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Five Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

By callie collins deroldan on Friday, December 17, 2010

It’s winter and chances are you may feel less energetic than usual. Shorter days with less sunlight, coupled with the season’s characteristically inclement weather, may have you reaching for sweat pants and flannel sheets, comfort food, and the remote control.

The weather outside may be frightful, but the recession’s climate of uncertainty can also make for a bleak forecast. Coupled with job and financial stress this year, the usual winter blues may be magnified for some with headlines that are hard to ignore.

Unemployment has remained steady throughout the past year as companies have cut their workforce to operate with minimal staff. Research conducted by Express Employment Professionals found that 68% of employed survey respondents feel that their workload has increased, with 49% also reporting higher stress levels.

Whether you’re looking for a job or feeling stressed in your current position, here are some ways to stay positive this winter and throughout the new year:

Stay engaged with lifelong learning: Whether it’s through a local college or just your local library, pursue an interest with an evening class or seminar. You’ll have something to look forward to a few nights each week and the experience can help spark creativity, an attribute that’s highly sought in professionals.

Get some exercise – with a friend: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that winter weight gain averages four to six pounds. Make plans with a friend to take a brisk winter walk, go ice skating, or head to the gym. You’ll release stress-fighting endorphins and have the opportunity to spend quality time with others.

Write a card to someone: Write a cheery note to someone, just because. It doesn’t have to be a special occasion to make a friend feel valued, and it can actually boost your mood as well.

Change your work routine: If your work allows you to take an additional break now and then, try to get up, stretch, and walk around during the day. Bring a special blend of coffee to try with your co-workers, organize a fun lunch together, or find other meaningful ways to change your work routine.

Take a break from technology: Society is now more connected than ever and it’s easy to feel bombarded by negative news. Give yourself permission to turn off your TV, mobile devices, and computer for awhile. A little down time can go a long way.

Find a balance: While sleeping to avoid stressful situations can be a sign of depression, it’s also important to get plenty of rest. Eight hours of sleep and sticking to an established sleep schedule is part of wellness. A good night’s rest can change the next day’s perspective.

Don’t let the winter blahs get the best of you. Stay focused on feeling confident in your job or job search, and seek out the support you need. Regardless of the season, you always have the ability to make positive changes to impact your life today.

At Work Cube Life My Entry-Level Life New Job Tips The Daily Grind

My Entry-Level Life: That’s a Wrap!

By Miranda Wilson on Tuesday, September 7, 2010

We hope you’ve enjoyed the series on My Entry-Level Life. You’ve gotten some valuable information to help you with your job search. My Entry-Level Life covered the basics of how to interview, create and update your résumé, dress for success, handle office politics, schedule meetings, and much more. Whether you’re looking for an internship, your first full-time job, or you’re switching industries to start a brand new career, you can always reference the great tips and advice this series covered.

Do you have success stories to share about an entry-level job you had this summer? We would like to hear them!

Also, be on the lookout for our upcoming series, Résumé Boot Camp: Tips to help you whip your résumé into shape.

At Work Cube Life My Entry-Level Life New Job Tips The Daily Grind

Making Your Résumé an Attention-Grabbing Piece of Work

By Miranda Wilson on Wednesday, August 25, 2010

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.

Career Advancement Job Interviews My Entry-Level Life New Job Tips The Job Search

3 Tips on How to Ask Someone to be a Reference

By ibk on Wednesday, August 18, 2010

References are a vital part of your job search because they can attest to the quality of work you do and your work ethic. Your references should usually be individuals who are familiar with your work history and know enough about you that they can give valuable and detailed feedback to a potential employer. When possible, your references should also be people who are influential in your industry. Some examples of possible references you could use include former bosses, professors, supervisors, co-workers, and customers.

Once you’ve compiled a list of people who meet the qualifications and you are sure they will represent you well, you need to ask them if they’d be willing to be a reference for you. If you’re a little unsure on how to approach a potential reference, check out these tips to help get you started.

