But first. . .

Who loves models? I do, but don’t get me wrong. . . this is not about fashion models.

With models, you can picture a scenario of life that’s usually hard to describe or imagine. A model may be simply a representation of, say, a job experience so you can reference to, compare to, and validate against. It helps you find out whether a scenario is right or wrong.

I model that as “three rides and a fall” which basically is about taking three different rides (the first three stages you would go through), and close with a falling ride as a final stage. The three rides are:

1) a learning ride,

2) an excelling ride, and

3) a mentoring ride.

The fall is just a fall, but I would picture it as a ride that’s downwards.

What I describe here – in my opinion – is what you should seek in a job experience that you are currently enjoying, or looking forward to as a new responsibility.  It would also be what you would expect to experience in a job to make the most out of it and make it joyful. Here you go, the model and its rides in a bit of detail.

1. Learning

This is what’s usually expected of a typical human when he or she gets assigned a new responsibility. You need to learn, and you need to learn almost everything: the environment, the work, the strategies, the tactics, the people, and the business overall.  Nothing outstanding is expected of you except delivering what you’re asked for. Usually, you don’t get stretched or asked for high performance. It usually is about delivering the bare minimum, and most people perform the same in this ride of learning.

It’s a loss to skip this ride, even if you have super knowledge and expertise.  Not only because it is joyful, but also because you might miss learning from others, the least!  I personally enjoy this ride the most, and believe everyone should experience it to its extremes whenever possible.

2. Excelling

What do you expect of someone who spends quality time learning? Of course, quality delivery! That’s what I call excelling at your job and delivering your best. This is a ride when you apply the best you have learned, and seek perfection and quality. You can call it turnover time, since you get the chance to give back to your organization for giving you the opportunity to learn.

This is a time of a partial return on investment they made on you. Why do I consider partial only? Because, you still can do more, and that’s going to be on your next ride.

3. Mentoring

Yes, mentoring!  Being a role model puts a responsibility on you to teach, to seek out others giving them a hand on their own rides.  This is a stage when you become on top of what you’re doing – remember that this comes after excelling in your job – and that you are ready to mentor others.

This is a stage that’s hugely missed by most people tempting to seek out the next big challenge.  You cannot imagine how enjoyable this stage is to you, to your colleagues, and to your organization. It’s when you hit an outstanding return on investment in terms of knowledge capital. I would allow myself to go extreme and call it selfishness not to mentor when you become a role model.

4. The Fall – New Beginnings

It’s no harm at all to fall after three successful rides, right? You fall because you become saturated of the things you have been doing so far. You either get bored of what you’re doing, or become the old blood that needs to be donated. The latter is a rare case, hopefully!

This is a time when you need to look for a change and seek your next challenge either internally or preferably externally beyond the boundaries of your current organization.

This is Just a Model – Life isn’t perfect!

It’s important to understand that models are abstract and life cannot simply match them.  They represent things in its perfect form, and usually reality drifts away from them.  This doesn’t mean models are not correct, it just means that you’ll experience variations of a model and you can keep it as a reference or a guide.

Another factor to consider is the blending of these rides with each other. You could be learning and excelling at the same time. You could also be excelling and mentoring at the same time, and that’s logical as well. You could be mentoring, learning, and bored (falling) all together!

In my opinion, what counts is what gets felt and experienced the most – the peaks – and the order of those peaks. While you’re learning and excelling at the same time, one of them would be dominating or peaking, and that signifies which ride you’re on.

It’s also important knowing that four years is a typical timespan for this “model of job experience”. It can be experienced in less or more number of years. Try your best to fit them on the number of years you see suitable for your current job.

My Own Experience of the “Three rides and a fall”

I must admit a number of facts before sharing my experience here:

1. I didn’t recognize the “three rides and a fall” model until recently.
2. I didn’t experience the model fully throughout my career. In fact, it was applicable only to two jobs I have occupied out of six jobs I was blessed with.
3. The two jobs in which I have identified this pattern were the most enjoyable ones amongst them all!

The first job I have experienced the “three rides and a fall” was my first being a systems engineer. I went through learning, excelling, and mentoring in that job.  I must say that I didn’t feel the fall ride, since I hopped on my next challenge immediately after that.

