bad boss | Journey

Why You Should Network Even When You Don’t Want To

By Job Journey on Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Connections make the world go ‘round

Very few people enjoy professional networking events, and according to a study put out by Administrative Science Quarterly, there’s a reason for that. These events don’t work. Ninety-five percent of attendees hope to make new contacts, yet spend over 50% of the event talking to people they already know.

Another study from the same journal shows that networking to advance your career can actually make you feel uncomfortable. Turns out folks don’t like using people for their own nefarious career-furthering purposes.

All of that is why Natasha Lyonne, star of Netflix’s Russian Doll and Orange is the New Black, has a simple two-step approach to networking. She spoke of her approach at The Cut’s “How I Get It Done” conference in New York, covered by Quartz.

(more…)

At Work

Is It Okay to Quit Your New Job?

By Job Journey on Thursday, April 11, 2019

You thought you got your dream job but it turned out to be a nightmare. Can you quit?

You researched a company and loved what you read. You get through the interview and learn about killer benefits, your own parking space, and free food on Fridays. When you get the job offer, it’s a no brainer—you say yes.

But then the situation sours. Maybe it’s a poor relationship with your boss. Perhaps your coworkers loved the guy or gal you replaced and sort of resent you (that’s not the way Barry did it). Or you just get buried in work, have a cubicle in the basement (or workstation deep down the line), and kind of forget what sunlight looks like.

Whatever the reason, it’s bad, and you want to quit. But can you do that without damaging your career? It depends. Ask yourself these questions.

(more…)

Reader Surveys

Poll Results: How Many Years Have You Been with Your Current Company?

By Job Journey on Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Here’s what you had to say.

The economy is doing well right now and there are more open jobs than there are potential employees to fill those jobs. As a result, companies must compete to get the best talent.

And that means employee retention is incredibly important. Whether it’s a generous vacation plan, flexible hours, or great benefits, employers want to keep their employees happy for years to come.

We wanted to check the barometer and gauge retention trends by asking how long you’ve been at your current company. We also wanted to know how many employees your company has in total. Here’s what you had to say. (more…)

At Work Cube Life

Dating in the Workplace

By Job Journey on Thursday, February 14, 2019

How to handle it.

You see someone across a crowded room. Perhaps it’s an assembly line in the warehouse, a busy hallway in an office, or a crowded call center.

Your eyes meet. The attraction is magnetic. Bad love songs play in your head.

You just got bit by the workplace love bug.

For Valentine’s Day, here are a few rules to follow to ensure that your blossoming romance doesn’t backfire if things turn sour.

(more…)

Answering the Interview Question Job Interviews Reader Surveys

Poll Results: Answering the Hardest Interview Questions

By Job Journey on Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Here’s what you had to say.

Recently we asked our Movin’ On Up readers the interview questions they need help with.

The top choice was “What are your top five strengths and weaknesses,” with more than 32% of the vote. “Why are you leaving (or want to leave) your current job/company” came in second with just under 13% of the vote, followed by “Why should I Hire You,” “Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years,” and “Other” with 9% each. The rest of the responses were as follows:

“Tell Me About Yourself.”—8%
“What Are Your Most Impressive Accomplishments to Date.”—5%
“Describe Your Perfect Work Environment/Company Culture.”—4%
“What Would Your Coworkers Say About You? Both Good and Bad.”—4%
“Why Do You Want to Work At Our Company?”—3%
“Do You Like to Take Charge of Projects and Situations or Would You Rather Receive Direction?”—3%
“If You Could Change Something about Your Past (Or Current) Job, What Would It Be?”—1%
“Describe Your Perfect Boss/Manager.”—1%

(more…)

At Work Cube Life Uncategorized Workplace Relationships

Diffusing Tension in the Workplace

By Job Journey on Thursday, September 27, 2018

Resolve conflict and bring peace to the work world

The workplace is complicated. It doesn’t matter if you work on an assembly line, type away at a cubicle, make cold calls in a call center, or take customer orders at a dinner table; you always deal with other people.

We’re all human and we have bad days. And sometimes you might do something inadvertently to make someone’s day worse. It could be a miscommunication via email, perhaps you chew loudly, or maybe there’s a scheduling conflict you just can’t agree on. These little things add up and suddenly there’s tension between the two of you.

Getting rid of that tension is one of the most important workplace soft skills. An employee who can effectively resolve conflict is priceless. So, how is this accomplished?

There are five main styles for managing conflict, according to Thomas, Kenneth W. Thomas and Ralph H. Kilmann originators of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. The key is to figure out the right mix of styles for any given situation, and recognize your coworker’s preferred conflict management style.

Here are those given conflict management styles, as outlined by SourcesOfInsight.com.

Accommodating

Think of this as killing your enemy with kindness.

Basically, if accommodating is your style of choice, your tendency is to give into the other person’s desires without making sure you get what you want. Maybe you think your boss’ idea is less than great, but don’t tell them because that would make waves.

Although it might sound cowardly on paper, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the accommodating style. All styles are valid. For example, it’s usually better to defer to those with more experience when you’re new to the job.

