Managers Are Stoopid And What To Do About It

Managers Are Stoopid And What To Do About It These thoughts come from two specific discussions, and years of pondering, and reading Dilbert (thanks to the B2BBlog for these, you can read their post here) On employee reviews. Last night I was talking to a buddy about his companys annual review process. I remember my annual reviews, where were a joke.   They seemed to be an act, where there was no (or little) substantial feedback from the manager, and the better I did, the more nit-picky they got about what I needed to improve (becauase Dumb Manager 101 says you must help your subordinate to improve, right?).   My friend mentioned that once he had a review and didnt even know it he was told in the subsequent review oh yeah, that was our review. On job search interview techniques. At a job search network meeting we were asked how the training process was for us unemployed souls.   I commented that we were getting armed with a lot of incredible knowledge and techniques, but the people who interviewed us came in significantly less sophisticated than we were (due to preparation).   It was frustrating to be interviewed by someone who seemed to be fumbling in the dark, asking questions they didnt understand (they were reading from some list).   If they didnt get the question, how could they appreciate the answers? Why were these incompetents becoming the gatekeepers to my career future? Definitely a frustrating experience.   In defense of stoopid, incompetent managers throghout the world, Ill claim my own stoopidity.   As a manager I wanted to work with high-speed, low-drag employees who required no handholding.   However, as a judgement error, Im sure I was too hands-off and didnt do my managerial job as well as I should have. So how do we, as CEOs of Me, Inc, deal with this widespread issue? Recognize our place, and what that means. Submitting to this ignorance doesnt mean that we are being ignorant ourselves.   But it might be job-suicide to do what you really want to do.   Put the manager in his/her place.   Go above them and tell the managers boss whats going on (or the president).   Blog about it :p   I dont suggest you just sit there and take it, but I suggest you think about what the consequences might be, and how much you can risk.   Is money not an issue?   Then you can afford to be more bold.   But if you are too dependent on the paycheck and benefits (health insurance, etc.), you better craft a smart strategy. Figure out how to get out without getting out. In my first real job, I had a manager who had a slew of problems.   One time I walked into her cubicle and she was lightly banging her head on the bookshelf whispering I hate my job, I hate my job, over and over.   I was shocked .!   I loved my job, even though I didnt get any management or leadership from her.   Somehow, her boss took me under her wing and I got the mentoring and projects that shaped that learning period for me it was incredible!   There was a little bit of tension between me and my direct boss, as I started to get some awesome projects, but I was definitely in a better place. Prepare anyway. Just because the interviewer isnt sophisticated, or the boss doesnt know how to do an annual review, doesnt mean you can go in like a dunce.   Be prepared, have strong statements, stories and supporting evidence, and be sure you prepare them for a stellar performance.   You arent competing against the boss or decision maker, you are there to make a sale!   Do your best, and learn current techniques. Keep a long-term perspective. When I was at the FBI it was sometimes like walking around a Night of the Living Dead set.   It was normal to talk about lame stuff, problems, issues, and safe/boring things.   No one was out to over-achieve, or do more than asked.   There was no incentive, and no fear of getting let go.   If you are in a situation like this, which I feel is a direct result of the culture the management creates, either figure out how to cope with it with a long-term perspective, or figure out how to get out before it ruins you.   But dont let it snuff your spirit! Do a great job! No matter what hell you might be going through at work, with no appreciation, etc., as long as you do a great job you can have a clear conscience AND you might be setting yourself up for bigger things.   That rotten manager might be making your life hell right now, but one day, management is going to figure out how to get rid of them, and guess what?   They might just be eyeing you, based on your performance. Realize you are in a job search. We are all in a job search.   Were either actively doing it, or passively doing it (recruiters call people who are not looking passive candidates.).   This is where JibberJobber comes in you should be doing certain things RIGHT NOW whether you are in an active search or not employed, unemployed, unhappily employed, etc.   