The second experience with the “three rides and a fall” was my recent 4-year job as a technology specialist. I went through learning, excelling, mentoring, and falling.  It was of course a great blend throughout those four years, and was very joyful.

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How about your job experience? Do you think the three rides and a fall model applies to you?

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How to Unleash the Leader Within You

Although you’ll still have to follow your boss’s orders, it might help to find ways to exhibit your own leadership skills.

Actively participate in meetings

Meetings are often held on a regular basis to discuss the progress (or lack thereof) of the company. If you’ve surreptitiously rolled your eyes during these meetings, try actively participating to facilitate change in your department or company. Offer suggestions about which tactics work and which don’t, and listen to the suggestions of others. Listening to your coworkers and using their input can be valuable, and it can make those meetings worthwhile to you.

Communicate openly and often

Chances are that you don’t always see eye to eye with your boss—and that means communication is critical to a productive and cordial working relationship. For example: your team is working on a project and one of your team members has excellent marketing skills. You could suggest that she’d be a great fit for the marketing portion of the project. Make sure to give examples of the skills she’d bring to the project.

Keep track of e-mails and other messages you receive from your boss and your team members, and take your own notes during meetings. Try to avoid coming across as challenging your boss’s authority, and make sure to phrase your ideas tactfully. Focus on how your ideas can benefit the project as a whole, instead of simply concentrating on offering a better idea than your boss.

Aim high

Although you may tactfully approach every suggestion you make to your boss, you still might not get the results you want—perhaps because your boss feels threatened. For this reason, you should always attempt to aim high when making suggestions.

Keep your avenues of communication open with your boss, but stay in contact with other leaders in your organization when you’re involved with solving a major company issue. Make sure you do your research, and always take a professional approach to every meeting and project. You might not be promoted on the spot, but your dedication, effort and ideas will certainly not go unnoticed.

Look for new opportunities

Of course, not every idea you have will be accepted, and you might still come up against resistance from your superior. If you find that you’re not getting opportunities to use your leadership skills, consider looking for new opportunities to sharpen your skills.

Since you’re probably already busy with your work load and other obligations, looking into online degree programs can be a good solution for balancing work life and your desire to work on your own professional development. Earning an online degree could allow you to prove that you are an effective leader and give you the extra credentials you need to find other opportunities where your abilities will be recognized and appreciated.

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Finding the right way to exhibit your leadership skills may take some trial and error, and there’s no guarantee that your efforts to present yourself as an effective leader will result in a promotion or a title change right away. But with diligence, thoughtfulness and a desire to improve your company, your efforts to improve yourself and your company can yield benefits for you.

How do you bring out the effective leader within you?

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Being an entry level applicant, you must focus on your key skills. It is the only section in your CV that can get you noticed. Your application is your first impression on the prospective employer and you can’t let it go waste. When writing an entry level resume for a job, always do thorough research about the company and the work profile associated with the position. With proper research you will know what qualities the employer will be searching in you when he goes through your resume.

How to Make Your Entry Level Resume Strong

Let’s discuss some basic tips for writing an entry level resume. These tips will be helpful to you while applying for a position.

1. Right Length:

A short and apt application will always get more number of employers. Don’t include anything that is irrelevant to the applied job profile. Ideally, a resume should be of single page length, but, if it is not possible to include all the job-related information in this small space, two pages is the maximum.

2. Mention Key Skills:

You don’t possess any professional work experience. Hence, you must focus on listing your key skills in your CV. The skills presented should be relevant to the position. You can use bulleted points to list your key skills to make this section more readable and easy to understand. If you are using the functional format, then you can provide the short description of each of your job skill. Tell the employer where you learned the particular skill and how it helped you in the past or how it will help you in your prospective work in the future.

3. Customize Your Application:

You know that employers are constantly looking for the job relevant skills in the candidates when they review each application. They may be looking for any particular skill necessary for working in the position. You can refer the job advertisement to know the skills that are expected by the employer. Include this information in your application to get employer’s attention.

