4 Ways to Say NO! to Your Boss

4 Ways to Say NO! to Your Boss At one point or another, we’ve all been asked to do something for our boss that went beyond the scope of our job, whether it was picking up a personal item from the store or weighing in on a non-work related matter. According to a recent Career Builder  survey, more than one in five workers say that their boss asks them to do things that are unrelated to their job. Some of the most unusual requests they had received included plucking a boss’s unibrow for a photo shoot, “liking” a boss’s Facebook photos, and coaching other employees on how to pass a drug test. Another  survey  of 3,500 workers in Singapore by Job Central found that 40% of workers had been asked to complete tasks that had nothing to do with their job. A few of the bizarre things that these workers had been asked to do included waiting in an illegally parked car to keep an eye out for ticketing officers, and dressing up as Batman for a client meeting. Even if you’ve never been asked to do something quite as “out there” as the above requests, if your boss frequently asks you to do things that really aren’t part of your job, or that you honestly can’t do for whatever reason, it might be time to start putting your foot down. But how do you say “no” to your boss without putting yourself in a precarious position? 1) Learn to say no without actually saying “no”: Saying no to your boss can create an awkward situation at best, and cost you your job at worst, but there are ways to say “no” without actually sounding out that ominous word. Rather than saying “No, I don’t have time for that,” or “No, that’s not my job,” try taking a more tactful approach by explaining your predicament. For instance, saying: “I’d be happy to work on that for you, but I have two deadlines coming up and I don’t think I can do it this week,” works better than an abrupt “I’m too busy,” because you are helping your boss to see what you are up against. 2) Communicate your reasons as clearly as possible: No matter what reasons you have for saying no, it’s important to explain yourself clearly to avoid any misunderstandings. If you’re swamped with other work and simply can’t take on another task, let your boss or manager know that you are open to doing it, but don’t think you’ll be able to give it your full attention. You could even ask for their advice on how to manage your workload and which tasks they feel should be prioritised. If you feel uncomfortable with something you are asked to do, either because it could get you into trouble, is too personal or goes against your integrity, explain yourself, but keep it short and sweet. A simple explanation like “I don’t really feel comfortable doing that because…” or “Please don’t ask me to do this because…” will usually suffice, and your boss will likely be more mindful of your boundaries in the future. 3) Suggest an alternative: The best way to tackle an unreasonable request is to come up with a solution that will meet everyone’s needs, and also demonstrate your willingness to help. For example, if you are asked to work through the weekend, but have already made prior arrangements; explain your predicament and offer to talk to some of your colleagues to see if anyone can step in for you. Or if you’re asked to do something that is unrelated to your job or are given a project you don’t feel qualified to take on, you can politely suggest they speak to another person who might be more suitable for the task. For instance: “I don’t have much experience with X, but I know that Jim has worked on similar projects in the past,” will come across much better than just; “I don’t know how to do that.” 4) Always frame your response thoughtfully: How you respond is just as important as what you are actually saying. Pay attention to your tone of voice and don’t let your emotions get the better of you when voicing your hesitations. If you find yourself caught off guard by a request from your boss, take a minute to compose yourself and formulate an appropriate response, or if necessary, ask if you can have a moment to think about it. There’s a  good  chance that your boss simply doesn’t realize how much you have on your plate, so your first reaction should never be one of anger or frustration, even if that’s how you’re feeling at the time. Author: Marianne Stenger is a writer with  opencolleges.edu.au. She covers career development and educational research. You can connect with her on  Twitter.