Taking control of your next job placement, to any degree, should give you a greater peace of mind! What stoopid management stress have you put up with, and how did you deal with it? Managers Are Stoopid And What To Do About It These thoughts come from two specific discussions, and years of pondering, and reading Dilbert (thanks to the B2BBlog for these, you can read their post here) On employee reviews. Last night I was talking to a buddy about his companys annual review process. I remember my annual reviews, where were a joke.   They seemed to be an act, where there was no (or little) substantial feedback from the manager, and the better I did, the more nit-picky they got about what I needed to improve (becauase Dumb Manager 101 says you must help your subordinate to improve, right?).   My friend mentioned that once he had a review and didnt even know it he was told in the subsequent review oh yeah, that was our review. On job search interview techniques. At a job search network meeting we were asked how the training process was for us unemployed souls.   I commented that we were getting armed with a lot of incredible knowledge and techniques, but the people who interviewed us came in significantly less sophisticated than we were (due to preparation).   It was frustrating to be interviewed by someone who seemed to be fumbling in the dark, asking questions they didnt understand (they were reading from some list).   If they didnt get the question, how could they appreciate the answers? Why were these incompetents becoming the gatekeepers to my career future? Definitely a frustrating experience.   In defense of stoopid, incompetent managers throghout the world, Ill claim my own stoopidity.   As a manager I wanted to work with high-speed, low-drag employees who required no handholding.   However, as a judgement error, Im sure I was too hands-off and didnt do my managerial job as well as I should have. So how do we, as CEOs of Me, Inc, deal with this widespread issue? Recognize our place, and what that means. Submitting to this ignorance doesnt mean that we are being ignorant ourselves.   But it might be job-suicide to do what you really want to do.   Put the manager in his/her place.   Go above them and tell the managers boss whats going on (or the president).   Blog about it :p   I dont suggest you just sit there and take it, but I suggest you think about what the consequences might be, and how much you can risk.   Is money not an issue?   Then you can afford to be more bold.   But if you are too dependent on the paycheck and benefits (health insurance, etc.), you better craft a smart strategy. Figure out how to get out without getting out. In my first real job, I had a manager who had a slew of problems.   One time I walked into her cubicle and she was lightly banging her head on the bookshelf whispering I hate my job, I hate my job, over and over.   I was shocked .!   I loved my job, even though I didnt get any management or leadership from her.   Somehow, her boss took me under her wing and I got the mentoring and projects that shaped that learning period for me it was incredible!   There was a little bit of tension between me and my direct boss, as I started to get some awesome projects, but I was definitely in a better place. Prepare anyway. Just because the interviewer isnt sophisticated, or the boss doesnt know how to do an annual review, doesnt mean you can go in like a dunce.   Be prepared, have strong statements, stories and supporting evidence, and be sure you prepare them for a stellar performance.   You arent competing against the boss or decision maker, you are there to make a sale!   Do your best, and learn current techniques. Keep a long-term perspective. When I was at the FBI it was sometimes like walking around a Night of the Living Dead set.   It was normal to talk about lame stuff, problems, issues, and safe/boring things.   No one was out to over-achieve, or do more than asked.   There was no incentive, and no fear of getting let go.   If you are in a situation like this, which I feel is a direct result of the culture the management creates, either figure out how to cope with it with a long-term perspective, or figure out how to get out before it ruins you.   But dont let it snuff your spirit! Do a great job! No matter what hell you might be going through at work, with no appreciation, etc., as long as you do a great job you can have a clear conscience AND you might be setting yourself up for bigger things.   That rotten manager might be making your life hell right now, but one day, management is going to figure out how to get rid of them, and guess what?   They might just be eyeing you, based on your performance. Realize you are in a job search. We are all in a job search.   Were either actively doing it, or passively doing it (recruiters call people who are not looking passive candidates.).   This is where JibberJobber comes in you should be doing certain things RIGHT NOW whether you are in an active search or not employed, unemployed, unhappily employed, etc.   Taking control of your next job placement, to any degree, should give you a greater peace of mind! What stoopid management stress have you put up with, and how did you deal with it?