4. Choose the Format:

Do you know that there are various formats for writing a resume? You cannot just take a pen and paper and start jotting down your details. Depending on the position you are applying for, you need to choose an appropriate format. Some formats are best for experienced candidates while some are good for entry level applicants.

Entry level applicants find functional or skills-based format best. With no work experience, this format will be focusing on your key skills and accomplishments. This section is listed immediately after the career summary section.

5. Avoid Common Errors:

You must check your application at least thrice for grammar and typographic errors before sending it to the employer. Such mistakes will create a bad impression on the employer. You can also get your application checked from any of your friend or relative.

6. Open with a Strong Objective Statement:

Objective statement is an opening 2-3 line paragraph providing information about applicant’s specialized skills, key accomplishments, etc. Employer will be interested to know your future aspirations and what you would offer the company while achieving your career goals. Make it impressive to hold the interest of the employer in reading your details further.

7. Avoid Unclear and Vague Information:

If you list vague or false information in your CV, it will make a negative impact on the employer. They may even bar your application from the recruitment process.

All these tips will surely add weight to your application. Focus on listing your major job specific skills for making better impact on the prospective employer.

Contact Information:

• Name
• Address
• Contact Number
• E-Mail ID

Career Objective:

[Your career goal here. Add your major accomplishments, key skills and related experience]

Career Summary:

[Provide brief introduction of your professional background. You can list the details in bulleted points]

Key Skills:

[Existing skills relevant to the job can be listed in this part. List the details in bulleted points for better appearance]

Educational Qualifications:

[List all the degrees in this section]

• Highest Degree, Year of passing

College/ University, Address

• Next Degree, Year

College/ University, Address

Academic Experiences:

[Your experiences during college work can be listed here. If you have volunteered for any event, you can list this here. If you have undergone internship in any industry, you can add that here]

Project Details:

[Provide the details of the project you undertook during your final year. Provide brief introduction about the project]

• Project Name
• Platform
• Description
• Associated Hardware
• Type of database

Accomplishments:

[All your academic achievements can be listed in this part. If there are less than three accomplishments, you can include this section along with the certifications section, else, list it separately]

Personal Profile:

[Personal details will include complete profile of the candidate]

• Full Name
• Permanent Address
• Date of Birth
• Nationality
• Gender
• Marital Status
• Official E-Mail ID

References:

• Name of reference
• Job Title
• Company Name
• Contact Number
• Official Mail ID

A resume can not only get you a desired job but, if poorly written, can also take an opportunity away from you. It is up to you to decide how you utilize it. The main purpose of any CV is to get you the interview call. During the interview you can convince the employer to hire you, but it is initially important to get there. A perfectly written CV will make the way a lot easier for you.

Got more entry level resume tips? Share them in the comments.

Photo by SOCIALisBETTER.

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How to Find a Coworking Space

Try coworking portals and directories for the widest selection possible. Accessible on the web or through a mobile phone app, these directories help you to search not only available standalone coworking spaces, but also dynamic small companies offering shared workspaces and open desks. This gives you more options for finding a spot to work, especially if your city or town doesn’t offer a coworking space. Think of it as matchmaking.

Our favorite directories for finding shared space include:

Loosecubes: Loosecubes connects members with an empty desk, studio or sofa with other members who need a productive and inspiring place to work. Whether you are looking for coworking companions by the day or longer term neighbors by the month, Loosecubes makes it easy to find the right people to share your space with. A cool feature we like: You can connect your account to Facebook to get recommendations for great workspace based on your social connections.

In an interview with us for Working in the UnOffice: A Guide to Coworking, community manager Anna Thomas said that services like theirs help spread the values of coworking throughout the system, letting businesses turn “their empty desks into business-building assets — generating revenue by renting their extra space and energizing their workplaces by bringing in new talent and expertise.” The process is aptly called, “Loosecubing”. By opening up their spaces to other different startups and a host of freelancers, companies that share “build connections that can lead to job opportunities, partnerships, referrals, and friendships.”

Anna describes how they set themselves apart from other competing search portals: “We place the emphasis on the people in the spaces. For us, the most powerful thing about coworking isn’t the beautiful office, great coffee, or fast Wi-Fi— it’s the person sitting next to you that could become your colleague, business partner, friend, or even someone special. Our goal is to connect people through workspaces, as opposed to hooking someone up with office amenities when they need them.” Loosecubes has since grown to become a global workspace-sharing community with nearly 2,000 spaces around the world.

