Hope for Jobs - Employment Training Institute

How to Be Annoying at Work

sparktalk — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:00:19 +0000

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Emily Bennington

No one wants to be a nuisance in the office. However, the problem is sometimes we don’t even know when we’re doing it. So, in the spirit of workplace harmony, I present a top ten list of totally annoying workplace behaviors. If you recognize yourself in any of these, cease and desist immediately.

10. Speaking loudly on the phone. (Errr…guilty.)

9. Playing music. (Even if colleagues are too polite to say so, yes, your music is bothering them.)

8. Not answering the phone. ( i.e. If you work in a small business and share responsibility for this.)

7. Sneaking off with the last cup of coffee without making a new pot.

6. Eating food that isn’t yours. (Personally, I’m also mildly annoyed by Activia and the like in the company fridge. Seriously, that’s just way too much information that I really don’t care to know.)

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5. Continuing to wax on about nothing while colleagues are giving you the “I’m busy” non-verbals. (e.g. Staring at their computer, checking the clock, typing, looking at their phone, etc.)

4. Gossiping about coworkers and/or spilling unnecessary drama about your own personal life. If you’re looking for a quick way to make colleagues uncomfortable, look no further.

3. Complaining all the time about how busy you are or, equally as bad, trying to “look” busy so no one will assign you more work.

2. Missing deadlines. When you miss a deadline, there’s usually a ripple effect that spreads through a project, endangering its overall success – and really annoying your colleagues.

1. Poor attitude. The best managers know to “hire for attitude and train for skill.” That’s because inherently positive people do more to improve and enhance a work environment than even those who are the most technically gifted.

There you have it. This is my top ten list of annoying behaviors. What’s at the top of your list?

Did you enjoy this article? You can read more articles by this expert here. Also, check out all of our free webinars!

CAREEREALISM Expert, Emily Bennington is coauthor of Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job (Ten Speed Press, 2010). She is a frequent speaker to students and organizations on the topic of career success and the host of Professional Studio 365 , a popular blog for new grads transitioning from classroom to boardroom. Emily has been featured on ABC News and has been quoted in publications including the Wall Street Journal, New York Post, US News and World Report, and the Washington Post Express. She is a regular contributor to Monster.com as well as the college section of The Huffington Post. Emily can be reached via email at ebennington@msn.com or on Twitter @EmilyBennington.

The photo for this article is provided by Shutterstock.

Technorati Tags: career advice, career expert, career question, CAREEREALISM, co-worker issues, workplace tips

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Be Aware Of Sexism and React Properly When You See It

Resumark Blog — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:28:42 +0000

You’d think we’d have grown past it by now, but sexual discrimination and sexual harassment still rear their ugly heads in the workplace. You can and should avoid it, much as you avoid the flu, making sure not to be on the receiving end and never, ever being a donor.

Here’s how to immunize yourself:

1) Know It When You See It

a) Sexual Discrimination

Sexual discrimination exists when a person is treated differently simply because of his or her gender, and when that different treatment also affects the “terms or conditions of employment” in a negative way. Sexual discrimination is illegal.

Those “terms or conditions of employment” include being hired or fired from a job, being transferred to a different job, pay, title, and even the advancement and training opportunities your employer does or does not provide.

In other words, it’s illegal for you to treat someone on the job differently, or for you to be treated differently, simply because of gender. The same basic standards apply to interns and to students in school situations, too.

b) Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment exists when anyone in a workplace does either one of two things:

- Creates a “quid pro quo” situation where one person is asked to take steps toward a personal relationship with another, such as going on a date or anything more, in return for getting or keeping any aspect of their employment, such as special rights or privileges, advancement, salary increases, and so forth. - Creates a “hostile environment” where any person feels uncomfortable or threatened as a result of the behavior, language, attitude, or even posting of ‘pinup’ pictures.

2) Know What To Do

a) Don’t be an offender. Be very careful in workplace (and/or school) situations not to be the person who breaks the laws against Sexual Discrimination or Sexual Harassment.

