, but just (quiet) people as background noise.  I worked from a café the other day and I got so many things done, so many ideas just popped up in my mind.  The ambient noise was a catalyst of sorts.

What about you? Are you more productive at home, working alone, or when you’re around others? Click Here to Read Article …

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Why Resumes and Cover Letters Still Matter

Some people think that in this high-tech day and age that resumes and cover letters are no longer necessary.  I believe they not only still have a place, but are important.

Why?

Doesn’t a LinkedIn profile tell you everything you need to know? Aren’t these pages relics of an old way of hiring that is becoming obsolete?  Can’t social networks serve the purpose that resumes and cover letters did?

Barbara Hart, a hiring consultant who runs Hire Well, says maybe – but insists on getting a cover letter and resume from every job candidate who wants to go through her. Here’s why:

  • Too Much Information: LinkedIn is the social network for business people but it still has information she doesn’t need. In fact some of what it reveals cannot be legally considered for hiring.
  • Hard to Compare: Social media profiles aren’t standard enough to compare candidates. Resumes and cover letters are boring in that way. But boring and standard allow comparison between candidates.
  • Not All Employers Are That Savvy: It may be 2010, but some human resource departments just still want to do it the way they always have done it. They’re the ones with the job that you want. Do you really want to tell them they’re doing it wrong?
  • Not Print-Friendly: Have you tried to print your LinkedIn profile? Human resources wants to print or copy your resume and pass it around to hiring managers. Even if you save it as an electronic document and e-mail it, it’s print ready for them.

When it comes down to it, who’s life are you trying to make easier? Yours or the hiring manager? Trust me, hiring managers like employees who are trying to make their lives easier. Click Here to Read Article …

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Are You Truly Being Productive?

When you’re a productivity hound, you’re nearly considered a hero. You’re praised for your ability to do a ton of work in a day, and your productivity is exalted.

There’s a problem with being productive, though. Productivity is quantity-based, not quality-based. This means its purpose is simply to get things done – doesn’t matter what.

And while you might get lots of praise for being able to multitask like a ninja and move heaven and earth, the truth is that moving stuff around isn’t very useful.

Well, it is if your goal is just to get things done. But if your goal is to achieve more for your business, your productivity may just need to be revisited. Click Here to Read Article …

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Job Titles and Descriptions: Less is More?

Job titles were originally meant to succinctly describe a person’s basic duties in a few words. When you looked at someone’s business card or shook their hand in a meeting, their job title would give a general  (but clear) idea of their role within their organization.

Some titles have stayed true to this purpose, remaining concise and unpretentious, like “Software Developer,” or “Account Manager.” But others have grown more vague and grandiose, like “Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Marketing,” or “Solutions Architect and Change Management Lead.”

Indistinct job titles and descriptions may impress some people, but they also risk giving the impression that your organization is overstaffed and that you are one of the nonessential fringe-workers. If you can’t answer the question, “What do you do?” without resorting to intentional ambiguities, you’re going to sound more like a cornered, dodgy politician than a competent worker.

The truth is, any job can sound impressive and important if you craft a little complexity into the title. You could call a window washer a “Transparency-Enhancement Facilitator,” or give the title of “Media Distribution Specialist” to a paperboy, but it doesn’t change the nature of the work.  After a short conversation, their roles will be clear – regardless of their job title.

Is a long, vague job title a sign of ordinary, mundane work being embellished? Is it a sign of “bloat” in an organization? Or is it just part of the game? Click Here to Read Article …

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Is It Lunch Theft?

You forgot to bring a lunch today, and you don’t have time to run out and get anything.  Time constraints aside, you also forgot your wallet.   You’ve got a long day ahead of you, with a client presentation in the afternoon. You need to get something in your system to stay on top of things.  There are a few lunches in the fridge, and they’ve been unclaimed for a little while.  What do you do?

  • Grab one of the unclaimed lunches.  Check to make sure the green parts are supposed to be green, and chow down.  They’re probably going to get thrown out later this week anyway – so where’s the harm?
  • Skip lunch – you can afford to miss a meal or two.
  • Find the owner of the best looking lunch, and beg them to share.
  • Send an email out to the team, asking everyone to give you part of their lunch.
  • “Accidentally” eat whichever one you want – even though the name is clearly on it.
  • Send the office intern out to get you a lunch, with your promise to pay them tomorrow.

Since I’ve experienced “lunch theft” on more than one occasion, I’m curious to know what you folks think.

What would you do? Click Here to Read Article …

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How to Create an Engaging and Effective Bio Page

When building out your website or blog, one of the most important—and frustrating—tasks at hand is creating your bio page. We can write for days about our topic of expertise, but when it comes to writing about ourselves, it’s tempting to cower under the desk and hope the need will pass.

Your bio page, however, is arguably the most important page of your site. It’s where you define and contextualize yourself to an audience of strangers in a concise and accessible format—it’s your landing page, and it’s where a big chunk of your traffic will end up. Understandably, the fear of not getting it right can be paralyzing. But rather than being daunted by the blank page with no idea how to proceed, here are some questions and tips to help structure the creation of your bio page. Click Here to Read Article …

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What’s Your Summertime Work Strategy?

Traditionally, summertime means kicking back with a cool drink and escaping to the beach. But some people actually use this time to get ahead, taking advantage of a lighter workload to plan for the rest of the year or tackle long-neglected projects.

Both approaches have their merits.

Obviously, it’s nice to slow down and smell the cool ocean breezes so you can return to work relaxed and rejuvenated. That said, beaches and other vacation destinations are crowded this time of year, so it may make sense to save vacation time and forge ahead at work to show your boss how committed you are. As a self-employed writer, I’m planning to do a little of both this summer.  I may be taking a few half days to catch up on reading –  but otherwise it’ll be business as usual.

What do you plan to do this summer? Will you be observing half-day Fridays, as they do in many companies? Maybe taking a week off for some fun in the sun? Or will you keep things at the status quo? Click Here to Read Article …