Deskwanted: Features desks and office spaces around the globe, particularly covering Europe. Type in your preferred city and select the lease length and it gives you a list of available spaces in that area, with the address and cost. Deskwanted is connected with Deskmag, an online publication that covers issues related to innovative workplaces and new ways of working. It focuses on a coworking space and the new breed of independent workers and small companies that work there. Check out their “Tools and Tips” section for great coworking advice.

Desktime: A space directory covering Austin, Chicago, and New York. “We’re trying to change the way people use their workspace, giving people the ability to work from their apartment one afternoon and a bad ass office in the heart of the city the next,” their website says. Offers a directory app that lets users find shared workspaces on their iPhone or Android phone.

Share Your Office: This comprehensive worldwide directory is run by pariSoma Innovation Loft and aims to “connect together professionals with a common interest in sharing their offices”. It’s free to search and to post an ad. Also offered as a mobile app that lets users find shared workspaces on their smartphones.

WorkSnug: An augmented reality app for your smartphone that lets you view surroundings of various coworking spaces, coffee shops, and provides details on noise levels, Wi-Fi availability, and access to meeting rooms.

Open Office Space: Find everything from a shared desk to your standard executive suite and cubicle. Narrow down your search by specifying your budget and the “property type” you’re looking for— from “office” to “industrial” spaces. This site emphasizes form and function over community.

Coworking Wiki: Not only does the Coworking Wiki give a background on everything coworking, it also has a directory of various coworking spaces by country.

And what if there aren’t any coworking spaces near you?

You can start your own! Or, at the very least, organize a Jelly. A Jelly is an informal gathering in someone’s home, a coffee shop or borrowed office, where people work together independently. It’s like a coworking set-up without the permanent address.

***

Coworking’s promise for today’s creator, thinker, worker, and employee is an ambitious one. It claims to help us harness innovation, as well as to unite the laptop-toting telecommuters and independent businesses and organizations out there into a cohesive but fluid community. Such diverse communities under one roof can create thriving places to work.

What has your experience with a coworking space been like?

Photo by mdanys.

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5 Tips to Become a Successful Telemarketer

Now, if you’re still starting out as a telemarketer here are some tips that might prove useful:

1. Planning.

This is the first phase in becoming a successful telemarketer; research is the key role in the planning phase. You need to research intently about the product that you are selling and as well as the company’s profile and background. You also need to know what potential questions are frequently asked by customers. Remember that giving the right answers on customer inquiries will usually get you to close a deal and get a sale.

Lead generation is also an important phase in planning.  This is the point wherein you need to get the telephone numbers of the customers that you feel is interested to purchase your items and make a call list. By using lead generation, time and effort is saved, because you are only calling those numbers that you feel are interested, thus, allowing you to target only a specific group of customers.

Finding the right customer for the telemarketing job is also essential. For example, if you are in the business of selling dog products, you need to find a suitable market for your product; it can be a pet store or a veterinarian clinic.

2. Sales pitch.

The sales pitch refers to the content of the call that you will be doing, or the one which you will be using to get the attention of the customer that you will be calling. Your sales pitch must contain precise and honest information for the customer to understand. You have to be very careful though, because if your sales pitch is too long you might end up losing the call. As much as possible you have to be brief and concise.

In some cases, companies provide their telemarketers with their own sales pitch. These are premade sales pitches that you can automatically use in promoting the company’s product. But it is highly recommended that you create your own pitch.  Why?  This is because you will be more confident and comfortable when you’re using you own pitch in doing calls.

Each individual has his own sales technique.  Some may use the serious type of sales pitch, while others may use humor to close a deal.  However, regardless of what technique you’re using as long as you’re making the pitch, you can rest assured that you can make it work.

3. Emotional and mental preparation before making the calls.

Before making the calls to the customer, you need to first prepare yourself mentally.  This is because of the reality that regardless of your efforts, there is still a possibility that your offer will be rejected, or you might encounter a very irate customer, or you might not be taken seriously by the customer.