Can You Put a Value on Virtual Relationships - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Can You Put a Value on Virtual Relationships - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career More and more relationships are being developed online first. Its true for professional networking, as it is for dating. People are connecting with the right people online before they connect offline these days. The reason for this change is the evolution of first impressions, the amount of background information available to us with a click of the mouse, and the use of the web as a people filtering device. People have less time than they did a decade ago, and are much lazier, as well as bombarded with noise, from advertising, to social feeds. We dont want to waste our own time, and we do want to meet people who have mutual interests. Thats why there are Ning networks, forums, Facebook fan pages (and groups), LinkedIn groups, and other special interest communities. Social networks are starting to monetize (Facebook is now valued at $35 billion) because connectivity is the new currency, as well as our life support system when it comes to our careers. How much are your online relationships worth? Some of you might be saying priceless or not so much, but research proves that even one active email contact is worth $948 (IBM/MIT, April 2009). In the online world, email contacts are still worth more than any other types of contacts, such as Twitter followers, Facebook friends fans, LinkedIn contacts, Google Buzz contacts, and blog subscribers. All contacts do have some value, whether they generate revenue for your business, support your job search, or link you to people that can support you in various other ways. Online relationships: From strongest to weakest Email contacts: By far the strongest types of contacts on the web and the most receptive to product/service promotions are email subscribers to your list. A lot of people have email marketing lists, and companies are investing more of their budgets in email marketing (its not a dying breed!), because it coverts the best. On a 20 ExactTarget survey, 54% of marketers said they will boost budgets for email marketing. Its targeted, personal, opt-in, and email is still the primary way people receive information FIRST. When you receive a social network friend request, you get an email. When someone messages you on a social network, you get an email. Your other inboxs on the web are regulate by your email, which is why its the most important. Finally, with email databases, you know who is subscribing to them and you can have fields that people need to fill out before they subscribe, such as location, profession, etc. Blog subscribers: When I think of RSS or email subscribers to a blog, the first word that always comes to mind is loyalty. The value in blog subscribers is that they are receiving every single one of your posts in their own reader, every time you publish (unless they unsubscribe). Another benefit of having blog subscribers is that its easy for them to be part of a public community your blog and for them to share your feed with people in their network. Blog subscribers are content evangelists (or can be). The downside is that you dont know exactly who is subscribing and since the posts are public, they arent as personal as email. LinkedIn contacts: LinkedIn contacts are more valuable than Facebook friends because the network is focused on professional networking. People that add you as a contact on LinkedIn are more apt to do business with you, hire you, etc. Its also much harder to build your LinkedIn database than Facebook or twitter since there are fewer people on LinkedIn (60 million people on LinkedIn versus 475 million combined on Twitter and Facebook). Also, the LinkedIn ecosystem permits you to be introduced to second and third levels of contacts, which can help you further develop a base of people for career purposes. Facebook friends: Typically, your Facebook friends are your real friends that youve shared experiences with for years. Of course, many people challenge friendship on Facebook because a lot of people, like myself, accept all friend requests, without discrimination. People arent, for the most part, looking to Facebook to hire you, but rather to sift those out who present themselves in an unorthodox way. It was built as a social network, and remains to be a place where your social activities are held. Google Buzz contacts: Your Google Buzz contacts tend to be those who are in your Gmail database. Buzz is a Gmail parasite (although that has a negative connotation), so your close contacts will already be there for you. Most people that Ive spoken with are either using Buzz to promote their other social feeds, or to keep in touch and crowd source with their primary network (inner circle). Twitter followers: The least valuable relationships are developed on Twitter because reciprocity isnt mandatory and since most of your tweets wont even be seen by your followers (especially if theyre following thousands of people). You can follow me, but I may not follow back. Although, its a public form of networking, and you can create lasting friendships and make money, I would much rather have ,000 blog subscribers than 0,000 Twitter followers any day. As you can see, your online network is a very powerful force, and the traditional system of marketing to a list has just been replicated throughout all of these distribution systems (YouTube included). Online versus offline relationships Above all types of online relationships, offline ones are still the most powerful and important. Online relationships are great starting points, but youll want to move your most important contacts offline. The human experience, including your five senses (smell, sight, etc), body language, verbal cues, and interpersonal communication, is extremely important. I would rather have four hundred offline friendships than thousands of online ones for this very reason. When it comes to your career, offline relationships convert into opportunities much more than online ones. Although, there are online assessments and phone interviews in the recruitment process, all final round interviews are in-person for this very reason. You could build a false online brand, trick people, convincing them youre someone youre not, but offline you cant. This is not to say that online relationships arent extremely important though. Its impossible for someone to know how large your offline network is, but online its more prevalent and can be observed and critiqued. This is why were being judged based on network size, reach, quality, and activity now, and werent years ago. We are back to high school rules at some level. 5 tips to grow the value of your online network Invest more time and feelings: The more of your time you give to others, the more time theyll give you in return. This means that by investing more in your online relationships, they will become more valuable to you. Have an open door policy: Ive said before that you should accept all friend requests because you never know what doors it could open for you, or how youve touched that person. By having an open door policy, you shouldnt block your social updates and activities. As a result, your online network will grow with haste. Push online contacts offline: Since offline contacts are worth more, youll want to take some of them offline, to enhance the relationship and bring meaning to it. Become one of one: When youre offering the same type of content as thousands of people, you cant stand out, and people wont rely on you for that information. The more people depend on you, the more critical you become to their lives, and thus you have stronger relationships, and more career potential. Develop social proof: When people see that youre popular and influential, they will want to enter your social circle. By using your current network to build a positive perception of social proof, it will be easier for you to grow the value of your overall network. Your turn Have online relationships converted into job opportunities, new business or new friendships for you?