Avoiding

With this style, you avoid conflict at all costs. You never win arguments and prefer to stay out of the combat zone entirely. You don’t want to say no so you end up saying nothing. Think of this as the “let well enough alone” mentality.

Avoidance is a great for when emotions are running high and you need time to think, when you know you can’t win, or just don’t feel like the situation is worth the effort. Why engage when there will be minimal gains?

Collaborating

Think of this as the “win-win” scenario. You want to work with your coworker in order to achieve common ground and for everyone to get what they want.

This is a great conflict resolution style when everyone is already on the same page. You trust each other, value teamwork, say what you mean, and don’t have to worry about hurt feelings. It’s not a great choice when emotions are running high or people’s viewpoints are diametrically opposed.

Competing

This is the “might makes right” mentality. You want to get what you want no matter what, and the opposing side’s wishes aren’t important.

Again, this sounds like the angry boss who intimidates his direct reports into getting something done. In that case, it’s not the best decision. But if you’re an accountant on a deadline and someone on another team is trying to tell you how to do your job, competing is a perfect response. You know your job better than someone in a different department, and don’t have time to worry about hurt feelings.

Compromising

Think of this as standard negotiating procedure. The “give and take” approach. You and your coworker both work toward a solution by giving things up until common ground is reached.

The main problem with this one is that it takes time and isn’t affective when someone is unwilling to give anything up. That means it’s best used when you need a temporary solution or when both sides have important goals. However, beware: compromising can frequently be the result when collaborating is the better choice because it’s easier to get done. But if everyone can get what they want with a bit of hard work, why not go that route?

If you’re partial to any of these conflict resolution tactics, ask yourself if you’re trying the same solution in every situation and not getting the results you need. If you are, you might want to explore other methods to get rid of the problem.

Have you ever had to solve a workplace dispute? How did it go? Let us know in the comments below.

Job Interviews The Job Search

Discussing Skills and Experience in an Interview

By Job Journey on Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Interviews usually start out the same way. You’ll shake hands with your interviewer, sit down, and wait for the first question. They might want a quick introduction, or could just go right into asking about your resume. If you don’t have a resume, they might want you to speak about your applicable experience and skills.

This is where many job seekers stumble. Some have plenty of skills and experience, but aren’t exactly clear on how to articulate it. Others don’t have much experience, and don’t know what to say.

Here’s our list of do’s and don’ts to get everything out there.

Do: Kick Things Off with an Elevator Pitch

Before digging into your skills and work experience, share a bit about who you are as a person. Giving the interviewer a feel for your unique personality, strengths, and what you’re looking for in a job is a great way to stand out from the competition.

All this information is called your elevator pitch, a quick speech outlining who you are, what you want, and what you can do for the company. This is where you can highlight what you want in a position (e.g. family-oriented culture, opportunities for advancement), as well as specific experiences you’re proud of (e.g. increasing ROI, achieving deadlines during a serious time crunch).

Do: Make a List of Your Skills

You have useful skills; the hard part is figuring out how to talk about them. For instance, maybe you were a cashier at a fast food restaurant or sold shoes at the mall. That means you have customer service experience! The same goes for being a recruiter for a school or college club.

Before your interview, write down a list of everything you did at your past jobs. Or, if you haven’t worked before, jot down club or volunteer experience. Then, translate those job responsibilities into skills and pair them with specific experiences. Instead of going on an unfocused ramble about your last job, note that you managed a team, completed projects well-before deadline, or exceeded expected quality levels.

That’s the kind of information interviewers want to hear. Making a list ensures you recognize your skills and can speak directly about them, instead of babbling about jobs in general without a central focus.

Do: Connect Your Skills to the Job You’re Applying For

Every job is different, which means you need to prepare differently for every interview. Take time to read the “required skills” section of the job listing and match those qualities to the ones on your list. Sprinkle a few of those keywords into your interview and expand on them with specific experiences and you’ll stand out as an applicant.

Don’t: Speak Poorly of a Previous Employer

This is something we mention frequently. It seems obvious, right? Nobody is going to want to hire you if you walk into an interview complaining about a previous boss.

But things are a bit more complicated than that. In most interviews, you’ll be asked about why you left your previous job, or what issues you ran into at a previous position. Applicants make mistakes when they’re tempted to say it was because of being fired, hating their boss, or bad leadership.

While you shouldn’t lie in response to these questions, finding a positive spin to show off your skills and experiences is a safe way to answer. Saying anything negative can cause the interviewer to think you might speak negatively of your new employer in the future.

Perhaps there wasn’t a chance to advance into higher positions (this shows your zest for success), or you realized you wanted to use your skills and experience in a whole new way. And if you can’t come up with anything positive? Just say that there was a culture mismatch.

Do: Stop Stressing

The interview process is stressful. You need a job now to pay your bills. But you’ve done everything you can. You’ve made a list and checked it twice, conducted your research, and really gotten to know who you are as an employee. All that’s left now is to ace the interview. So, breathe. Take a few minutes to meditate, let out a primal scream, or do whatever it is you need to do to settle your nerves. Go in there, be yourself, and dazzle them with your experience.

Have any more questions about discussing skills or experience in an interview? Let us know in the comments section below!

Search Results for: bad boss