Words For Resume and Cover Letters

Words For Resume and Cover LettersYour resume and cover letter should be written according to the demands of the job opening. You will need to focus on the primary purpose for which you want to apply for the job. For example, if you want to apply for a job as a sales executive, your resume and cover letter should not include information about how your best day ever was while driving a taxi.On the other hand, if you want to apply for a job as a marketing director, you need to include specific details about your previous job or experience. For example, if you wanted to join the marketing department of a retail company, your resume and cover letter would have to contain information about how you worked with customer satisfaction, commitment, teamwork, and organization. In addition, you should emphasize that you have had the chance to work with most of the department managers. You should never use words like, 'built relationships with my colleagues'enjoyed all the opportunity to make the clients satisfied'.Although it is true that some employers might think that everyone who applies has good qualifications, most of them still need to have good candidates that can fill the vacancy for a few hours. Therefore, the only people who will get the interviews are those who are good with words. Here are some words for resume and cover letters:The first key point to remember when you have to use words for resume and cover letters is to provide concrete details. If you are applying for a sales job, you can say something like: 'I would like to apply for a position as a Sales Manager position'. However, if you are applying for a marketing director position, you have to say something like: 'I would like to apply for a position as Marketing Director position'.This means that the details should always be positive to the point that the prospective employer can easily relate them to the particular vacancy. By using words like 'I would like to apply' instead of 'I am applying', you wi ll be able to give more information to the employer about the specific vacancy.The second important thing that you should do is to include a summary of your qualifications and skills. A good summary of your skills is your strongest points. By having a summary of your skills, you will be able to convince the prospective employer to accept your application.Your prospective employer might be too busy to read everything that you have written in your resume. Therefore, you should show him how you can use words for resume and cover letters to emphasize your strong points.Being a good candidate takes many efforts. Thus, you need to start now to improve your skills by practicing your writing. After all, you can not change something if you do not practice.

Build Authority for Your Personal Brand with Book Publishing - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Build Authority for Your Personal Brand with Book Publishing - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Establishing credibility for your personal brand begins with great content. The next natural step to showcase your expertise is a published book. Writing and marketing are just the first steps, and you want to ensure that all of your time and effort gets the most visibility. A personal brand’s reputation online is build through a unique voice. Your message and knowledge can open the doors to more opportunities. The path to publishing success involves a well laid out plan, a professional design and precise editing. A great book is built on authority, and answers the pressing questions of your target market. How can your brand make book publishing work for you? Through a thoughtful content marketing strategy on your blog, which leads to a culmination of ideas that can be shared in a book or series of books. A brand with a compelling topic will certainly get noticed along with a professional website and smart marketing plan. In order to be effective there are a few key strategies to line up first. How to attract readers for your book There are several ways to create visibility for your brand’s next publication. • Provide high-value information How responsive are your readers to your content? Do they find it helpful or are they moving on? Fresh insights that give your readers something they can apply will pave the way to compel them to make a purchase and spread the word about your book. • Reach out to your existing network Before your brand’s book release reach out to your current customers and contacts. These include your email lists, LinkedIn network, social media groups, ect. Offline events are also a good way to connect with those in your industry to let them know what to expect and how to find your business online. • Build an audience through video Live streaming and webinars have created a lot of opportunities for brands to draw in an entirely new audience. By hosting helpful and interesting online shows you can learn more about what your readers and looking for and lead them into your publication announcement without directly selling to them. Reach out to influencers in your industry for their feedback and participation in interviews for a stronger reach. Taking the time to establish your brand as a go-to resource is the building block foundation that can lead up to a successful book publication. Consider both printing and eBook publishing, which attracts more journalists and offline vendors, as well as creating a free report that can tie into your book. Once your book has been published get ready to experience more visibility and leads for your business.

