How To Enjoy Your Job...
    Or Find A New One!

My Home Office

1) Get stuff done. Away from water-cooler gossip, desk interruptions and meetings, you can power through those work tasks and still make time for coffee. Demonstrate to your boss that you can achieve more on a day from home, and you can ask for another one next week. Focus on being productive instead of just busy.

2) Work when you are most productive. You have the freedom to choose what hours to work. If you are a morning person, start early and be finished by mid-afternoon. Or have a lie in and take the afternoon shift.

3) Get some exercise.

4) Save money.

5) Save your family life.

6) Your company wants you to take the day at home. Studies show that working from home makes for a more motivated workforce, reduces sickness absences, reduces staff turnover and reduces office costs. It also helps reduce workplace stress which costs UK business 5 billion per year. (http://www.workwiseuk.org)

7) Save the planet. If all commuting workers spent one day less on the road, rail and bus systems per week, vehicle emissions would drop, air pollution would be reduced and the carbon footprint could be drastically cut.

So talk to your boss and make a case for a day at home this week that benefits everyone.

Maintaining great content in your resume is critical to making a good impression. Here are 6 tips for your resume content.

1. Create a Master resume that contains everything you have done that may be relevant for future work. Update your Master resume after every significant piece of work you do. It is often hard to remember the details of what you have done in the previous year, so update it every few months, even if it is just one line with what you have done in that time.
2. When applying for a specific job, study the requirements and competencies they require. Then create a copy of the Master resume and tailor it to the actual job, cutting out unrelated activities. Think carefully about what you want to include, as it is important to make your resume succinct and as relevant as possible to the job.
3. Include a short cover letter with a summary of your skills as they relate to this specific job, responding to any requirements from the job advert. Even if there is an application form, you can always attach a letter. Online applications generally have an upload option, or a text box for extra information. Have your cover letter on a file and paste it into the online form, rather than making something up on the spot. Work on this letter as you only have one chance to make a good impression.
4. Include a website address if you have one, but only if it directly relates to the job and is of a professional nature. Be careful with your online presence as this will be increasingly used in recruitment. Google yourself and make sure anything is complimentary and appropriate. Update your Facebook, mySpace or LinkedIn profiles as appropriate.
5. Consider whether you want to use a photo on your resume. This is a personal choice and it is not necessary.
6. Be careful about listing referees. I use “Referees available on request” on my resume as I do not want too many phone calls to the same people. I provide references if I am sure I want the job. In terms of getting references, always remember that you may need someone’s word in the future. When you are leaving a job, try to stay on good terms with people as you may need them later. Another way to use references is to attach written references or positive feedback to your resume. This can be an effective way of standing out in the pile of applications. These references provide testimonials as to your character and skills. But be aware that the company will most likely call those people to verify they are true.

Companies that communicate retain more staff and increase job satisfaction for their employees. But ineffective communication can be worse than none at all. Here are six ways to communicate effectively within the organisation.

· Set clear expectations. If you hold a weekly communications meeting, then make sure there is an agenda that informs people about what you will communicate. People will know what is being covered and can save their questions for the appropriate time. It also ensures all topics are covered. Make sure items are varied, relevant and interesting so people look forward to these sessions.

· Ask people what they want to know. So often management will drive meetings based on what they want to tell employees, and not necessarily about what is on people’s minds. Turn this around and ask instead. Send out an anonymous survey or ask for emailed questions to a central address. Allow people to ask anything they want of management. You may be surprised at what people are concerned about. Communication is a two-way street, so be prepared to listen and then broadcast the most useful answers.

· Be clear and concise. People want to be communicated with, but do not need more than a summary most of the time. Cut meetings short if there is not much to share, and make sure they finish on time. Be specific, decisive and articulate about each topic. If people are speaking, do not allow them to monopolise and take over the meeting. Time is precious, so move things along. Make sure there is follow up to people who were involved. If decisions were made and actions were taken, ensure minutes are sent out promptly.

· Communicate in different ways. Face to face meetings are just the beginning. Conference calls are an effective way to get participants from global locations, and presentations can be seen onscreen over the web. Internal newsletters and intranet pages can also be ways of broadcasting communication. Some companies now use e-zines (electronic newsletters) which individuals can contribute to and subscribe to within the organisation. Again, allow feedback and suggestions for improvement.

