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The Workplace Barnyard – Which Animal are You?

By Jared Cole on Friday, October 12, 2012

You may feel like you work in an animal house, but in reality we all work differently. The workplace is like a barn in many ways. The different personalities you work with can mirror the habits and attitudes animals have in a farm. Here are some common animal personality types that relate to the workplace, which can help you better understand yourself and those around you.

The Challenger Rooster
Rosters are often associated with being “loud and proud” among barnyard animals. They’re the first to signal the new morning and quick to start as head of the farm – at least in their minds. You’ve probably worked with someone who loves a debate and is comfortable taking control. To them, iron sharpens iron but to you, they are pompous and arrogant for challenging your ideas.

It’s not that your loud co-workers are making things all about them, but they are trying to engage in a lively conversation to push everyone to think differently. Talking to them about your feelings and how you communicate differently can help ease tensions and form better working relationships. If you’re a workplace rooster, be careful not to get into rooster fights and watch out about how vocal you can get. It can be easy for you to overstep boundaries with co-workers and managers.

The Problem-Solving Pig
Pigs are widely considered by animal researchers to be the most intelligent domestic animals on the planet. Research has also shown pigs having the ability to understand that others have beliefs, desires, and intentions that are different from their own. Pigs can be the problem solvers and are known to help other animals out of a pinch.

Problem solvers may be a treasure trove of knowledge and creativity, but they tend not to be the quickest to react. Most are very analytical and will have to internalize every aspect before making a decision. It’s quality over quantity to the problem solvers, so be patient with those who need time to think over your questions. Find out when they are least busy to give you their full attention.

The Supportive Sheep
Sheep follow the herd. When the group needs to flee from danger, there isn’t a leader. The herd moves as one. Each sheep works hard to make sure they do their part for the greater good. There are co-workers who define their success in terms of volume of accomplished tasks or sales. They work the hardest, put in the most hours, and tend to show the most results.

When sheep are in a herd, they typically don’t think for themselves. They just follow the sheep in front, even if it means to their slaughter. Supportive sheep co-workers generally lack the ability to drive big projects on their own. They wait for the order instead of taking initiative and innovate new ideas. If you work with a sheep, encourage them when they form an idea and support their efforts. If you are a sheep, ask your manager to give you small challenges that are outside of your comfort zone.

The Hospitality Horse
Horses are very social creatures with their own way of greeting other horses. Farmers have been using horses for thousands of years when interacting with other animals from herding to transporting; horses interact with almost every animal on the farm. They also take a lot of effort to tame, and usually have to be tied to something or else they run off.

Co-workers can be very chatty and lack the vision to stay on track. They can be more focused on building connections than doing work or making sales. Relationships are an end unto themselves to a social colleague. When interacting with them, have an agenda ready. And the quicker those goals are met, the more time you can spend building relationships with co-workers or customers.

You don’t have to treat your co-workers like animals, but you can use their personalities to better understand where they are coming from to have better working relationships with them.

Job Interviews The Job Search

5 Ways to Show and Earn Respect

By Movin On' Up on Monday, October 8, 2012

Mutual respect in the workplace creates a solid foundation for positive teamwork and professional success.

Respect isn’t a given, but if you show respect first, it usually follows quickly in return.

Here are five ways to foster respect in the workplace.

1. Speak words of affirmation – Recognize the efforts of all those you work with, and express your appreciation for a job well done. Everyone appreciates an acknowledgement for their time and completed work. It may be as simple as saying a sincere, “thanks,” “good job,” or “awesome work.” When you say positive things, your encouraging spirit makes an impact on all those you work with, fostering general goodwill.

2. Listen before speaking – Make it a habit to listen first and speak second. Make sure you understand what is being said and aren’t just waiting for your turn to talk. Waiting to respond until others are done talking can avoid misinterpretations and miscommunication. You can acknowledge the person and show them that you’re listening by nodding your head or responding non-verbally. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if necessary. Listening not only enhances your understanding, it demonstrates professionalism and respect as well.