Is there such a thing as too much career planning

Is there such a thing as too much career planning There is a kind of student who can tell you with uncanny conviction exactly how far their career will have progressed by any date in the future. This may be towards their ultimate aim of becoming something like the CEO of a multi-national or a partner in an internationally respected law firm. Should we admire them? Or should we pity them? If you know where you are heading for, you are much more likely to get there. There are advantages to having a career plan. There is that typical interview question which suggests that some career planning is a good idea. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?  It’s an important question and if you are effectively prepared for an interview you will have thought of a convincing answer. Employers have several reasons for asking the question. A good answer will demonstrate that you have taken enough time to research the job sector and organisation to know what the options might be, and have enough self-awareness to know how they might relate to you. But nobody will appear at your desk five years from the day you started with the organisation saying: ‘Smith! This is not where you told us you would be!’ Even if your name happens to be Smith. They are interested in your ideas for the future; they are not expecting you to be able to predict it. So having a good idea of your future possibilities is certainly to your benefit. And there are some students who are so effective at making long-term plans that things do work out as they had hoped. I would suggest however that a better approach is to have a clear sense of direction, but flexibility about how to get there. Do you have a good idea of what strengths and skills you have and would like to use, what you want to get out of work and what else is important to you personally? This is likely to be enough to get started on a career and to develop it. A very rigid career plan is not always a good idea. There is a risk to being too picky when seeking to start a career Of course it is not a good idea to apply randomly for anything employers usually recognise and reject this kind of application immediately. But neither is it a good idea to have narrowed down the only thing that is suitable for you to a single position in a single organisation. There is a happy medium: to know your abilities, skills, values and so on well enough to be able to make well-reasoned applications to a range of opportunities. You may find that something is not what you thought it was. I am thinking of someone I know who found after quite a long period of training that an area of work was not going to give any of the enjoyment he thought it would. At the time, it was a horrible discovery to make. Fortunately he recognised the value of an alternative that came his way by chance, which used some of his training in a different context.  He has been in that job, which he loves, for several years. A rigid five year plan would not have helped much here. Your experience in your early career will help you to decide what happens next. Here’s another real example: I met an alumni working for Teach First who had joined this programme with the aim of developing leadership skills and to give something back, just for a couple of years before using the skills gained to go into business. But, unexpectedly, he got such a buzz for teaching that five or six years later he had no intention of doing anything else. It’s not that unusual for external circumstances to remain relatively constant over five years; but it’s not especially remarkable for the opposite to happen. Adjusting your career plans to take account of these things may take you off in an unexpected direction. This could be a positive thing or it could be difficult â€" but here too, a five year plan that is not flexible could end up making things more difficult than perhaps they need to be. The job market will change The speed of change can be scary. If we don’t keep our skills up to date we may find ourselves with a set of skills which nobody wants any longer, like the father in the Rolling Stones song who is ‘still perfecting ways of making sealing wax.’ (I know, some of us have failed to keep up with changes in popular music). But the speed of change is exciting too although you can’t do a job that hasn’t been invented yet, if you’re open-minded and keep learning you may find that it is the next opportunity for you when it is. Be flexible You are less likely to miss the interesting diversions along the way, the ‘I never expected to be here but I’m so glad I am’ moments. You are more likely to notice if the destination you had in mind is changing so much that by the time you get there it won’t be what you had originally hoped. Your version of yourself will adapt, but not shatter, if unexpected situations are thrown in your path. Career plans? Yes, highly recommended. Even more highly recommended are career plans which are flexible and which acknowledge (and perhaps even celebrate) the fact that things will change unexpectedly.

How to Write a Resume Reference Page

How to Write a Resume Reference PageYou can enhance your resume by including a reference page. Having a resource box attached to your resume or an attached resume statement can be very helpful in getting your own resume read. Having a resume reference page on your resume is not mandatory but it does increase the chances of your resume getting read. If you are having trouble writing your resume then this is the best way to get started.In this article I will share with you some tips on how to write a resume reference page for you by using a professional resume writer. They may charge a few extra dollars but they are going to save you time and effort and will give you a professionally written resume that your application is going to stand out from the rest.You can include a reference page on your resume as long as it is relevant to the job. Your resume needs to be informative but you do not want it to be too long either. You need to have a proper balance between information and length. You also need to consider how much information you have to offer. A lot of people add more information than needed, which makes the information appear unnecessary and can cause an applicant to lose out on a job offer.Your resume reference page should contain facts and information regarding a specific position that you were interviewed for. It is best to use a professional writer to do this for you because they have the right experience and expertise to make sure that your resume is accurate and it gets read correctly. Just remember that you should focus on the most important facts that relate to the job you were interviewing for.When you use a professional resume writer you also get tips on what to say and when to say it. They are able to adjust the content of your resume accordingly so that you do not appear too long or boring.Your resume reference page must be easy to read and concise in order to make sure that it gets read. Your resume may only consist of one page of your contact information but it is your first impression so be sure that you do not leave anything out.A professional writer can add the right amount of information to your resume reference page for you. Most of the time the information is useful but at times the resume information is not relevant to the job. There are also times when you do not need all the information at once and the writer can eliminate some of it.A resume reference page can be a simple word document and as long as you keep it short and clear then you are going to have success. A resume reference page is just a tool that you can use to promote yourself and get hired. If you think about it, that is why you are applying for the job in the first place.