Contacting them? Phone calls, e-mails, or lunch meetings are all great ways to contact someone to be your reference. But, consider your relationship with a potential reference when deciding the best way to ask them. For example, if you aren’t on a first name basis with a former professor, or if you know their schedule is very busy, then meeting for lunch might not be the best option. Sending an e-mail and following up with a phone call might be a better option.

If you have a mentor, consider making a phone call to them rather than sending an e-mail because chances are you know them well and a phone call allows you to be more personable. There are many ways to contact a potential reference, so be sure to pick the one that’s right for the relationship you have with the individual.

What do I say? When asking someone to be a reference, there is specific information you want to make them aware of. Tell them why you chose them as a reference, what career choice you have chosen, and which potential employers might be contacting them. Give them a copy of your résumé and go over it with them. Be sure you have their correct contact information, company, and title. Also make a sidenote of how they prefer to be contacted. Inform them about what you have been up to and what you’re currently doing. Remember, the more information you give them the easier it is for them to recommend you to a potential employee. And make sure you thank them if they are willing to be a reference for you.

How do I follow up? After you’ve gotten permission to use someone as a reference, send them a thank-you note. This simple gesture will show them how thoughtful you are and will let them know you are grateful for their influence and impact in your life.

A good reference can go a long way to helping you land your dream job. So make sure you provide them with the information they need to give you the best recommendation possible. And, be sure you follow up to let them know how much you appreciate their willingness to be an advocate for you.

Other Resources:
Top Ten Go-To People For a Good Job Reference
5 Steps to a Brilliant Reference List

At Work Cube Life My Entry-Level Life New Job Tips The Daily Grind

I Got a Promotion! Now What Should I Do?

By Miranda Wilson on Monday, August 16, 2010

All your hard work has paid off. Your manager has noticed your attention to details, skills, and abilities. You are being promoted and will receive a pay raise and a new job title. Sounds good, right? Congratulations are in order, but if you are concerned about what your new promotion entails, here is some advice to help ease into the transition of your new job role.

Maintain open communication. Anytime you take on more work responsibilities, it’s natural to have some questions about your new role or need some guidance. In most situations, managers will give you time to get adjusted to the changes. To help ensure that you don’t fall behind on tasks, be sure to talk with your manager about things you don’t understand, prioritizing tasks, how you’re feeling about your new advancement, and the progress you’re making. Keeping the lines of communication open is important.

Set goals. In order to get where you want to go, you first have to know how to get there. This applies to your daily workload. When you take on more responsibility, more work naturally follows. Make an outline of your goals for the year, quarter, or month. What do you want to achieve in your new role? Talk with your manager regarding what your objectives are and what it is you want and need to accomplish. This is a way for you to track your success over time. It also allows you to quickly report on your progress to your team and managers. And, don’t forget to outline your goals for the week to help give you direction and manage your time.

Develop your skills. Although you have received a promotion, this doesn’t mean your career stops here – unless you want it to. When you get a promotion, it’s usually because a manager has recognized your outstanding work ethic. Continue this momentum after your promotion. Seek out new training and learning opportunities to grow your skills and gain more knowledge. Remember, “Knowledge is power – the more you learn, the farther you go!” Some examples of ways to develop your skills include: reading blogs about your field of interest, subscribing to newsletters, attending monthly networking meetings or training seminars, or taking a class at a local vo-tech or college. Just be sure to discuss your training plan with your manager first. By staying motivated and driven, more opportunities are likely to come your way in the future.

These are some basic tips to help you continue to climb the career ladder. A promotion is usually a great sign that your employer respects and values your work and abilities. Whether you just received a promotion or one is in the future, use this information to help you reach the top.

At Work Cube Life My Entry-Level Life New Job Tips The Daily Grind

How to Write a Business Proposal

By Miranda Wilson on Monday, August 9, 2010

In the workplace, there may come a day when you need to create a project proposal. Maybe you think your company needs a weekly brainstorming meeting. Maybe you have developed a new filing system. A project proposal is a detailed description of activities targeted at solving a problem – from beginning to end and everything in between. If you need to create a project proposal, start with an outline the five W’s of the project –who, what, when, where, and why – as well as outline the how. Creating a proposal helps explain a project to others, gets buy-in, and helps ensure a project of quality and efficiency. So, keep these tips in mind when you’re creating a project proposal.