3. Act with kindness – Be courteous, polite, and kind to those around you, treating them equally and fairly. Speak with a positive tone, offer help or guidance if needed, and use others’ ideas to improve your own work, recognizing their input. Treating others as you wish to be treated, or better, and having a positive attitude will help you remain optimistic and give you the capability to tactfully and politely work through any situation. Be kind in every aspect of your work, from returning a phone call when you said you would to opening the door for someone else.

4. Display integrity – Trust is the foundation of strong co-worker relationships. Be honest with your co-workers and your supervisors, even when you have to admit you’re wrong or that you’ve made a mistake. Speak, act, and react with professionalism and integrity, no matter what the situation. Displaying your integrity throughout all aspects of your work will allow others to trust you, but in return, you also have to trust them.

5. Demonstrate a strong work ethic – Demonstrating a solid work ethic goes beyond showing others that you’re reliable and can get your work done accurately and timely. When you’re dependable, others can look to you for guidance and support, fostering teamwork and trust. Once you’ve shown you can complete your tasks as assigned, while keeping a positive attitude, you may gain not only respect, but also more responsibilities and opportunities. A strong work ethic is more than doing what you’re asked; it’s also being proactive to prove your reliability.

Fostering mutual respect takes time and effort, and doesn’t always come easily. So, use the guidelines above to demonstrate respect and trust toward others, and you’ll gain their trust and respect in return.

Career Options The Job Search

Guest Post: How to Get the Most Out of a College Career Center

By Movin On' Up on Friday, October 5, 2012

Whether you’re a current college student or recent grad, you might be struggling to find a job. Recent labor statistics suggest that almost half of recent college graduates have difficulty finding work and those who haven’t obtained their degrees yet often have even more difficulty. College career centers can be a huge help as you search for jobs. The career experts employed by your campus career center will be able to help you network with professionals, find job leads, and maybe even get a job. Of course, whether or not you have a good experience at a college career center will largely depend on the amount of effort you’re willing to put in. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your college campus center experience:

Bring your resume
Your resume is your most important job search tool. Unfortunately, many inexperienced jobseekers don’t spend enough time creating exceptional resumes. The college career counselor you meet with will be able to help you edit and format your resume to make it more impressive to potential employers. Your career counselor will also be able to give you some tips and tricks for tailoring your resume to specific job openings that are of interest to you.

Explore all the resources available
The career center at your current or former school may be able to offer you career tests, interview lessons, and access to the school-run job bank. Take advantage of all of these resources and whichever other resources the career center offers. A career test may help you focus your job search, especially if your academic background is in the liberal arts and you aren’t quite sure what you want to do professionally. Interview lessons will help you feel more at ease when you eventually land interviews. And you may be able to find a number of promising job leads on the school-run job bank.

Don’t expect a job to fall in your lap
The career counselor you meet with will have connections in the professional world and may be able to get you a few interviews. One of those interviews may turn into a job, but there are no guarantees. You’ll need to spend a lot of time on your own applying to jobs in addition to the steps you take with your college career counselor. In this economy, finding a job requires a lot of hard work on your part. Until you land a full-time gig, your full-time job should be applying to jobs. This means you should spend the bulk of your time during the day reaching out to potential employers, filling out applications, and searching for jobs.

If you have access to a college career center, you should absolutely set up an appointment to visit it. You’ll receive valuable advice and guidance from career counselors. Just remember that it’s ultimately up to you to put in the hard work that finding a job requires.

Kate Willson is a freelance writer and blogger who writes about higher education, job searching, and technology for collegecrunch.org and other education-related sites. Kate appreciates your feedback. Please leave your comments and questions below!

Job Interviews Networking Resumes and Cover Letters The Job Search

Your Hobbies Could Help You Get Hired

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Finding a job is serious work. Most job seekers wouldn’t dream of listing their favorite free time activities on their resume or job application. Employers want to know how your job experience will benefit their organization. While that’s true, that experience doesn’t always have to come from time on the clock or in the office.

Life is full of lessons to be learned that don’t happen between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Your personality has an effect on the hiring process and makes a difference when it comes to being a fit for a potential employer’s culture. The character you can put into your job search can help make it easier to grab a hiring manager’s attention and connect with those decision makers.