Interview Series - Career Experts - Janet Scarborough Civitelli from Vocation Village CareerMetis.com

Interview Series - Career Experts - Janet Scarborough Civitelli from Vocation Village In this interview series, we caught up with Janet Scarborough Civitelli from VocationVillage.comwho shares her expertise and insights about job search, career change, etc. in today’s marketplace.Tell us a little bit about your companyevalI’m a workplace psychologist and career coach. I help clients to choose, change, or advance their careers.How did you get started in this path?I was working in the tech industry and in my role doing recruiting, I felt muzzled by the company lawyers about how much feedback I could give job applicants and interviewees.My inclination was to be candid but I wasn’t allowed to be. I started doing volunteer work helping job seekers because in that role, I could be more transparent.Eventually, I decided to focus full-time on psychology and career coaching. I still work quite a bit with people in the tech industry so those early years were a good foundation.Is this something you decided early on in your career?After I did some volunteer career coaching, I was hired to teach career development through a continuing education program at The University of Texas at Austin.I wanted more formal education so I completed a master’s degree in counselor education specializing in career development.I met students from the doctoral program and they were doing interesting things so I decided to stay and finish a Ph.D. in counseling psychology.At some point, I met a psychologist who specialized in helping people with work-related challenges and he encouraged me to make this my specialty, too. It has been a good fit.What is the Best Career Advice You’ve ever received?Get comfortable with navigating change. Everything changes: you will change, your work environment will change, and the economy will change around you.If you determine your guiding principles for what you want for your career and your life, it will be much easier to stay true to your vision and values even when circumstances and situations are fluid.evalWhat is the most exciting part of working in thisindustry?Freud supposedly said that love and work are the two most important parts of life. I agree.We spend so many hours at our jobs and work satisfaction is a significant part of overall life satisfaction, so I enjoy helping people optimize this area.How do to stay abreast of the industry as an expert?Reading is my superpower.I read everything from books to magazines to blogs.I also talk to a lot of people every week, especially people who work in tech because that’s the primary industry in which I coach.What are some of the things that you see job seekers struggle with the most?All the contradictory career advice online really undermines people’s ability to feel centered and focused about the strategies to employ.There is information everywhere but often it is difficult to know how to apply it effectively.What are the common mistakes that you see them do?Giving up is the surest way to fail. Also, it is a psychological trap to focus on what you perceive are your weaknesses and to conclude that the obstacles are impossible to overcome.No matter who you are, someone will say something critical, whether it is because you are too young, too old, lack a college degree, have too many college degrees, are inexperienced or very experienced, are too “in the box” or too creative, etc.I support clients to embrace who they are and find the jobs or self-employment options that are a match for their unique selves.How should job seekers approach job search today?It depends on the job seeker’s strengths and personality.I read advice telling people that it is a waste of time to apply online but for some of my clients, an online job search is extremely effective because of the skills they offer and their writing ability to convey what they can do.For other people, connecting through conversations is the best approach.What is the biggest trend(s) you see that job seekers will face in the next 2-3 years?AI is going to be huge.It is already diff icult to get good feedback from recruiters and hiring managers and it will be doubly so when the interviewing is done by robots.What is one advice you would give someone just out of college today?Ideally, don’t graduate until you have built some marketable skills and relationships. But it is never too late.Good grades alone are not sufficient to lead to a fulfilling career so make sure you don’t make achieving a perfect GPA the sole focus.What is one advice you would give someone who is switching careers?As soon as you can, find a way to become part of the community associated with the new career, whether via an online group or a professional association or a job that is peripherally related.People naturally help people who share common interests. This approach is so much easier than trying to break in to a new career from the outside.How should job seekers get the most out of LinkedIn?Job seekers are often tempted to ignore LinkedIn because it can seem overwhelming to use it ef fectively, but taking a class that might take only one hour could possibly make all the difference in your successful job search.If you live in the United States, you can probably access LinkedIn Learning for free through the public library. In many geographic locations, a library card enables you to log in from home and complete classes online. A class can show you how to keyword optimize your profile, how to search for jobs, how to apply, and how to respond effectively when a recruiter or hiring manager reaches out.These are all valuable job search skills and worth the time to learn.You can also hire someone like me to partner with you and complete the work together.Unemployment is at the lowest levels, why do you think that is?Unemployment might be low but underemployment and job insecurity are high. U.S. employment practices in many states are not pro-employee so there is a lot of stress.Some of this can be reduced by enhancing one’s marketability and some of it needs to be ad dressed at a systemic level.What is the biggest trend(s) you see that hiring managers will face in the next 2-3 years?People want to do work that matters.You can’t just throw money and good benefits at the most talented people and think that’s enough. They want purpose and meaning, too.Workplace flexibility is extremely important to most good employees, too.If an employer doesn’t offer these things, another employer will, so recruitment and retention will be challenging for employers who don’t understand this.Janet, what are you currently working on?I’m writing a book about job interviewing because despite the huge amount of online career advice on this topic, I still want to create a resource that shares everything I’ve learned that can help job seekers land job offers and choose the best ones for their unique goals and values.What are the best resources you recommend to job seekers?It totally depends on their industry and career focus.Joining professional associations is a good way to find the best resources for the career path you want.What is the best way for our audience to reach you?Via my websiteConnect with or Follow Janet Scarborough Civitelli on Social Media:LinkedInTwitterJanet Scarborough Civitelli and VocationVillage.comhave also been featured in our recent compilation of the most resourceful career experts and career blogs â€" Top Career Advice Websites.