· Take a risk. Some CEOs and executives have maintained a distance between themselves and employees, and have not revealed much of their personality. Others embrace communication as a part of their daily work. Some CEOs have started blogs as a way of communicating to employees and the world. The most high profile of these is the President of Sun Microsystems, Jonathan Schwartz, http://blogs.sun.com/jonathan/ but there are many others. Sun even has a blog policy acknowledging and allowing that people will communicate online. Accept that people will blog and your corporation stories will get online and you will get feedback. This type of communication will only accelerate with Gen Y employees. Use that information to improve the company and the risk will pay off.

· Be truthful and respect your audience. Your integrity is always on show when you speak and communicate something, even if it is not important news. People generally know something of what is going on in the company and just want the gaps filled in. Be sincere and respectful of the intelligence of your audience, whoever they are. People will see through half-truths and when the truth is revealed, your honesty is on the line. In these days of mass communication, transparency and integrity is valued in every organisation.

Effective communications can transform your company, so make it a central part of your corporate strategy.

The aim of a resume is to sell yourself as someone who will add value to an employer. It is about highlighting your most important positive attributes and aligning them with the requirements of a particular position.

There are some accepted business formulas but no totally correct way to create a resume. Use the following tips to help you create or improve your resume for the specific job you are focussing on.

1. Have clear sections within your resume. Use headings and bullet points with clear and concise phrases stating your skills and experience.
2. Include your contact details on the header of the resume and make sure you have an appropriate email address. Use your name or a variation on your name, not a nickname or something unrecognisable as this looks unprofessional.
3. Take time over the content and the formatting of your resume. It should be easy to read and look professional. Remember to spell check the final result. Read it several times to check it is coherent.
4. A popular resume format is reverse chronology where you start with your most recent experience and work backwards. An alternative is to highlight your most relevant experience first and then list your other jobs behind in another section. Remember that there is no need to list every job you have had, particularly if it has no relevance or would detract from the image you are trying to portray.
5. Gaps in job history will be spotted, so be honest about it. When I took a year off for study and travel, I explained to a potential employer the benefits of having someone who was rested and ready to get back to work. This made the career gap look positive.
6. The length of the resume seems to vary by country and by job type. Two pages may be enough for some, but others prefer a longer resume. It is more important that what you say is succinct and relevant, than long-winded and unnecessary.

Multicultural workplaces

Nowadays, people work in global offices with colleagues from different worldviews, religions and attitudes. It is important to be aware of cultural differences and how they affect team dynamics, communication and management style. Multi-cultural workplaces also offer a wealth of new experience and self-growth opportunities. Here are 7 ways to improve multicultural relationships in your workplace.

• 1. Make it ok to ask questions. Some people may feel that they cannot ask a person where s/he is from for fear of being offensive or being seen as racist in some way. This can prevent communication, team effort and even friendship from happening. Encourage people to talk about where they are from, and their culture. Most misunderstanding comes from lack of communication. If you can ask questions of one another, then the growth in relationship will enable more effective working together.

• 2. Learn about each other’s countries and cultures. Many people want to travel to exotic places and experience a different culture. But nowadays, there might be someone from one of those countries in the office. Put a map on the wall and stick pins in it linked to photos of your team members so you can see where people are from. Encourage people to add to the display with information and other pictures and use it as a group talking point.
• 3. Be respectful and open-minded. Cultural differences can sometimes be confusing or misinterpreted. Be respectful of the way other people work and interact. Try to learn from them instead of considering your way to be the best and criticising. Apologise if you feel you might have offended someone, and ask them how you can behave more appropriately in the future. Speak out again discrimination in the workplace and encourage understanding.
• 4. Celebrate holidays of other cultures. Festivals and celebration are a great way to learn about other cultures. Have a lunchtime meeting where you share some traditional food and discuss what the festival means. People are the same underneath and festivals often reflect what is important to all cultures – family, faith, children, honouring the past and looking to the future.
• 5. Create cultural awareness factsheets. If your company employs people from other countries, give them some material on what it is like to work in your company and country. If you send employees overseas to meetings or conferences, they should also know how to work in those cultures. For example, what is the customary greeting within each culture? These worksheets will help provide context for interactions and enable easier work relationships.
• 6. Treat people as individuals. Culture does not define a person, and cultural stereotypes can also be responsible for more misunderstanding. Don’t jump to conclusions just because someone is from a certain place. Get to know people as individuals regardless of their culture.
• 7. Identify gaps in your own knowledge. We are all a work-in-progress, and we can always learn more. Identify what you don’t know about your co-workers and their culture. What can you learn about your own culture that affects the way you work? How can you improve the situation so your team can work more effectively together?

“Understand the differences; act on the commonalities” – Andrew Masondo, African National Congress

Money is important, but if all your money goes out the door and there is none left for the future…your job is just treading water. To get ahead, you need to make changes.