For example:

- Test your remarks and behavior before you make them or do them. Would you make the same remark or exhibit the same behavior to a person of a different gender? If you’re not completely sure, then rethink what you intend to say or do. - Consider how people respond to you. Are they sending signals that your words or deeds make them uncomfortable? Have you heard rumors from some people that other people are uncomfortable around you? If so, then rethink what you normally say and do.

b) Report any offenses your personally see or hear. Most people are understandably reluctant to “mix in” when they see or hear “out of bounds” behavior in the workplace. But this is a mistake. The penalties for Sexual Discrimination and Sexual Harassment are so severe — not just the legal penalties, but the emotional penalties paid by its victims — that you’re doing the right thing for your employer when you report any such offenses.

Most employers – private businesses, state and local governments, labor unions, temp agencies, employment agencies, and in many cases even apprenticeship programs - are covered by both Federal and State versions of these laws, and have specific procedures in place for reporting suspected violations. Check with your employer’s HR people to see how you can blow the whistle on any Discrimination or Harassment activities you may have experienced or witnessed.

And you needn’t worry. Retaliation for reporting Sexual Discrimination or Sexual Harassment is also against the law. You cannot be fired or demoted, take a cut in pay, be forced to take unpaid leave, or even be reassigned against your will, if it’s done as a way of getting back at you for reporting any Sexual Discrimination or Sexual Harassment you saw or heard.

Video: What to ask the potential employer…

Wooden Group — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:19:24 +0000

Randy Wooden from The Wooden Group discusses how to handle some tough interview scenarios and how something you might say could harm your chances. He also discusses some of the things you should NOT ask in the interview.

Learn more about us at www.woodengroup.com.

STAY CONNECTED!

8 things that can kill your job chances

Kate Lorenz — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:10:46 +0000

In her new book “What Your Body Says,” Sharon Saylor writes, “The most influential part of communication is your nonverbal. Your nonverbal can actually destroy or produce the results you want, such as inspiring employees to do better work, calming angry customers, creating fans in the marketplace and closing sales.”

And according to a new CareerBuilder survey, your body language can also hurt your chances of landing a job … especially a lack of eye contact.

In the survey of more than 2,500 hiring managers, 67 percent said that failure to make eye contact would make them less likely to hire a job candidate. Other nonverbals that hiring managers cited as negative included these seven things:

Lack of smile – 38 percent
Fidgeting too much – 33 percent
Bad posture – 33 percent
Handshake that is too weak – 26 percent
Crossing arms over their chest – 21 percent
Playing with their hair or touching their face – 21 percent
Using too many hand gestures – 9 percent

“In a highly competitive job market, job seekers need to set themselves apart in the interview stage,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “All that pressure, though, may have some job seekers making body language mistakes that don’t convey a confident message. To avoid these faux pas, and ensure you’re remembered for the right reasons, try practicing ahead of time in front of a mirror or family and friends.”

Haefner offers the following tips to avoid body language missteps during an interview:

Keep calm. To make the best impression and avoid nervous body language, take measures to stay as calm as possible before the interview. Leave the house with plenty of time to get to the interview, avoid caffeine if possible and take deep, calming breaths.
Practice makes perfect. The old adage proves true in this case, as you’ll feel more comfortable the more you prepare for the interview, and in turn, it will help decrease your anxiety. Rehearse ahead of time with friends or family, do your homework on the company and be prepared for common interview questions.
See for yourself. Viewing yourself while speaking can help you notice what body language mistakes you might be making without realizing. Look in a mirror while practicing interview responses or videotape yourself to figure out your typical physical movements, and whether or not you need to change them.

Saylor, who is a certified group dynamics and behavioral coach, says it is possible to change your behavior and be conscious of what messages you’re sending with your own body. Her book gives the reader tips on overcoming many communication roadblocks including how to project confidence, how to look intelligent, how to eliminate verbal pauses, and how to use your posture to show confidence.

