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Archive for April, 2009

Leaving a job is often a difficult step. Sure, there is the exciting opportunity to do something different, but if have been with an employer for over a year this can become an emotional step. People leave jobs for various reasons. The old job might just plain and simple suck. The pay is lousy and the boss is behaving like a dictator of a 3rd world country. Or the job might be target of outsourcing and the employee is pro-active by looking for hisher own way out. Or the job is a dead end. No opportunity and the daily routine is boring. It could also be that the immediate co-workers and managers are just not as nice and that there is no great work relationship that makes the employee to love to go to work. A not so exciting job can still be a great place to work if you have great co-workers and managers around. Work is about money, but the socializing part is important, too.

We’re not trying to get into the reasons for leaving a job here for the matter of this article. However – we want to concentrate on the actual part of resigning from a job. And again – there are several different ways of leaving a job. If you absolutely do not care about your old job you could just leave but this step can have severe impact on your career down the road. Keep in mind that employers like to check the places you worked at before they want to hire you. These sins of the past might come back and hurt your reputation. “Oh, he left that job without any notice. What if he does the same thing to me?” – This could be just one thought a new employer might have. Depending on the job a one week or two week notice should be given. In some cases 3-4 weeks can be appropriate. As higher you get up in the ranks this might be the way to go. An executive leaving a company without taking care of a proper transition might hurt himself if the company gets into problems afterwards and this becomes public knowledge. Treat the employer fair and do not burn any bridges. In the long run this will be the best decision an employee can make.

When resigning you should be prepared to avoid unnecessary stress. In most cases resigning is a stressful event. A well prepared employee can take some stress out of this big step with proper planning. Write a 2 or 3 line letter of resignation. Nothing fancy. Try not to explain why you leave. Just state that you are resigning from your position and let the company know what your last day at work will be. Sign the letter and hand it to the manager you are resigning to. Do not just turn over the letter and walk away. Say that you are resigning and then hand over the letter of resignation. Be prepared to answer questions why you are leaving. Do not make up things. Prepare a quick list of pain points if needed. You might even help your co-workers by giving constructive feedback about certain situations and problems. I personally recommend never to mention the word money as the main reason of leaving. If things come down to money if often gets dirty.

Eventually be prepared for an immediate counter-offer during your resignation. Some companies try to fix the problem of an employee leaving by throwing more money at himher. Or they want to buy time and pretend giving you more money. They give you more money but work on your replacement at the same time. Things might also work out Ok for a while but when the going gets tough and it comes to layoffs the guy who took the counter-offer might be one of the first ones to be let go because of the cost factor. I see only one situation when it can be good or Ok to accept a counter-offer. Say you are leaving because of the work environment and you are able to point out problems and issues. Some employers are blind about these things and just don’t realize how employees feel about certain things. Suddenly a good employees leaves and the issue comes to the surface. Some employers are willing to fix the issue and these are rare situations a counter-offer can be accepted. Still – the employee has to carefully evaluate the situation. It is important to know who you are dealing with from a personal side. Can you trust the employer?

Sometimes a counter-offer can come up during the last few days at a company or shortly after the last day. We have seen cases when counter-offers were made within 60-70 days after the employee left. These situations are not good. I highly recommend not to accept such a counter-offer no matter how tempting the offer is. The employee has to keep in mind that heshe already left. This mark will always stick. One day the employer might be in a different situation and has to decide who to let go first. Will it be the loyal employee who is with the company for 8 years or is it the “Gung-Ho” who left just to be lured back by money and who eventually leaves again if the next employer is willing to hand out even more cash? Make a bet ….

These are just a few things to keep in mind when thinking about resigning from a position. Be prepared. Be strong. Change can be very good for your career.

What do you do when you have that gut feeling of impending doom about your job? Is the writing on the wall? Are you about to be laid off or fired? Is the company going under? Or is it going to come out of the blue that you no longer have a job. If you have these feeling then now is the time to take action in order to soften the blow. You need to start today to get your affairs in order. If the ax falls you will be in a much better position than your coworkers. If you follow these steps and nothing happens you will still be much better off than you are now.

First off, is your resume up to date? If you have not updated it in a few years, now is the time. You may want to consider hiring a professional to do it for you. You need to put your best foot forward. You want to be able to start sending it out before or right after you become unemployed. Searching for a new job can be a full time job by itself. Do you job skills need updating? While you are still working may be a good time to take a few classes and update your skills or start training for a new career. You may want to sign up with a temp agency now so they can place you later. Advantages of temp agencies are they pay well, they find a job for you, you wont be competing for a position with dozens of others and you can usually start immediately.

Start networking. Ask everyone you know if they know of any job openings. If you have not lost your job yet, explain to them you may be laid off and will be looking for a new job. Maybe they can give you a contact name within their company. Someone to send your resume to letting them know if they have any openings in the future you would like to be considered. Start the process now. It is not what you know, it is who you know.

Get your financial house in order. This is always easier said than done. If you are like most people you may already be living paycheck to paycheck and there is nothing extra. If you become unemployed you need as much cash as possible to carry you through. Most experts recommend 3-6 months cash to meet your living needs. What if you cant find a job for 8 months or a year? Gather all your cash reserve or sources for cash. Stash as much as possible to meet you needs.