Save 10% of your income

I first read this suggestion in “The Richest Man in Babylon” years ago, but I didn’t take action. 10% seemed such a small amount at the time that I just didn’t do it as it didn’t seem worthwhile. I didn’t set aside a separate account, but said to myself

“I’ll just put some money away when I have some left over at the end of the month”. Of course, that never happened!

Finally, I started a separate account called “Cash” and started putting 10% of my income into it AS SOON AS the money appeared in my account rather than at the end of the month. It was pretty pathetic at first but I had at least started. Now that account has a tidy sum in it and I like watching it grow in small increments each month.

If you saved $20 per week for five years in a savings account with an interest rate of 6% paid monthly, after five years you will have $6,214.33 in this account. If you managed to put $100 away per week, you would have

$31, 071.66 in five years time.
Imagine if you had done that five years ago!

This account is not a savings account in that you intend to spend it eventually. It is a lifetime account, one you leave there as the basis to your personal wealth. It should only be used for growing your assets and investing. It is important to do this and recommended by so many wealth coaches for the following reasons.

1)       Discipline with money – You have committed to save, you have taken action and you are mastering this amount of money. As it grows you will have the discipline to carry on saving, and you won’t spend it. This proves to yourself that you can control money. It doesn’t control you. You are a saver, not a spender. This is important for your mindset about money.

2)       Attraction for more money – This initially tiny but growing amount becomes like a gravitational field and attracts more money. Interest compounding on the account over the years makes the growth accelerate. Compound interest is when interest is paid into the account, which in turn grows the principal, and in turn generates more interest.

3)       Basis for further investment – As the amount grows you can use some of it for further investment; not spending, but investment to grow your wealth.

4)       A safety net – Although this account is not meant to be touched, it is a safety net in case of emergency. It is there if you lose your job, or you need some expensive surgery, or you are in an accident, or a loved one needs an operation they can’t afford.  Life will throw curve balls at you! Having some money in an account you won’t touch is important in case you do really need it someday.

Take action now and open an account for your 10% money.

Think of it as your discipline, your safety net, your dreams, and your money confidence and watch it grow.

Don’t spend it on something you think you really want, as chances are you will want something else in six month’s time. It is not for spending. It is for your future. If you have the discipline to do this, you will also see a change in your attitude towards money quite quickly.

What is 10% of your income now? Will you commit to putting that into a lifetime account? How much will you have in this account after five years?

You do earn money in your job, so you just need to keep hold of it. If you implement some of these strategies, you will give yourself more choices about the work that you do and the life you lead.

If you take action to control your money, you will find more opportunity to enjoy your life and your job.

You can invest in self development, perhaps towards a different career altogether. If you have some extra money, you can pay off some debt so you don’t feel trapped where you are now. You will feel there is hope that you will make it out of the situation you are in now.

The money you earn can be used to leverage yourself out of your situation and into opportunities you cannot yet even conceive.

Here are some initial steps.

Assess: What are your finances like now?

Be honest! You are only trying to fool yourself if you exaggerate any of the figures or reduce your debt levels on paper.

Give yourself a financial health-check.

· How many days/weeks/months could you live with your present lifestyle if you had to stop work tomorrow?

· How much have you saved for emergencies?

· What is the value of your assets? (what you own e.g. house, car, investments

· How much is your total debt? (what you owe other people e.g. mortgage, personal loan, car finance)

· What are you worth? (total assets – total debt)

· What is your income every month? Are you dependent on your job, your spouse, or the government for this income?

· What are your expenses every month?

· What are you left with every month? (income – expenses)

· How much do you invest every month?

Assess: What do you want financially?

People don’t usually think too much about what they want financially because it seems obvious! They want enough money to fund their lifestyle and buy the things they want. They want to be able to pay the bills, keep the family happy and have a holiday every year. But have you ever written down what you want financially for the rest of your life?

Have you thought about what you want in retirement? Or if you want to be financially independent before then, how much would you need to accomplish that?

· What do you want your life to be like in the future?

· How much money will you need to live that life?

· How far are you away from when you want to retire?

· How much money do you need to save/invest to have a great lifestyle when you retire?

You need to be specific with the numbers and make it tangible, as these are the first steps towards your financial plan. A good start is to see a professional financial planner who will help you with your financial goals and the practicalities of how to achieve them. It may cost you some money now, but in my experience, it will make you a lot more in the long run!

