Daily Archives: August 25, 2010

Touchdown with a Bad Boss – Week 3

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Here are the top Bad Boss solutions for week three of our contest! Until September 1, we will be spotlighting three top solutions we've received on how employees handled a tough boss. We will be collecting stories through Friday, Aug. 27, so you still have time to submit your story! E-mail your story to boss@expresspros.com. At the end of the contest, voting will begin to determine which solution is the best. The person who receives the most votes will win the grand prize. The winner could be you!


Stay the Course

Penny started a new job and walked into a field of landmines. Due to her hiring situation, other team members and managers doubted her competence and ability, choosing to judge her before they got a chance to work with her. Her hard work and determination to do her new tasks well began to pay off after a couple of weeks. Slowly she was given the opportunity to expand her role, and her supervisor gave her a new project to work on. Penny stayed on top of the ball throughout the project and made sure to keep the supervisor up-to-date on the advances. She knew she had won over the boss and the team when she was invited to a team lunch toward the end of the project. Penny won this boss and team over by demonstrating her abilities and taking care of business!

Communication Kick-Off
At first, Vince struggled with communicating his job expectations and performance issues with his boss. However, Vince soon discovered that, while neither he nor his boss were good verbal communicators, they could express themselves well through e-mail. So, Vince started e-mailing his boss when he had a problem or issue. His boss was able to clearly see the situation written out and then give a written response in reply. This has cut down on miscommunication and made their communication process more effective and efficient.

Changing Teams
Shari began working at a new company as Sales Manager. She was ready to take her new team on to new championships. However, she met head-on with a manager who had a unique way of managing his staff. While sales members were rewarded for hitting daily sales goals, he ran a tight ship when it came to the work environment. The manager had rules about what items could be displayed on your desk, restroom breaks, and phone calls. Shari chose to handle her role with poise and grace, but after 21-days she decided her professional goals and desires did not match the company’s policies. Shari choose to seek new employment, she also choose to find her new job through Express!

How to Show Confidence in a Job Interview

Interviews can be nerve wracking. They can make your heart race and your palms sweat. But, it’s important not to let your nerves get the best of you. When interviewing, employers are seeking those who exude confidence and are able to present themselves as professionals. Confidence is a belief in yourself and your abilities. So, here are few tips to help give you some extra confidence before your next job interview.

Be prepared: Before every interview, take time to prepare. Visit the company’s website and get a good overview about the company and its philosophy. Also, if you can, find out general information about the person interviewing you. You don’t necessarily have to know everything about the individual, but definitely know their job title and how to pronounce their name correctly to help ensure you create a good first impression. Be sure to know the details about the job you’re applying for and be able to speak about it. The more prepared you are, the more confident you’ll be. So make sure you do your homework and know about the employer researching the company.

Arrive early: Being late to an interview can make you feel flustered and stressed – not a great start for exuding confidence. So, be sure you arrive early to your interview to give yourself plenty of time to locate your interview location and familiarize yourself with the environment. And if you’re early to your interview, you’ll also have time to review your talking points and calm your nerves.

Know how to answer common questions: Be prepared to answer questions an interviewer is likely to ask. Go over common interview questions until you can answer them flawlessly. Ask a friend to pretend they are your interviewer and practice answering those questions in various ways. By practicing common interview questions, you’ll be better prepared for whatever questions come your way. Knowing that you have practiced in advance and that you have good answers prepared will definitely boost your confidence. Also, most interviewers like it when you can give them examples of past situations that can give them insight into your work ethic and professional demeanor. So, give examples of scenarios in your career or life when trying to explain a point. For example, if the interviewer wants to know about your strengths, give them an example of when your strengths enabled you to excel in a task.

Ask questions: This is where a lot of interviewees choke. Expect that an interviewer will ask you if you have any questions for them. Instead of replying no, prepare some questions you want to ask. This shows you’ve put some thought into your interview and you think it’s important. It will also show a potential employer your confidence and that you’re not afraid to ask questions. 

Dress appropriately: You can boost your attitude and self-confidence just by the way you dress. When you’re dressed well, you feel good about yourself. If you’re applying for a professional job, consider wearing a suit. If you’re applying for a construction job, a nice pair of slacks and a polo shirt might be more appropriate. In order to make a great first impression, choose professional attire which includes button down shirts, conservative shoes, and solid suits.

Be aware of nonverbal cues: Maintaining eye contact is probably one of the most important nonverbal cues you can have in life and definitely in an interview. This shows the interviewer that you are interested and paying attention to what they’re saying. It shows you’re engaged in the conversation. Be sure you look at them when giving your answers. But, you don’t want to stare them down. It’s OK to break eye contact and look around. Also, before you allow shyness to overwhelm you, sit up straight. Good posture communicates that you’re alert and excited about the opportunity. Slouching sends the impression that you’re bored and don’t care. Finally, mirror the nonverbal cues of your interviewer. Lean forward or sit back when they do to demonstrate that you’re engaged in the conversation.

Be confident even in your weaknesses: Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. Letting the interviewer know your strengths will definitely show what you are capable of. But, it’s also ok to mention your weaknesses. Actually, interviewers prefer to know that you have some and that you are aware of them. After all, nobody is perfect. But, be prepared to talk about how you are trying to work for them. By telling the interviewer how you’re working to improve on those weaknesses, you will show your willingness to be better and how you’re trying to turn your weaknesses to strengths.

Confidence can easily set you apart from others applying for the same job, so be sure to be eloquent, clear, and concise when speaking. Follow these tips to help make your next interview a success.

Making Your Résumé an Attention-Grabbing Piece of Work

EntryLevelLifeButton_A As you continue to gain work experience, it’s important to keep your résumé updated to showcase all the valuable skills and abilities you have. The goal of your résumé is to grab the attention of a prospective employer, so you always want to make sure that it’s up-to-date, polished, and shows your strengths at all times. So, to help you do that, here are a few tips for you to keep in mind.

Make sure your résumé is professional. The more experience you gain, the more marketable you will become. And, your résumé needs to reflect that. Be aware of the little things that can make a big difference. If you’re submitting a hard copy of your résumé, make sure it is on high quality paper that you can find at your local office supply store. Also, include your name and contact information somewhere near the top so that you are easily identifiable. Make sure you know and utilize the basic building blocks of a successful, professional résumé

Update your objective or summary. If you incorporate an objective or summary on your résumé, don’t list out what it is you want a company to provide for you. Instead, tell a prospective employer what you can bring to their business. In a few short sentences, list what skills you have that would be important to them and to the job they are hiring for. Find out how to create a top-notch summary

Showcase your results. Once you have work experience, it’s important to outline the results of your work. Did you increase readership of a newsletter? Bring in more business? Save your company some money? Document these results. The more numbers you can show, the better your work history will look to a future employer. Sometimes you only have a matter of minutes to make a great first impression, so make sure your information grabs an employer’s attention quickly. To help you out, here are a few commonly used words that you’ll want to avoid.

Use action verbs. Action words like managed, designed, and created are words that will  really make your résumé pop! Don’t just say that you completed daily office tasks. Be specific and results oriented to really ensure you stand out. break these activities down. For example, instead of saying you’re a team player, try this: “I collaborated with the  marketing and human resources team to develop a new employee program.” Punch up your résumé with these power words that will help demonstrate your success. 

If you just completed a summer internship, you’re working at your first job ever, or you’ve started a new career in a new industry, always make sure your résumé reflects your current skills, knowledge, and abilities. Keeping your résumé up-to-date and doing regular maintenance on it will help save you time in the long run when you do need it.