If you are laid off, the next day you should start filling out any paperwork for unemployment benefits you may qualify for.

You will get through this, it will just take time. Start taking these important steps today and you will be far better prepared for tomorrow.

Finding a job is such a daunting task. Here, there, and everywhere, job seekers tend to look for the best means in order to find the best jobs.

However, most of them are predisposed to neglect job fairs. This is because many job seekers get annoyed with the jam-packed, full of activity, and baffling series of events. Nevertheless, they are still the best place to land a job.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the United States, the employment status is likely to boost by 15%. That is why job fairs are the best places to find a job because many companies will be participating in the event.

Job fairs are not really that bustling. The important thing is to obtain the necessary requirements needed in job applications and the rest, as they say, is history.

Here are some of the things that a job seeker must have by the time he or she is at the job fair in order to make the most out of it:

1. Advance research can be very helpful.

Most job seekers aim to find the best employment possible. Hence, it is important to do some advance research before going to a job fair.

Usually, the organizers of this event will post the companies that will participate on the job fair. Obtaining some information about the companies and the position that is open for the job would be an edge over the others.

2. Job seekers should have enough resumes.

It would be better if job seekers have enough resumes, at least 25, before going to the job fair. In this way, the applicant will be able to provide resumes to all of the potential employers in the job fair. The more applications you deliver the better chances of landing a job.

3. Job seekers should know how important it is to dress for the occasion.

As they say, first impressions last. Hence, in order to cut above the rest of job seekers, an individual should learn how to impress his or her future employer by dressing for the best. It should project a professional outlook, enthusiasm, and the determination to get the job that he or she really wants.

4. Job seekers should be prepared for some on-the-spot interviews.

5. An applicant should have a list of the companies where he or she had given his or her resume.

Knowing these things can be very helpful especially if it is the applicants first time in a job fair. Hence, people should be more aware of the benefits they can derive from job fairs alone.

This is for everyone who is sticking with a job that no longer fits. Maybe it was right for awhile, for a certain time and place in your life. But not anymore. When was the last time you jumped out of bed with excitement about what the day would bring?

“But I love the people I work with.”
“It’s so convenient.”
“The money’s pretty decent, considering”

I’ve heard all the excuses. Hell, I’ve made them. You know that job is sucking your soul and it’s time to leave. The only thing left to decide is how.

Above all, you want it to be your decision. Don’t let boredom and apathy lead to an attitude that gets you fired or passed over. Who wants to work with a burnout no matter how skilled they are?

The number one reason people stay in bad jobs is fear of the unknown. Are you hanging on to something that doesn’t fit just because it’s familiar? What if the unknown wasn’t scary? What if it was filled with joy and delightful possibilities? Sure, there’s that transition period where you leave what you can do in your sleep and head into new territory. I assure you that the downhill slide of staying too long is far greater than the steepness of a little learning curve. How might you make unknown territory more comfortable?

1.Make It Known
Learn about it. Do research. Talk to people. Do informational interviews. Volunteer, be a trainee. Find ways to educate yourself. Go to school. Hire a trainer. Shine some light on the stuff the scary ignorance and it’s no big deal. If you’re drawn to it you probably have a knack.

2.Make It Up
There are a lot of successful people in the world who just decide that they know what they’re doing. I’ll never forget my friend Susan, a beautiful and confident woman who discovered her gift for public speaking in Toastmaster’s and went on to become a highly paid consultant just because she decided she was worth listening to. I had just finished grad school and was trying to get my nerve up to go pitch companies. She read a book or two, made a presentation, and was suddenly crossing the country getting big fees. There’s a lot to be said for chutzpah.

3.Try It On A Small Scale
Part-time or pilot projects work well particularly if you’re thinking of venturing out on your own. The hours are long when you don’t give up your day job but if you’re pursuing your passion you generally can find the energy. Cater a friend’s party for the cost of the supplies. Print some business cards on your computer. Do some pro bono work for a civic group for the testimonials. Before long you’ll feel ready to go for it.

4.Dive In
This is my favorite. I get enormous energy from leaping off metaphorical cliffs. Instead of screaming “NO”, try saying “Wheee!” or “Geronimo.” I’ve crossed the country on three occasions with no job and no place to live. I keep having soft, successful landings so I keep leaping. Sometimes it takes a geographic change to get yourself out of a rut. Try something out there and see if you can fly.

5. Be Prepared
So maybe you’re not a leaper. You can plan for contingencies, save that nest egg. Find an answer for all the what-ifs. But be careful not to over prepare. Just how likely are those eventualities that you’re covering? There comes a point when it’s time to take steps.

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now”.

J. W. von Goethe

Remember, if you only do what you already know how to do your world would get pretty stale. Growth is an essential part of life. There comes a time to move on. You can feel when change is due. When that time comes the universe makes it easy for you. The money for graduate school appears, child care arrangements work out, an article about a new company catches your eye. Pay attention to the signals. Then trust your judgment. If something tells you this new opportunity is right, it probably is.