Abusive, threatening or humiliating treatment is unacceptable in the workplace, regardless of who the person is. There is a growing awareness of workplace bullying and harassment, but it doesn’t help the person affected unless it is reported and dealt with. Often, being treated this way can rob you of the power to act and may make you feel like you are not worth much anyway. If you feel put down, it can be hard to maintain a positive attitude and self image.

But this is not true. It is important to remember that you are worth more than this, and that you will not continue to allow bad treatment.

What can you do about these situations?

You need to focus on the areas you can actually control as this is where you can make changes. It is difficult to change someone else’s behaviour. But you can alter your own behaviour by avoiding that person, refusing to engage with them and not reacting to situations. You can also report them through the appropriate channels if the problem is serious.

What can you control about the situation you are facing? What is within your power to change?

You have the following options:

· Talk to the person involved. Ask them about their behaviour and involve a third party as a witness if you are uncomfortable with this. Put it in writing if you like, but make your feelings known. However, this is easier said than done as many of us avoid conflict and painful situations.

· Don’t respond in kind. You will keep a stronger position if you do not resort to tactics that put you in the same category as the other person. It can actually be more powerful and disarming to be positive and kind to the other person and demonstrate that you are not bothered by them. By reacting, you give them power over you.

· If you are not sure how serious the situation is, or if you just want to know your options, you can talk to someone else in your HR department. Be careful to make the situation hypothetical so as not to jeopardise your position, especially if the person involved is senior. You can also try talking to friends, Employee Assistance programs, use anonymous phone help-lines or go online for support. It is important to discuss the situation with somebody as you will feel more stressed if you don’t have emotional support.

· If the situation is serious, report the person to your direct manager or HR manager. This will involve talking about the details as making a complaint like this can be a serious move, so take any emails, or notes on situations that have happened. You need to be calm and rational and not overly emotional in your approach. Find out whether anyone else has been treated in this same way. It is likely that this person has behaved in the same way before which will help your case. Before you give any details, make sure the conversation will be kept confidential.

· You always have the option to leave this position or the job entirely. If things are very bad at work, it is better to walk away than continue to be subjected to a situation that will wear you down with stress and anxiety. The majority of work situations are not like this, so move on and you will find somewhere more to your liking. You may need time to evaluate your options and look for different work, but this may be the best option.

What are the three steps you will take to address your situation at work?

People do not work or live in isolation. Even if you are in a dream job, it can be marred by the presence of someone who upsets, frustrates or bullies you. This conflict can dominate your work life and spill over into your private time. The situation can be intensely stressful and can make the working days hell.

Everyone has ways in which they like to work and there are different styles of management for different types of people. However, some managers use the same approach with everyone, so there will inevitably be conflict. I have been in situations like this before for the following reasons:

· I feel my work and decisions are undermined by my manager who questions my abilities

· I am micro-managed and have to account for all my time, making me feel like I am not trusted

· I don’t respect my manager or the way they works or treat people

What are your specific problems with your manager?

Don’t be put off though! There are some fantastic managers out there who know how to look after and appreciate their people. They manage to the individual’s style and not with a broad brush approach. If you are a manager yourself, or if you want to be one, consider how you would like to be treated and appreciate individual differences in styles of work.

How do you want to be treated by your manager?

These are the most common reasons people feel trapped in their jobs.

• Money: The job brings in money needed for the rest of life. It gives income security and may be within an industry that pays well. When people are well qualified for a job they are paid more than for a job they are new at. Starting at the bottom again means less income and families rely on the money for living. All these add up to make people feel they have to stay in their current job as moving is too risky.

• Status: If people feel they have a certain status based on how much they earn, or the job they do, they may also feel trapped by the need to live up to what other people think of them. For example, going from an accountant to a dressmaker may be considered a status drop as well as an income drop, even though it may be what someone really wants to do.

• Perception: Sometimes people are trapped by their own idea of what opportunities they have and they don’t know how to get out of the situation. They perceive that there are no options for them other than to stick with the job they are in.

Do you feel trapped in your job? What are you trapped by?

The theory of ‘learned helplessness’

The theory of learned helplessness explains how people can become trapped in situations that they feel they can’t get out of (Source: Martin Seligman). When life is painful or difficult and people learn to live with their problems for a long time, it is difficult to see a way out, even when the door is open. The more you allow situations to be in control of you, the less you are able to break out or see opportunities.

It is important to break this cycle of thinking and change your perception of what is around you. What you perceive is just a tiny piece of the actual reality. There are unlimited possibilities; you just need to break down the mental barrier that stops you seeing them.

“Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing,

that we see too late the one that is open.”

Alexander Graham Bell, Inventor of the telephone

Image: Flickr Creative Commons JPMM