Hostess Cover Letter Sample - Algrim.co

Hostess Cover Letter Sample - Algrim.co Hostess Cover Letter Template Download our cover letter template in Word format. Instant download. No email required. Download Template Related Hiring Resources Hostess Job Description Sample 5+ Best Hostess Interview Questions Answers

3 Ways to Make the Most of Life Outside the Office

3 Ways to Make the Most of Life Outside the Office According to World Bank, the average life expectancy of Americans in 2009 was 78 years old. Given that Americans generally begin working at around 18 and retire at 65, working an average of 40 hours a week during that time, most people in the US spend 14% of their lives working â€" that’s almost 11 years! Now let’s factor in some other life percentages: 33% sleep, 12% school, 1.3% using the bathroom, and sometimes up to 16% watching TV! All totaled the average American, then, only has about 25% of her life to do the things she is passionate about (although you can increase that figure to somewhere around 35% if you cut out TV). What’s the point of all these facts and figures? Just a simple reminder that life is short and time is precious.   We all want to be successful, but sometimes the cost of success is greater than the benefit, especially when it comes to work. The American work-ethic is much more intense than probably anywhere else on the planet.   The terms “workaholic” and “married to my job” probably originated in America, and it’s no surprise why.   We take our work seriously. But what are we doing with the rest of our time? Granted, there are those perversely driven and otherwise demented individuals who work 70+ hours in a week and stop only long enough to breathe, eat, and sleep.   But the majority of us want a break, and wouldn’t work past 5pm no matter what the pay. The irony is that the people who work 70 hours a week are probably happier and feel more fulfilled at the end of the day than people who put in the average 40 hours and then go home, turn on the TV and veg out.   And let’s be honest, after a day’s work, that’s exactly what most of us do â€" turn into vegetables. It’s all too easy to fall into a routine that doesn’t search for enrichment as a working adult.   But you don’t want to one day turn 65 and realize that you never chased those passions of yours because you were too busy working. How can we better use our free time? The answer to that question will be different for everyone, but here are a few suggestions: Start a Business It might sound scary, but there is little in life more satisfying than owning and operating a business, even if it’s only a business on the side, that directly pertains to your passions.   Love to make pottery? Invest in a wheel and sell your bowls and vases on Etsy.   Have a knack for editing? Start networking and offering your services to businesses or local magazines.   The point is, don’t let your talents go to waste. Learn an Instrument It isn’t easy to learn to play an instrument, but it is greatly rewarding no matter how old you are. Of course, some instruments are more expensive than others (pianos can sell upwards of $50,000 depending on the scale), but there are less expensive alternatives to almost any instrument (keyboards, for example) and you can teach yourself from books that are also inexpensive. Take Cooking Classes This can be especially fun if you do it with your husband or wife.   Food is an everyday joy that we often take for granted, but it is very easy to rediscover. Even buying a new cookbook and trying new recipes often sparks conversation and is a great way to spend the evening with loved ones â€" certainly much better than lazing around on the couch and watching the same TV shows over and over. And if cooking doesn’t appeal to you, try to think of something that does: dancing, art, woodworking, jewelry making â€" there’s a class for just about anything if you look. Whatever you do, give yourself permission to be a little demented like those hounds who work 70+ hour weeks.   Fill your life with the things and people that matter, and don’t be distracted by the irrelevant.   Life is short, time is precious, and work, while important, isn’t everything.   Enrich and balance your life! About the Author:    Lauren Bailey  regularly writes for  accredited online colleges.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id:  blauren99 @gmail.com. Image courtesy of Or Hiltch.