By mentally accepting the possibility of getting a “no” for an answer, you are able to build an attitude that you can easily use for your telemarketing job. This will also determine the success and the duration of you working as a telemarketer.

4. Making the actual calls.

You need to start your call with a pleasant greeting to the customer. You can ask for the first name of recipient of the call, or, if you have obtained the name of the customer through lead generation, then try to ask if you can talk to him. If you’re calling a business establishment, ask for the person in charge.

In doing your sales pitch, you will need to speak slowly and clearly to the customer. You need to have a confident and patient approach to create trust with your customer. You can also try to relate your conversation with common topics such as the weather, politics and others.  Remember that the goal here is to let the customer loosen up, and in order to build rapport with him.

You also need to ask questions one at a time, and give the customer a minute to answer. Listen carefully to his/her answer, so you can adjust your sales pitch to the customer’s need.

If the customer is interested, provide him/her with the costing and pricing of the product and the options that he/she can make the payments.  If the customer is not interested, don’t disrespect the customer because you might make a sale the next time around. You can end your call with “In case you might be needing our services in the future please check out our website at www.WEBSITE.com, thank you and have a very good day.”

5. Following up.

You need to monitor your sales. You need to put captions on the numbers that you did not make a sale for you to follow-up in the near future; tracking sales is also one way of assessing your progress and the progress of your sales approach.

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By following the 5 simple steps you can assure to work your way to a successful telemarketing career. May it be as a fulltime telemarketer or a part-time telemarketer, what is more important is that you can close a deal with your customer and make the sale.

Share your tips on how to be a good telemarketer.

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In most cases, this isn’t the easiest decision, and once the decision is made, deciding how to break the news is no less than stressful. It’s very difficult to leave something you once loved behind, and then expect to suddenly feel confident and relaxed. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the heart breaker’s troubles do not stop at his/her love life—this nervous feeling unfortunately also occurs during a business break-up.

Quitting your job (whether it was an easy decision or not) is never fun. You are likely to leave for one of two reasons:

1. You got a better job offer and are hoping to further your career. You feel excited, but nervous about whether or not you’re making the right decision. What if your old company was better than your new company?

2. You can’t stand your boss or your co-workers and you dislike the job. In these situations, you can’t wait to get out of there. You feel excited, but nervous about what the future now holds. What if you can’t find another job with equal pay?

5 Must-Know Tips for Quitting Your Job

In both situations, leaving a job is bound to make you just as nervous as if you were leaving your boyfriend or girlfriend. Consider a few of these tips to help prepare you and give you confidence you’ll need when quitting a job:

Write Your Resignation Letter

This is the first thing you need to do if you’re quitting a job. A resignation letter is usually very short, and it does not need to specify exactly why you are leaving the company; just that you are. You will likely have a period of notice in the contract you signed when you first became an employee of the company, and this is something you must adhere to unless your boss says otherwise. Usually, a notice period is around two weeks.

Spread the Word

If you want to tell your co-workers you are leaving informally, this is usually accepted. However, it is never a good idea to tell a co-worker before you hand your boss the resignation letter. If rumors start to spread that you’re leaving and your boss gets wind, you will not look good in the eyes of your boss.

Continue Working

Many employees check-out once they’ve decided they’re going to quit their job. After all, what does it matter anymore? Believe it or not, this will matter a lot. Bosses admit that they pay special attention to the work an employee does after receiving a resignation letter. You will likely need your employer’s recommendation sometime in your future, so you want to do everything you can to stay in his/her good graces.

Get Feedback

This is a good note to end on when leaving a company. Chances are your boss will be happy to give you feedback about what you need to work on for your next company and what you do well. If you’re leaving because you do not get along with your boss, still consider asking for feedback. Although negative, it might help smooth things over.

Stay Positive

The important thing to remember is that you need to remain positive. You always want to leave on good terms because you never know whether or not your current company will be able to help you in the future. Believe it or not, some companies have been known to take back employees who quit in the past.

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With careful thought, quitting your job will likely open up your career to bigger and better things. The nervousness will last for a little while, but eventually you will move on, and you will be glad you did so while still staying “friends” with your company.

