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Overcome Your Job Nightmare

By Job Journey on Wednesday, October 19, 2016

In 2016, the average working American will spend eight hours a day at work for 249 days. With a good portion of your day spent at work, why would you continue to stay in a miserable environment?

Lea McLoud coaches people in their jobs when the going gets tough. The more she works with clients, the more convinced she is that challenges we face in the workplace are of our own making.

Liza, a client of McLoud’s, was miserable in her job because her boss often publically called out her mistakes. But she was terrified to confront her manager about the situation.

Or Teresa, another client, who found herself in a tough position after feeling overwhelmed in her new job. She assumed she’d made a big mistake by accepting the position.

“Each one of them was in severe pain—pain so bad they were ready to walk away from what were frankly great jobs! The pain of those situations kept them frozen in one of the biggest workplace adversaries: fear,” McLoud said.

So how do you confront that fear and overcome your job nightmare? Start with following this easy three-step plan.

Step 1: Analyze

It doesn’t do any good to stuff your fears in the back of the closet until you are ready to confront them head on. They will just continue to be a weight on your shoulders and cause anxiety throughout the day.

To start conquering that fear, grab a journal and complete these sentences:

I’m afraid of: (ex. Losing my job, not having any income)
This fear is caused by: (the need to provide for my family)
As a result of not dealing with this fear, I am: (miserable and anxious)
If I take constructive steps to address this fear: (I will not dread going to work)

Step 2: Make a Plan

McLoud recommends exposure therapy to rewire your brain around your fear and move past it. In Liz’s case, she should take small steps to tackle the larger issue and start by asking her manager for a weekly meeting. Then, she determined that the meeting should include a recap of her accomplishments and any guidance Liz may need from her manager.

Finally, there should be a designated time to exchange feedback in the meeting where she could work towards addressing the issue of being called out in public.

“By using concepts from exposure therapy, you can drop the ultimatum-making (‘I’ve got to quit that job’) and instead, design your own exposure therapy regimen to confront your fear and take action,” McLoud said.

Step 3: Execute

Once Liz acted on her plan, she was able to resolve the issue, which was a much better plan than running away.

What job nightmare is keeping you up at night, and how do you plan to overcome it? Let us know in the comments below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

The Job Search

Developing a 4-Year Plan This Leap Year

By Job Journey on Monday, February 8, 2016

At the beginning of the year, businesses are working on their strategic plans and refining their goals. They are evaluating both short- and long-term goals and where they want to be in the future. In the spirit of leap year 2016, it might be a good time for you to develop a four-year plan.

A Look at the 2020 Workplace
A leap year occurs every four years because an extra day is added to the calendar in February to keep it aligned with Earth’s revolutions around the sun. By the time we experience the next leap year in 2020, the opportunities for advancing your career are endless.

There is no better time than the present to start planning what you want to accomplish by 2020. And to help you with career choices, here’s an overview of what the employment landscape will look like by the next leap year. The workplace will be more mobile and flexible, with more than 7.6 million people working in on-demand jobs, according to a study by Intuit Inc. and Emergent Research.

An article from U.S. News and World Report indicates that fields more likely to flourish in 2020 range from data crunching to computer engineering to management and finance. Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects an increase in employment by 14% during the 2010–2020 decade. By 2020, more than half a million new jobs are expected for registered nurses, retail salespersons, home health aides, and personal care aides. The BLS expects the fastest growth to be among healthcare, personal care, and community and social service occupations.

Although the World Economic Forum, through its report on “The Future of Jobs,” states that five million jobs will be replaced by robots in 2020, there is still great opportunity for honing one’s skills in technology and automation.

Questions to Get You Started on Goal Setting
Knowing where the jobs are is only part of developing a plan. You will need to establish goals to guide you if you want to be successful. However, if you don’t know where to start developing your goals, here are a few questions to consider asking yourself:

Where am I now in my career or education?
How well do I know my job?
Where do I want to be in four years?
How will I get there?

Developing S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Your 4-Year Plan
Now that you have an idea of where you want to be in four years, it’s time to develop specific goals to get you there. Numerous businesses use the concept of SMART Goals and encourage their employees to use them for personal development. These are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and possess a time-frame.

“S” means the goal is Specific. It should answer the question, “Where am I going and how will I know when I get there?” It qualifies or quantifies so that there is no room for misunderstanding.
“M” means that there is a quantifiable way of Measuring the goal. Some examples of measurement may include: time, percentage, quality, money, or quantity.
“A” means that the goal can be Accomplished and that you have control over the outcome.
“R” means that the goal is Relevant to the person creating the goals. It should be meaningful and relevant to your current growth and development.
“T” means that the goal is bound by Time. It determines when the goal will be completed and includes checkpoints or milestones along the way. In this case, the deadline for completion is February 2020.

Now that you are ready to start developing a four-year plan in honor of the leap year, we’d like to hear from you as to where you see yourself in the next four years in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Job Interviews

How a Lack of Planning May Be Costing You the Job

By Job Journey on Friday, November 20, 2015

When job searching, planning is an important step that can make or break your chances of success. A good resume and application may land you an interview, but planning is necessary to ace it and get the job offer.