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Border Patrol Agent Positions Open | jobs

Hope for Jobs — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:41:50 +0000

HOPE FOR JOBS ALERT!

Job Title: Border Patrol Agent

Department: Department Of Homeland Security Agency

Customs and Border Protection Job Announcement Number: BPA 10- 1

Job Summary: Online registrations close at 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on 09/30/2010 or at 11:59 pm EDT on the day that the first 100,000 eligible applications are received, whichever comes first. No registrations will be accepted after that date and time. We recommend that you register and test as soon as possible in order to receive early consideration.

Early Consideration: Early hiring consideration will be given to those applicants who complete the online registration process by July 30, 2010 and test by August 27, 2010. Organizational Location: Positions are located in South Texas, West Texas/New Mexico, Arizona and California.

Gen Y: No jobs, lots of loans, grim future

msnbc.com: Careers — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:36:50 +0000

The Millennials are the first generation of American workers since World War II who have cloudier prospects than the generations that preceded them.

United States - World War II - Generation Y - History - Twentieth Century

Gen Y: No job, lots of loans, grim future

msnbc.com: Careers — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:31:46 +0000

The Millennials are the first generation of American workers since World War II who have cloudier prospects than the generations that preceded them.

Generation Y - United States - World War II - History - Twentieth Century

Shrinking Middle Class in America

Resumark Blog — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:30:41 +0000

The United States used to have the largest and most prosperous middle class in the world, but now that is changing and the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer at a blinding speed.

The main reason for such fundamental changes is the side effects of the globalism and “free trade” that our leaders insisted would be so good for us. It turned out that they forgot to tell us that in “global economy” American workers would eventually have to directly compete for jobs with people in other countries with no minimum wage and few other regulations. Over the last several decades the big global corporations have greatly benefited by exploiting third world labor, but more and more middle class Americans have found things to be very tough.

Most people have nothing to offer in the marketplace other than their labor and absolutely dependent on someone else giving them a job. U.S. workers are much less attractive today compared to the rest of the world. They are extremely expensive, and the government keeps passing regulations that makes it even more difficult to conduct business in the United States. Therefore large corporations are moving operations out of the U.S. and, since the U.S. government does not penalize them for doing so, there is no incentive for them to stay.

No matter how smart and educated or how hard working you are, you just cannot compete with people who are willing to work 12 hours a day for less than a dollar an hour. No corporation in their right mind is going to pay you 10 times more (plus benefits) to do the same job. Wealth and power are rapidly concentrating at the top and the big global corporations are making a lot of money while the American middle class is being wiped out of existence as U.S. workers are slowly being merged into the new global labor pool.

There are about six unemployed Americans for every new job opening in the United States and the average time needed to find a job has risen to a record 35.2 weeks. There simply are not enough jobs for everyone. While people at the top are doing quite well, most Americans are finding it difficult to make it. Even those who are able to get jobs are finding that they are making less money than they used to. More than 40 percent of employed Americans are now working in service jobs, which are often have very low wages.

The top 1% of U.S. households own nearly twice as much of America’s corporate wealth as they did just 15 years ago. Despite the financial crisis, the number of millionaires in the United States went up 16% last year. The top 10% of Americans now earn around 50% of the national income. The middle class in America is dying and once it is gone it will be incredibly difficult to rebuild.

6 Online Resources for Every HR Practitioner

sparktalk — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:00:23 +0000

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Jessica Miller-Merrell

Human Resources practitioners who are working in the trenches need access to information, advice, and data immediately outside of HR associations like SHRM and ASTD. Thankfully, there are HR bloggers, communities, and websites providing HR pros with real time information and resources. Here are a handful of resources, in fact six resources I recommend HR professionals add to their RSS readers or bookmark.

The Human Race Horses. An HR blog managed by Mike Vandervort. Mike discusses Human Resource topics, Labor Relations and a mix of social media.