What steps would you follow before quitting a job? 

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You already attach your resume to the emails you send to employers, but how else can you use it in your job search? Consider these five ways your resume can be working harder for you and your job search:

The Ultimate Introduction

When you meet someone new, it’s always easier to get the ball rolling if you have a friend there to say “Hi Joe, have you met Barack?” Just like that friend, your resume should be able to make that oh-so-valuable introduction for you.

Consider the different ways people learn about each other for the first time (*cough* the internet *cough*) and put your resume out there. If you have a personal website or are part of an industry-specific community, your resume needs to be on there. Optimize it by inserting hyperlinks and relevant keywords.

Interview Cheat Sheet

You wouldn’t go into a speech without reviewing your index cards, would you? Before your interview, pull out your trusty resume to refresh yourself on your own qualifications. Not only does this technique help you remember the most important points you should hit, but focusing on something like a resume is a great way to banish pre-interview butterflies.

Interviewers love using your resume as a cheat sheet, too. So bring in an extra copy (or three) to share with the interviewer.

ATS Code Breaker 

For those not in the “know”, ATS stands for “Applicant Tracking System”. In other words, this is the software that employers use to process applicants. While this is super convenient for the employer, it also means that your resume might never be read by human eyes.

Break the ATS code by using current search terms, using numbers liberally, and adopting the employer’s language. 

Social Media Profile

If you didn’t know already, just about half of all employers use social media to screen potential hires. That means, if you’re Tweeting, sharing, Tumbling, Stumbling, and whatever else without that in mind, you might be missing out!

Obviously, you don’t want to copy and paste your resume in the “about me” section of your social media profile, but use some of your resume’s elements in your profile so that you can better blend your personal life and professional life harmoniously.

Portfolio

Do you have a copy of your resume in your portfolio? You should. After all, what else is a better table of contents for your portfolio? Try organizing your work chronologically to show potential employers the evolution in your work.

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What do you think? Got more resume tips to share?

Photo by Robert S. Donovan.

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Unfortunately, when it comes to wanting more money out of your job, asking can be tricky and sometimes awkward. Although most companies do yearly evaluations, it is tough to know whether or not you are established enough after one year to ask for a raise if you’re new to the company.

On the other end of the spectrum, a veteran employee may think they deserve more money sometime between yearly evaluations. Then, of course, there are those disorganized companies who have not yet caught on to the idea of yearly evaluations. Did I mention this can get complicated?

When you deserve a raise is completely situational, and I cannot comment on whether or not you should be getting a raise. Upping your salary deals with the quality and amount of work you do for the company. This article is for those who know they deserve more.

One rule of thumb: If you aren’t sure if you deserve a raise, do not ask. Asking for a raise is tricky business, and you don’t want to rub your boss the wrong way for nothing.

How to Ask for a Raise 101

Once you decide you really and truly deserve a raise, it’s time to put that thought into action. Asking for more money does not have to be stressful, and if it is done correctly I guarantee you will come out on top. Consider a few of these tips to help make sure you have every aspect of your speech ready to go:

1. Approach the Right Person

A lot of times employees have more than one boss. They may have a supervisor who then answers to the head of the department who then answers to the head of the company who then might answer to a corporate branch. This makes it confusing when it comes time to express your thoughts, and you’re probably already nervous enough. When it comes to who you should be asking, ask the person who sees your work most often. In most cases, this will be your supervisor.

Your supervisor is the best person to evaluate your performance, and if they agree that a raise is in order, they will then bring it to their boss. Eventually, your request will go up the line, so it is not your responsibility to talk to everyone above you in ranking.

2. Be Prepared with What to Say

Be prepared with what you are going to say before jumping the gun. Create a list of your accomplishments as well as a list of days you did more than expected. For example, if you were always present at company events or fundraisers, bring this up. If a co-worker quit and you came in early to pick up the extra work, bring that up. Be sure to start with your most recent accomplishments first.

3. Meet Your Boss

You absolutely will want to make an appointment to see your supervisor. Let your supervisor know that the meeting is regarding a question; there is no need to tell him/her before the meeting that it will be about getting a raise.