Prison food - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Prison food - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog An article in The Economist talks about an experiment in which inmates in a british prison were given extra vitamins, minerals and fatty oils. Bernard Gesch, a researcher at Oxford University, wanted to see if bringing inmates consumption of various vitamins, minerals and fatty acids (the stuff found in fish oil) up to recommended daily levels would affect their behaviour Half of the offenders received daily nutritional supplements, and the rest placebo pills. The two groups included a comparable mix of anxious, depressed and aggressive individuals. Their antisocial antics?ranging from violent assaults to swearing at the guards?were recorded before and during the experiment. The results, published in the July issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, are striking. Those on supplements committed 25% fewer offences than those taking placebos. Moreover, with at least two weeks ?treatment?, inmates receiving supplements committed 35% fewer offences than before starting the trial, compared with a 7% reduction in those taking placebos. Well, duh! Of course it matters what you eat. Of course you get cranky if your body isnt functioning optimally, because your diet is wrong. I had the pleasure of visiting Denmarks biggest prison a few months ago to talk about happiness at work with the prison guards, and I saw the food they served there: Awful! Were talking old school, meat and gravy style food for both the prisoners and the guards. Im certain that the conditions could be improved all around with something as simple as better food. 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

Career and Stress

Career and Stress ** Found this very interesting and true, here is an excerpt from an article called: A CAREER KILLER CALLED STRESS According to the Globe and Mail article, A career killer called stress by Wallace Immen, Almost one in four Canadians believes stress has kept them from moving ahead at work, a study finds. A survey sponsored by Toronto-based Multi-Health Systems Inc., and conducted by Leger Marketing has found that one in four Canadians believes stress has kept them from moving ahead at work. Quoted in the article, Dr. Steven Stein, stated, People have longed talked about the effects of stress on our physical and emotional well-being, but the study shows it can not only make work difficult and less satisfying, it can also literally impede a career. Further, the poll found that almost one in four 22 percent of Canadians believes stress has kept them from moving ahead in their organization, 30 percent say it has prevented them from being recognized for their contribution at work. Among the factors behind those numbers: 56 percent of the 1,729 office workers surveyed said they feel that stress regularly prevents them from being as productive as they would like; 52 percent said it negatively affects their relationships with co-workers; and 51 percent said it cuts down their decision-making ability. Over all, 82 percent of respondents said they experience stress in their work and home life, and 41 per cent said it is frequent. This leads to a wide range of career-dampening problems: Physical symptoms: Respondents blamed regular headaches, indigestion, constipation, fatigue and insomnia on stress. Psychological problems: Anxiety, defensiveness, irritability or anger toward co-workers or family and feelings of being helpless were also blamed on stress. Behavioral traits: Impatience, procrastination, temper, withdrawal or a reluctance to take on more responsibility came with the stress territory. However, all does not have to be lost to stress. Career experts say that if you get more in tune with your natural inclinations of style and approach to work, your job will naturally become less stressful for you and that will clear a path for advancement. You can read the full article at: https://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=fg5didcab.0.hhdsidcab.erbwnvn6.927ts=S0265p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FLAC.20070801.STRESS01%2FTPStory%2F%2F%3FpageRequested%3D1