TNLT. An HR extension of the popular Electronic Recruiting Exchange or ERE, TNLT is a new network of HR related blog posts and articles.

LinkedIn HR. Almost 300,000 members strong. This is a valuable resource and LinkedIn Group to build connections, ask questions, and learn about news and information that concerns the HR Practitioner.

Enjoying this article? You could get the best career advice daily by subscribing to us via e-mail!

SmartBrief Workforce. An amazing e-mail newsletter and resource with a collection of leading HR bloggers and practitioners. Last week’s announcement of their new editor and former COO of SHRM, China Gorman is a smart move for this publication.

HR Fishbowl. Charlie Judy is a senior level HR practitioner and one of my favorite new and upcoming HR bloggers. He is focused on HR issues and provides an experienced point of view with a focus on strategic and feet on the street human resources.

The HR Net. Steve Browne, an HR Practitioner from Ohio who has created an amazing HR Forum that is free and available for anyone to join called The HR Net. He sends weekly updates to members of the forum who are able to post HR questions and comments anonymously. Connect with Steve directly to learn more at sbrowne@larosas.com.

Do you have a great Trench HR Resources you care to share? Leave a comment!

Did you enjoy this article? You can read more articles by this expert here. Also, check out all of our free webinars!

CAREEREALISM Expert, Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is an author, new mother, and human resources professional with a passion for the job search, recruiting, and all things social media. Jessica has over 10 years of experience in human resources and recruiting industry. She specializes in helping job seekers with personal branding specializing and job search strategies helping others learn the unwritten rules of the job search. Her creative technique and strategies have received national recognition from Entrepreneur, Glamour Magazine, HR Executive Magazine, and Employment Digest. Jessica also is the host of the only live job search web show every Sunday 9 PM EST on MomTV.

The photo for this article is provided by Shutterstock.

Technorati Tags: career advice, career expert, career question, CAREEREALISM, HR, human resources, linkedin, social media

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6 Online Resources for Every HR Practitioner

sparktalk — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:00:23 +0000

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Jessica Miller-Merrell

The Human Race Horses. An HR blog managed by Mike Vandervort. Mike discusses Human Resource topics, Labor Relations and a mix of social media.

TNLT. An HR extension of the popular Electronic Recruiting Exchange or ERE, TNLT is a new network of HR related blog posts and articles.

LinkedIn HR. Almost 300,000 members strong. This is a valuable resource and LinkedIn Group to build connections, ask questions, and learn about news and information that concerns the HR Practitioner.

Enjoying this article? You could get the best career advice daily by subscribing to us via e-mail!

SmartBrief Workforce. An amazing e-mail newsletter and resource with a collection of leading HR bloggers and practitioners. Last week’s announcement of their new editor and former COO of SHRM, China Gorman is a smart move for this publication.

HR Fishbowl. Charlie Judy is a senior level HR practitioner and one of my favorite new and upcoming HR bloggers. He is focused on HR issues and provides an experienced point of view with a focus on strategic and feet on the street human resources.

The HR Net. Steve Browne, an HR Practitioner from Ohio who has created an amazing HR Forum that is free and available for anyone to join called The HR Net. He sends weekly updates to members of the forum who are able to post HR questions and comments anonymously. Connect with Steve directly to learn more at sbrowne@larosas.com.

Do you have a great Trench HR Resources you care to share? Leave a comment!

Did you enjoy this article? You can read more articles by this expert here. Also, check out all of our free webinars!

The photo for this article is provided by Shutterstock.

Technorati Tags: career advice, career expert, career question, CAREEREALISM, HR, human resources, linkedin, social media

4 Little Known Tools for Managing Your Online Brand By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Jessica Miller-Merrell The idea of brand management...
Jessica Miller-Merrell Name: Jessica Miller-Merrell Twitter: @blogging4jobs Personal Website/Blog: www.blogging4jobs.com Bio: Jessica...
6 Tools for Managing Social Media By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Jessica Miller-Merrell Time management is something most...

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