If your supervisor does not have a system to set up appointments, it is best to ask him/her if there is a good time for the two of you to talk alone. Ideally, asking this question is best if done privately, so try to come in early one day or stay a little bit late. Your boss may even talk to you right on the spot. Ask if you can go use a conference room or a break room and then begin your argument.

4. Find a Good Time of the Year

As I discussed previously, a good time to ask for a raise would be during a yearly evaluation. This will eliminate you have to worry about who to ask or where to ask.

However, many people feel they deserve a raise somewhere in between yearly evaluations. This is completely acceptable. In fact, some companies actually make salary decisions just before evaluations, so it sometimes makes more sense to ask for your raise slightly before your evaluation. For example, if your company has evaluations in December, October would be a good time to bring up the idea of a raise.

5. Know Why You Deserve a Raise

Most people know why they deserve a raise. Be sure you look at see what you’re worth. Look on salary.com and see what others in your field are making. If you need to, you can use this as your last line of defense when talking to your boss. After all, if you are getting grossly underpaid, you have a great case as to why you deserve more money.

Parting Points

The biggest thing to remember is that you are not trying to argue or beg with your employer; you are trying to sell yourself. This will come with the preparation of your accomplishments. You want to be respectful, calm, and confident. If you go into your meeting and sound unsure about the points you are making, you will not be very convincing.

Furthermore, be prepared if your boss turns you down. If the boss says “no,” make sure you understand why. If the reasons are not warranted, you may want to be prepared to quit. If they are warranted, be prepared to ask what it will take. At the very least, you can ask for a title change.

In the end, your boss likely knows the kind of work you’ve been doing. Believe it or not, bosses like to be nice. They will probably want to give you a raise! As always, it is a matter of money. If you don’t ask for it, they aren’t going to mess with it and will continue to assume you’re happy. In other words, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

Have you ever asked for a raise? How did it go?

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This is a problem that is usually not addressed at the start of a job, yet it can hinder your production and bring down your attitude. If one of your co-workers takes away your motivation to come to work, something needs to be done. However, this is not always an easy task.

You work at your job 40 hours a week, the last thing you want to do is create an enemy out of a co-worker. In other words, take caution because this could turn out to be very sensitive subject.

If you deal with an annoying co-worker in the wrong way, you could end up having a bigger problem on your hands than you did before. Can you say backfire?

How to Deal with Difficult People at Work

Problem co-workers will always use some tried and tested tools in the business. To be prepared against these six weapons is to be ready to deal with difficult co-workers.

Gossip

The best way to deal with gossip is to listen quietly and not join in—even if you have a particular opinion about what is being said. Chances are your co-worker wants a reaction out of you. If you sit and listen quietly, they will likely move on to another co-worker to dish the gossip.

Non-stop babble

There are a few ways you can approach this problem. If you know someone is a chatterbox, try making up an excuse for not being able to talk before he/she gets going with their story from last night. Most co-workers who like to talk are still respectful and will let you get your work done.

Jealousy

For whatever reason, there are occasions where a co-worker does not like you. They could be jealous you got a promotion they wanted, or maybe your new position in the company somehow altered their work environment.

Whatever the case may be, the best thing to do is maintain a normal relationship. Say hello and be nice, but nothing more. If a bad look comes your way, don’t shoot back with another bad glance. Try to avoid these co-workers as much as possible, and be pleasant when you are forced to see them.

Too Much Confidence

Occasionally, there are co-workers who think that everything they do is correct (and sometimes everything you do is wrong). In this situation, you should remain calm but continue to do things your way. Listen to their advice, but if you really think that your way of doing things is correct, continue working.

Once your ideas work, your co-worker will have no choice but to accept your idea. This may make them bitter, but ultimately they cannot be upset with you for doing the right thing (just make sure you didn’t ignore good advice!)

Laziness

Unfortunately, a co-worker who is lazy is likely giving you a bigger work load. This is tricky because you want to keep a good relationship with your co-worker, and you don’t want to make trouble with your boss.

The best thing to do in this situation is tell your co-worker you simply cannot do their work because you have too much of your own. You will feel better if you are not taking someone else’s work, and ultimately your co-worker will benefit from learning how to accept their workload as theirs.