Justify your reasoning for the project. You can’t just create a project because you think it will be fun. You need to be able to give reasons and examples of how this project could improve or impact business. Outline what value the project will bring to your company, how the project fits into the overall scheme of what your company does, how it will impact you and your co-workers, and the anticipated outcome.

Create a timeline. After you present a brief overview, break the project down into smaller, more manageable pieces and shows your commitment to the details. Doing so provides organization to your project. You can either break a project down step-by-step or divide it into different phases. It’s also important to assign deadline dates to the project to ensure that the project is created and implemented in a timely manner. The dates that you set should be realistic. Allow enough time for a quality product to be produced, but don’t allow so much time that months or years down the line there is still no end result to show.

Outline financial costs and human resources. It’s also important to estimate how much you think the project will cost. This will include such things as employee time and supplies. Projects can range from needing a very small budget to a large budget, so review the budgets of previous projects completed on a similar level to get a more accurate estimate. It’s also not a bad idea to talk to your manager about what seems realistic for a budget on your project.

Implement a follow-up plan. Once you have all the basics for your project outlined, it’s time to think about how you would measure the results to ensure you’re meeting your goals. Be sure to list out how you would track results and how often you would conduct tracking. The goal of this is to make sure your project achieves the desired results that you hoped for and to determine if you’re addressing the goals.

These are some basics of creating a project proposal. In general, when you take more time in the planning process, the more sound and structured a project will be. Also, doing this communicates to your boss that you believe in your project and want to make it the best it can be. Most bosses would look at this as a sign of leadership, drive, and determination – all good quality’s to have in today’s workforce.

At Work Cube Life My Entry-Level Life New Job Tips The Daily Grind

Have You Seen My Stapler? The Rules of Office Supplies

By Miranda Wilson on Monday, August 2, 2010

As an employee, you need specific tools to get your daily work done. Pens, highlighters, notepads, staplers, folders, and the list goes on and on. Maybe your company provides you with these supplies. Maybe your company doesn’t. Either way, here are a few tips to keep in mind about workplace office supplies that will help you keep the peace at work, maintain good relationships with your co-workers, and avoid asking the question, “Um, excuse me … have you seen my stapler?”

If you have to borrow something, ask first. Maybe you really can’t find your stapler and you do need to borrow one for a major stapling project. Before you grab the first one you see, be sure to ask if you can borrow it. It’s important to be respectful of your co-workers’ desk space – it’s their territory. Keep in mind how you would feel if you went to grab your tape dispenser only to discover that your co-worker borrowed it a few days ago. To avoid workplace drama, it’s always better to ask to borrow something, especially if it’s for an extended period of time.

Return what you borrow. The rule of thumb to remember is that if you borrow something from one of your co-workers, be sure to return it back to them in a timely manner AND in the same condition it was in before you borrowed it. Be respectful of others’ property.

Don’t take office supplies home. If your company keeps you stocked with office supplies, that doesn’t mean you can take some home for your personal use. It’s easy to drop a pen in your purse or put one in a pocket and walk out of the office with it. But, after time, those little things start to add up and can start costing your company big bucks. Make it a point to keep your office supplies at the office and purchase your own personal office supplies to use at home.

Learn the policy for re-ordering. So, what do you do when there are no more tissues or you can’t find a highlighter in your entire workplace? Is there someone in your office who’s in charge of buying more office supplies for the whole team? Or is it an every man for himself mentality? Be sure you know what to do so that when you run out of sticky notes you don’t get stuck empty handed.

Label items you bought. If your work doesn’t pay for your office supplies, label the items you buy. Put your initials in marker on the bottom of each item, that way if something does get lost, others will know that it belongs to you. This will help prevent debates about who owns what.

Office supplies seem like such a minor part of the workday, but employees can be a little particular when it comes to these tools. Keep these tips in mind to help ensure your workday runs smoothly.