How to Write Letters on Resume

How to Write Letters on ResumeHow to write letters on resume? This is a common question for many professionals and anyone who want to be a successful in today's job market. Writing the letters on resume is not as easy as it seems.You need to write the letters carefully so that you can increase your chances of getting a good job and doing your job better. The letters on resume can only show that you are a serious and dedicated person who is ready to work hard. People will hire you because they like your attitude, personality and how you will do your job. Having a good communication is important.Writing the letters on resume will take some time and effort. You must try to match the words you use to the job or the company. If you want to get a job, you need to write something specific about the job.There are two ways to write the letters on resume. The first one is to use words that can be easily understood by people. The second one is to write long and meaningful letters that can be re ad easily and quickly.Writing easy words on resume is important because employers expect this kind of letter. If you write a formal letter with too many technical words, it will sound like a PhD thesis.Do not start a letter with a sentence stating what you have done to get the job. Your resume is not a sales pitch. Try to let your personality shine through instead.It is also important that you do not repeat yourself in your letters. Say what you have done to get the job, and then tell the readers that you have done well to get the job.Knowing how to write the letters on resume can be helpful. Keep in mind that your resume will be your first impression of yourself, so it should be relevant to the job that you are applying for.

My most exciting gig in 2012 - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

My most exciting gig in 2012 - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog I speak at a ton of companies and conferences all over the world, but this is one of the most exciting I have coming up in 2012. Its put on by our good friends at Nixon McInnes and some of the themes are: Organisational design structure Is top-down, command and control fit for the 21st century? 21st century leadership What kind of leaders do the challenges of our time demand, and what is leadership today? Technology disruption What technology themes are imminent and likely to disrupt business as usual? The future of work What do people want from work and what can they expect from progressive businesses? Check out the conference web site here and get your tickets today! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

The Next Job - CareerAlley

The Next Job - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. What I am looking for is not out there, it is in me. Helen Keller Id like to think that the vast majority of us set out to do the best we can in our jobs. Yes, I know there are the ever present slackers in every organization (you know, the people that excel at doing nothing, look busy and take all of the credit for others work), but Im not talking about them. Sometimes things just dont work out, either because we just dont fit or we dont like the work or the company. A co-worker of mine, lets call him Edsel, just had this experience. He was hired for a fairly senior role and was technically qualified but had never done anything like that before. Needless to say, it was not working out. But the company did the right thing by him and offered him another role in the company (rather than just let him go) this does not always happen. But Edsel did not want to take a chance and had already been looking for another job before he was offered the transfer. Needless to say, he soon left the company for greener pastures (I hope) rather than take a chance on this next opportunity. So what is my point? Re-read todays quote. Todays post is about finding the right job. Career Quizzes According to their site Job Quizzes are helpful, free quizzes to help you decide on the perfect job! Take some Job Quizzes before making a decision on a career, they help. You know what they say, there are no guarantees in life and the same holds true for job search. Their main page has a listing of quiz types, like Office Character Test and Is Your Job Sexy (and many more). At the bottom of the page are three lists of related links Career Quizzes, Career Guides and Career Resources. At the very top of the page are similar links plus links for Career Tools and Career Library (plus a few more). Good luck in your quiz! Monster Career Quizzes From the granddaddy of job search comes this one page that offers a number of quizzes Career Quizzes, Readiness Quizzes, Virtual Interviews, and Culture Quizzes. There are a few links below each category with an additional link for more quizzes like this. How to Find the Right Job This article, by employmentspot.com, takes you through some steps to determine what job is right for you. There are related embedded links through out the article and these are strategically placed. There are related links on the left hand side of the page (for job search in general) as well as links on the right hand side of the page. 5 Clues Youre in The Wrong Job or Career 5 clues, from ezinearticles.com, gives some guidance to help you figure out if you are in the wrong job or career. Sometimes it doesnt take 5 clues (many times 1 clue does it), but it is certainly worth the read. There are quite a few links to related articles at the bottom of the page. How to Know What the Right Job is for You The last one, from wikihow.com, stresses how you need to clear about what you are looking for. This 7 step article covers all of the things you need to consider. There are tips at the end of the article followed by related wikihows. The right hand side of the page has additional links as well as featured articles. Good luck in your search.