Is your lack of planning costing you? We’ve put together some resources to help you pick out serious errors and interview flaws due to a lack of planning. These mistakes can destroy what could have been a great interview and result in a lost job opportunity.

Not Preparing to Be on Time

Before the day of your interview, plan out your drive to the location. Always allow extra travel time for accidents, bad traffic, or car trouble. If you can drive to the business location a day or two before your interview, you’ll have a better idea of how long the trip will take.

Not Being Properly Dressed

Showing up at a job interview in inappropriate attire or in clothes that are wrinkled is another deadly sin. If you haven’t planned ahead of time to iron your clothes or explore the company culture, you could end up looking shabby and embarrassing. If you have a chance to drive by your potential employer’s office to see how other employees are dressed, do so. At the very least, pick out your interview outfit the night before, try it on, iron or clean as necessary, and set the pieces out for easy dressing.

Not Preparing for Your Interview

Have you practiced answering interview questions? Have you read the company’s website and annual report if available? Have you looked up news about the company? Preparing for an interview takes effort, but that effort pays off when you have rehearsed answers to difficult questions and can have an intelligent conversation about the company itself. Not preparing for the interview may leave you looking nervous and uninformed.

Not Preparing Extra Copies

The company already has your resume, but you should plan to bring extra copies. While you’re at it, bring extra copies of any portfolio items, references, awards, and anything else a recruiter may be interested in. Never walk in empty-handed. By planning ahead, you can present yourself in a strong light by having extra copies of important documents.

Not Having a Follow-Up Plan

After the interview is over, do you have a plan for following up? The lack of follow-up can hurt your chance to be hired. Instead, make a plan to send thank-you cards and professional follow-up emails. Write the thank-you cards as soon as the interview is over and craft an email asking if the company needs additional information from you to send in a week or two. Not having a plan to contact the company after the interview may take you out of the running.

It’s tempting to leave your career to chance and not plan, but the people who are most successful are prepared ahead of time for any job search opportunity. Take time to put together your plan, and stop letting lack of planning cost you.

How do you plan ahead of time for job interviews? Share your tips with us in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

New Job Tips

Four Training Tips You Can Do Right Now to Advance Your Career

By Job Journey on Friday, August 21, 2015

Whether you are currently seeking a job or looking to move up the ladder in your current position, you can be proactive in building a plan for future success.

If you want to advance your career, start taking steps today to boost your skills, prepare for promotions, or impress interviewers. Here are five career training tips you can do right now to help secure that future success.

1. Develop current and new skills. Be honest with yourself about both your strengths and your weaknesses, and learn to develop both. If you struggle with new programs required for your job, study them or enroll in training. If public speaking is part of your career plan, join organizations like Toastmasters to help improve your speaking ability. Many libraries and community colleges also offer workshops in everything from Excel to business writing. Investing in your skill set is never a waste of time and can only improve your chances for success.

2. Build your network. Networking is a skill you can develop right now, with or without a current job. Attend events where your peers go. Ask advice and offer help when you can, but also watch what successful people do well and learn from them. If you have a job already, build your network within the company. Collaborate and work with others to solve problems, showing that you have a team-building mentality. Attend work functions and join professional networking groups to help expand your future job base.

3. Make a plan. If you are seeking employment, take this time to plot a course for your dream career. Knowing where you are going makes it easier to get there. Research what skills you need to improve, what programs or knowledge you need to learn, and what you must have for upward mobility, and then create a step-by-step plan to meet those skills and needs. Many experts suggest creating a one year, three year, and five year plan – much like you would in a business plan. Once you have a clear goal in place, reaching that goal becomes attainable.

4. Act like the leader you are – or want to be. At the end of the day, leaders are the ones who get promoted or hired. Doers are the workhorses, but leaders are highly sought after. So how do you train yourself now to be a leader? First, have a vision for your career and/or the company’s future. Learn to speak up and offer to take charge on projects. Show respect for all employees, and communicate in a professional manner. Again, taking business communications or public speaking classes can help with this.

If you want to advance your career, these simple training tips are steps you can take now, whether you are currently employed or not. Follow these career training tips, commit to your career, and be open to learning new skills. Proper training is never a waste of time.

What training tips helped you in your career or job search? Share your tips with us here.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Job Interviews

De-Stress Before Your Job Interview

By Job Journey on Monday, November 17, 2014

Job interviews can be a little nerve racking. Will the interviewer like me? What if I say something that sounds stupid? What if I don’t know how to answer a question?

To help you gain your interview confidence, take a deep breath and follow these seven tips for conquering your fears and de-stress before your job interview.

1. Get your portfolio together.
Don’t scramble to put this together the night before. No one knows your work better than you, so be your biggest advocate on interview day and have a stellar portfolio. While getting your portfolio ready, showcase your best projects. And, be sure to include plenty of copies of your resume in case someone unexpected joins the interview. On your resume, make sure it’s easily laid out for readability, organized, shows your training/education background, and lists your job history. Also, include a list of references for extra bonus points.