Complaining

If someone near you complains day in and day out, it has become more of a character trait than something that needs to be “fixed.” No matter what you do, your co-worker will likely find something to complain about on any given day.

Therefore, the best thing to do is try and change the subject. If this doesn’t work, try agreeing with your co-worker. They may just want sympathy, and if you don’t give it to them they may leave you alone quicker than you think.

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Ultimately, the key is to remain calm and positive. Standing up for yourself is one thing, but in an office situation it is best to try smoothing over a situation without making the other person upset.

How do you deal with difficult people at work? Tell us in the comments!

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Or, what if the Cleveland Cavaliers gave LeBron James the keys to the kingdom to incentivize him to play out his entire career in a secondary media market with a slim chance of ever winning a championship?

Oh wait, we don’t have to imagine that one! After all, that’s precisely why he changed employers as soon as the chance of free agency presented itself.  But this post isn’t about the self-proclaimed “King James”; it’s about a phenomenon known as “performance punishment.”

It happened to LeBron, it has happened to me, and chances are, it has happened to you or someone you know.

What is Performance Punishment?

Simply put, performance punishment is when you perform like a superstar and the so-called reward is to your detriment.

Sometimes performance punishment is subtle. Witness the self-proclaimed King James prior to his move to Florida.

If it’s a “LeBronish” case, performance punishment is when you are too valuable to the organization you’re within your current role, so they prevent you from pursuing other growth opportunities, effectively putting what’s good for the organization ahead of your goals and aspirations.

Now if your employer is top notch, they will ease your pain by throwing money at you or even creating a fancy title for you to sport . . . nearly anything to keep you their version of quiet and contently performing like the superstar they (and you) know you are in your current position. It’s all good until you realize, they have you right where they want you—and they plan to keep you there as long as you’re on the payroll!

And that’s performance punishment in the best case scenario.

The Disadvantages of Being the “Go-To” Person

Sometimes performance punishment is a bit more dubious. In this case, the alleged reward for pulling yet another rabbit out of the proverbial hat is a heightened expectation about your future performance leading to even more work.

Let me give you an example.

You have a major, immovable deadline to meet at work so you stay at the office an extra 4 hours before taking the project home to finish it. You sleep 3 hours, go into work early to polish the presentation and make your boss and your team look awesome to the higher ups.

Your boss and team toast your success later at the staff meeting with a chorus of “atta boys” or “atta girls” and you force a smile through a sigh, looking forward to some quiet time with your pillow as soon as it’s quitting time.

The next week, your boss, faced with another fire drill, makes a b-line to your workstation even though you told him/her you have after work plans that night.  In the months to come, you quickly realize you are now the “go-to” person on the team.

Your reward? More work. More responsibility. More stress. Longer hours. And fewer pats on the back because of your proven ability to “save the day” is now your new normal.

That’s performance punishment. But I digress. . .

So while you work late and get assigned all the missions impossible, your co-workers enjoy a nice balanced work life. They come in at 9:01 am after enjoying a leisurely cup of their morning coffee and then head off to take their kids (imaginary or real) to soccer practice promptly at 4:59 pm at the end of each day.

You, on the other hand, feel like you must come in early and stay late just to keep up with the mountain of work that keeps getting piled on your plate as the result of being one of the team’s top performers.

Adding insult to injury, the one time your co-worker has to work 30 minutes late, you find it impossible to empathize.

Good ‘ol Performance Punishment is at it Again!

Making matters worse, the one time you fail to successfully complete a mission that 007 and MacGyver together couldn’t work their way out of, your boss wants to address it as a performance issue as he/she has “come to expect more of you”.

And sadly, your boss is right.  Your performance IS the issue. But not in a way you could have ever imagined!

That’s performance punishment.

The Cure for Performance Punishment

Let me see. What would the self-proclaimed King James have you do? How about if you relocate to a city by the beach to accept a fantastic new job at a growth-oriented organization with an all-star team of coworkers and produce a TV documentary to announce your Decision to move on as the ultimate resignation letter?

Ok, maybe not (for most of us anyway!) but you can’t blame a girl for dreaming.

What are your dreams, I mean, thoughts? Share them in the comments!

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