Everyone can use a few tips from time to time on dealing with work issues, general life issues, and the seemingly ever-present need to job hunt. So here’s this month’s collection of fresh and evergreen ideas. If you find a topic that grabs your attention like thoughts of spring after a brutal winter, shoot me an email at HelpFiles@TechWhirl.com, or send a Tweet to @craigcardimon.
Office Life
Seven Things You Should Never Say at Work
You’re up to HERE with work. Folders are piled on your desk, and your boss throws more on top of the mound that’s already there, saying, “You can knock this out during your lunch hour.” And you had plans. You want to scream, clutch your head in your hands, and yell, “No, I can’t do it!” But you know you can’t. She’s the boss. You have to sit there silently, nod, and accept things as they are. Or do you? Alexandra Levit gives you some strategies for coping. What to say and how to act when confronted with the indignities that run rampant in the office.
Nine Levels of Work Hell
Mind-numbing meetings, overflowing inboxes, and hot-potato projects that must be done RIGHT NOW. Sound familiar? This article by Stephanie Vozza outlines several levels of workplace hell and offers solutions.
How to Tell Someone They’re Wrong
Telling someone they’re wrong is a skill I’m still working on. I’m terrible at it and I usually just work around it. Just think, if you tell someone they’re wrong, and you do it clumsily, you can come off as a jerk, if not worse. Tell a coworker? Sure. Tell a family member or close friend? Okay. Tell your wife? You first. Tell your boss? See you in the unemployment line! Steven Berglas has a few tips that I’m going to try out next time.
How to Create More Time to Think
In our connected all the time, “on” all the time world where the workday never really ends, how does anyone make the time to sit quietly and think? I am by no means the first person to wonder about this, but Paul B. Brown actually wrote a column about it for Forbes. Here is the one he wrote containing feedback from his readers.
Job Hunting
What Did You Earn at Your Last Job?
This is always a jarring question. Doesn’t matter who asks, but it’s probably your interviewer. If your answer seems too low, they dismiss you as not knowing your worth. Or worse, that you do! If your answer seems too high, they dismiss you as not being affordable. This feels like a judgement call. A harsh judgement call. What’s the honest job-seeker to do? Liz Ryan has an answer, and even provides a sample script for you to follow when talking with a recruiter.
Keep Your Resume From Being a Career Obituary
Hunting for a job is hard enough, but if you’re also over 50, this task can seem overwhelming. How do you list on your resume your many accomplishments without unintentionally aging yourself on paper? For instance, if you say you have “over 30 years of experience” the 25-year old who skims your resume might think, “Just how old is this guy?” or worse, “I don’t want to hire my dad!” Fortunately, Elizabeth Isele has five tips to make you a stronger job candidate.
Have some tips or tools to share with your fellow technical communicators and content developers? Drop me a note: HelpFiles@TechWhirl.com. Send me a Tweet: @craigcardimon.