2. Prepare for interview questions.
Expect to be asked questions like:

Tell me about yourself.
Why should I hire you?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What can you bring to the team?
Do you have any questions about the job?

These are typical questions interviewers use to learn more about you. A few days before your interview, practice answering these questions and watch yourself in the mirror so you can see your facial expressions or ask a friend to listen and give you feedback.

3. Do your research on the company and the position.
Not only will you need to be prepared to answer questions about yourself, but you should also be able to speak about the company and the position you’re seeking. What do you know about them? What do they do? Find out when they were founded, how many locations they have (if more than one), and some interesting facts about the organization.

Also, be able to share about the skills you can bring to the job. What are some specific duties you’re interested in? How do your skills match the job? Also, come up with questions you have about the job. How do you see this position growing with this company? What skills does the perfect candidate have? Questions like these will show that you’re taking initiative in learning all you can about the position.

4. Drive by the interview location the day before.
A big stressor for interviewees is the location of the interview. If you can, do a test run the day before. Get a feel for the traffic and identify just how much time you need to get there. And remember, you will want to arrive at your interview at least 15 minutes early, so factor that into your drive time.

5. Plan your outfit.
What are you going to wear for your interview? The key is to always wear professional in attire on your interview day. Get your outfit prepared the evening before your interview and make sure it is clean and wrinkle-free. Also, include your accessories such as shoes, a tie, or jewelry. Having your clothes ready to go will save you time on the big day.

6. Get a good night’s rest.
Go to bed early the night before your interview. Allow yourself to get enough rest so you wake up feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to face the day. Don’t stay up late trying to prepare, and be sure to set your alarm!

7. Stay calm on interview day.
After you’ve checked in for your interview, use your last few minutes to take some deep breaths, remember what your goal is, and remind yourself that you can do this. Remember to think positive.

Do you have any additional tips for de-stressing before an interview? Share them here!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

At Work Career Advancement Career Options New Job Tips The Daily Grind The Job Search Uncategorized Work/Life Balance Workplace Relationships

How to Survive a Bad Review or Termination

By leidson on Monday, April 14, 2014

Everyone hopes to get a glowing report at their annual performance review, but sometimes, you’re met with more negative feedback than positive. Receiving a bad review doesn’t have to mean it’s time to change jobs or signal the end of your career, though. With the right response, you can survive and even thrive. Just make sure you follow these four tips.

Stay Calm
No one likes being told they’ve made a mistake or done something wrong, and it’s normal to feel upset. However, now is not the time to lose control of your emotions. As The Wall Street Journal explains, “while it’s natural to feel defensive or angry during a bad review, career coaches advise against acting on these emotions to avoid making matters worse.” Remind yourself that the performance review isn’t personal and try to think logically about the situation.

Be an Active Listener
As you push through the emotions, really listen to what your supervisor is saying and take detailed notes. Ask questions to clarify anything you don’t understand during the performance review. If your manager is being more general, ask for specific examples of mistakes, why your actions were incorrect, and what you should have done differently. And, as Marie McIntyre, a career coach and author, told CNBC, “Even if you don’t completely agree, you need to show that you understand.”

Make a Plan
Once the bad review is over and you’ve had time to digest everything, you need to come up with a game plan to address the problems your supervisor pointed out. Think about what behaviors or actions you need to change, how you can address issues before they become problems again, and if you should involve your co-workers in your plan. Also, make sure you take into account what your manager said you should have done. Then hold a follow-up performance review meeting to present the plan to your supervisor and get their approval.

Stick with It
The last part of your response is the most critical, because if you don’t follow through with the needed changes, you will only make things worse. Review your plan often, hold yourself accountable, and request regular feedback from your manager. As you see things improve, take notes for future meetings and performance reviews. The Wall Street Journal recommends “keeping a detailed journal of your accomplishments. Memos that commend you on your work accomplishments also should be filed.”

Nobody is perfect, so don’t let a bad review get you down. Your response to the review is actually far more telling and important than what you did wrong in the first place. Employers value employees who can accept critiquing, be proactive, and implement changes on their own. So, the next time your performance review doesn’t go how you hoped, seize the opportunity to do more than just survive and show what a great employee you truly are.

Have you had a bad review before? How did you survive? Share your experience and insight in the comment section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

At Work Career Advancement

Do You Have a Plan for Your Career?

By Jared Cole on Monday, December 24, 2012

Looking to The Future of Your Career Getting a job is only the first step; you need to set career goals and continually improve in your craft if you want more meaningful responsibilities, higher salaries, or that big promotion.

According to the University of Kansas, people who have clear ideas about what they hope to accomplish have improved chances of achieving them.

Forming a career plan is important. Check out our video to get helpful insight on what steps to take to help you achieve your career goals, and to find out what happens when you throw out preparation and just wing it.