There are plenty of things you can do during your free time that can help you get a job offer. Here are some ways you can list your hobbies and free time activities to grab employers’ attention and make you a more desirable candidate.

Stand Out
When an employer announces an open position, keep in mind that hundreds of resumes and applications are being delivered. These applicants will have similar experiences, education, and training. What better way to stand out than to have some of your activities that can show a little personality while demonstrating the skills needed to do the job.

Tailor Fit
Just because you may be an avid reader, it doesn’t mean you should put it on your resume. However, if you’re an avid reader of medical reports and breakthroughs in medicine technology, that might place you in a position to be seen as someone who is forward thinking and willing to lead change in a hospital. Your hobbies have to be seen in a way that relates to the job duties of the position you’re applying for.

Take some time to think about your pastimes and see if you can’t use them in a way that applies to a job description. Are you an officer for a club? That means you probably have managed groups of people, helped grow an organization, or aided in raising large funds for the community or charity. Use your imagination, but keep it slim. You will want to include your most important skills and experience first. If your resume is getting long, your hobbies will have be the first to go. They could be woven into your cover letter as a way to demonstrate your skills and add personality.

Connect In
There are several ways you can connect with others who share the same passions as you. If you haven’t already, consider finding, joining, or even forming groups based on your hobbies. Not only will you have fun and learn new things about your hobby, you will also have a chance to network with like-minded individuals. In today’s job market, people are more likely to hire someone they know or trust. You never know who you might meet and build relationships with, or who could give you an opportunity to put your foot in the door with an employer or job opening.

Talk Up
Your hobbies can be great conversation topics during an interview. You have a small amount of time to convey your skills and build a rapport when being interviewed. Sometimes your pastimes can help establish a connection with your interviewer, which can help you feel more relaxed and confident, and support you stand out better in the interviewer’s mind. If you notice a lull in your conversation, try to use your experience with your hobbies to explain your passions and see if you can relate to the person asking questions.

If you don’t have any hobbies or impressive interests, don’t try to pick one up overnight. Interviewers can pick up on your lack of passion and it can make them wonder what else in your resume might be inflated. Now is the time to pick up a hobby and explore your interests. With fall and winter around the corner, there will be plenty of opportunities in various ways to volunteer during the holiday season.

You don’t have to hide the fact that you live an active lifestyle when looking for work. In fact, the things you do in your spare time can make you a more desirable candidate. How can you use your hobbies to make your resume stand out and make yourself a better applicant? Let us know in the comments section below.

**If you came to this story though our newsletter, we sincerely apologize for the typo and appreciate your viewership and support**

Inside Express Reader Surveys

Which Classic Monster Would You Hire? Take Our Poll

By Jared Cole on Monday, October 1, 2012

With October here once again, it’s time to get into the Halloween spirit. While in the ghouls and ghosts mood, we wondered if the classic monsters that have often been associated with Halloween would make good job candidates.

Imagine if there was an opening at Terror Inc., and the monsters from classic scary movies interviewed for the position.

Dracula – A man with strong influence among his peers. He is very people-oriented and can build strong relationships with clients or co-workers. However, Dracula is from a different time, and he’d be too stubborn to change his ways if new problems arose. He can’t even look at himself in the mirror.

Frankenstein’s Monster – Monster or misunderstood creation, Frankenstein’s experiment is a problem solver. Despite his upbringing, he was able to teach himself to read, write, and speak multiple languages. But, he doesn’t handle pressure well and is known for frequently losing his temper.

Larry Talbot (aka The Wolf Man) – A man of his word, he is known for doing the right thing… Until there is a full moon. While he has great soft skills, he never grows or develops ways to work with his condition.

The Mummy – As a former Egyptian Priest, The Mummy comes with great experience. He has leadership qualifications and is very goal-oriented. When he has a goal, he will do everything in his power to achieve that goal – whether management agrees with him or not.

Who would you hire? If you think there’s a monster who is more qualified, let us know in the comments below.