Tag Archives: working

5 ways to make insomnia work for your career

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Insomnia and I are well acquainted, though I would never call him a friend.

We spend so much time together that I don’t even offer him a beer when he shows up. I just grab my laptop and a glass of water or warm milk and get to work. Or sometimes I pick up a book and read while he’s hanging around.

A while ago, I wrote about some smart career moves when you cannot sleep, including an update to your success file to document your accomplishments. With another spell of sleeplessness, I decided to consider how else to use the hours between midnight and 6 a.m. to your professional advantage. (And please remember I’m writing for those who are not  aspiring to become bakers, night watchmen or ahem, ladies of the evening.)

Here then are some ideas I came up with on one sleepless night for energizing your career:

  1.  Get ahead. Everyone has some projects that they can work ahead on. So dive in. Or go after a few loose ends on your to do list, so you can feel like you’re accomplishing something and ahead tomorrow when your energies may be lagging.
  2. Request an endorsement on LinkedIn.  Go beyond your boss to add depth. A client, a co-worker, someone you just helped out of a jam. Or if you’d rather, see who you could add to your network there. Strength in numbers.
  3. Perk up your profiles.  Freshen up your Flickr or Facebook timeline; say something new and sweeter on Twitter. Add to your Google+ and Quora and other social media profiles so they feel relevant and current and engaging, not staid or stale.
  4. Review those meeting notes. If you’ve put them off because your’e too busy, take 15 minutes to see what you promised to tackle – and note the tasks on your to do list and calendar. Or if they’re small assignments, get them done on the spot before you return to your pillow.
  5.  Check job postings. Look at your company’s openings first, then go to your industry trade association to see what’s available. Even if you’re not ready to move, it is worthwhile to review what’s out there – and what skills are in demand. Plus you may see an opening for a friend, and that’s a great way to be supportive and strengthen your connections.
 Of course, you also can follow my lead and write a 3 p.m. blog post – or cough up a couple of comments to bloggers you like and respect. Write it immediately. But unless it’s something small and plain vanilla in the comments, make it a draft, put it away, and reread  when you’re not sleep deprived. That way, neither the post nor the comments will give you or any readers a nightmare!
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5 career and leadership lessons from Rise of Planet of the Apes

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Very few of us spend our days in a pharmaceutical research laboratory watching the reactions of chimps and apes for clues whether a wonder drug could cure Alzheimer’s. Fewer still end up taking home a super-intelligent young simian, as the scientist and co-star does in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Yes, this new movie by director Rupert Wyatt is science fiction and it’s far afield from our 9 to 5 experiences. Yet it contains lessons that may apply in most workplaces, and for anyone who’s eager to shine or move into a leadership role.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes offers some cautions on bending and breaking rules, both ethical and safety, and some insights on managing your ideas and team. Here’s five that I observed after seeing this film over the weekend:

  1. Sell your ideas with confidence. Scientist Will Rodman makes bold assertions to investors about his first big drug, called AOZ-112. He gives them an enthusiastic endorsement of its potential – though it had barely been tested. He also masterfully convinced his success-driven CEO to test a second compound later in the film. Perhaps to sway him more effectively, Rodman, played by James Franco, delays sharing a crucial detail – the drug may make you smarter and more capable, not just reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s. It’s not clear how much time he spent practicing before the investor meeting, but I’m betting he received some coaching. The lesson: Prepare to pitch your ideas, and hone your sales skills.
  2. Prepare for surprises. While you may never experience an angry ape breaking into your business presentation, you could suffer through many lesser disruptions and interruptions. Your laptop may freeze up; your assistant could be ill; a key decision-maker may run late or may be full of surprisingly tough questions. Anticipate what you’ll do in a variety of “surprise scenarios” and you’ll come off as polished and prepared, for almost anything. You may even want to develop an alternate script in case there’s a major problem or glitch.
  3. Know your moment to lead. Caesar, the super-smart ape, mostly seems content to live with Rodman, though he clearly grows more restless and eager to understand the world as he grows up. Once he is imprisoned for attacking a difficult neighbor, he unleashes his leadership abilities. He wants to escape – and bring along the other primates who are badly treated and bored. He enlists the biggest gorilla there and gradually develops a plan and a following. You may never lead such a dramatic escape but you can show leadership in tough times or when others waver. And you can seize on opportunities to take charge and offer valuable direction. To do this well, though, you must win the confidence of your peers beforehand.
  4. Move toward clear goals. Rodman wanted to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s, or a drug that would counteract its effects. Caesar wanted to create a home for himself and the other apes amid the redwoods where they could be free. They started with on a clear end in mind and stayed true to the goal – even when the scientist’s lab was disbanded and his project labeled a failure and even when Caesar was offered the chance to return to his human home. That make it or else mindset can prove powerful in achieving career successes – especially if you gain your boss’ backing on your goals.
  5. Beware of blurred boundaries. When the lines between work and family and your life become too blurred you may never find a peaceful moment. Or you could lose your objectivity or your ability to draw distinctions between personal and professional pursuits, as the scientist seemed to. This can lead to problems including ethical lapses and lost credibility. In the movie, Rodman ended up helping himself to the experimental drug because he believed it could help his father. He kept conducting research from home without approval of his bosses – and that could have cost him his job and his credentials. In today’s complex, overlapping world, it’s important to have clear ethical standards – and a personal rules that give you space for a personal life unfettered by work or career. Even if you integrate work and life seamlessly, sometimes you need boundaries and limits on each.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes captured my attention for its mix of humanity and technology, surprise, planning, action – and workplace dilemma and lessons.  What lessons did you pick up from it? What did you think of it?

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Dog-gone: Will your dog wag or bite your brand?

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If you’re a dog lover and want to bring your canine into the cubicle Friday for Take Our Dogs to Work Day, take a few minutes to consider the cost to your career – and co-worker collaboration.

At the risk of sounding like a draconian dog diss-er, I am suggesting that some dogs should stay home – and some workplaces are just not welcoming to dogs, no matter how sweet and well mannered she is. Of course, this does not apply to people who work in a small office of animal lovers, or in a place where dogs or cats already roam freely. They may want to make sure their office cat gets along with dogs before your Cleo arrives with her boundless energy and enthusiasm.

But the rest of us may need to consider carefully what our dog – and her possible missteps or manic behavior at the office – will say about us, and how her habit of nosing through trash may be perceived by those who don’t love dogs.  What does Penny’s zeal to jump up repeatedly say about you? How will her oversize wagging tail and propensity to bark at strange men seem in your office, where – ahem – your boss and some colleagues could be seen as strange men?

Ask yourself how well socialized your dog is and what your boss thinks of animals. How many cat lovers are there? And how many people who just want the office to be uninterrupted by outsiders – no matter how friendly and doe-eyed they are? How much work you have to finish on Friday? What will Dannie do – sleep quietly while you toil?

What’s the potential cost to your professional reputation to have your dog at work with you? How does that compare to the potential gains?

Before you start muttering dog-hater or grump at me, consider that my dog, Dannie, sleeps or chews bones or tennis balls beside me most days when I work from home. (She’s even come along a time or two to my Italian ice cart.) I know many of the advantages of dogs at work – - and like to see them there. They can make staff more productive, less stressed and more willing to work long hours. An Inc. – Business Insider piece also shows how they foster camaraderie and productivity.

Some dogs become a magnet and a mascot of sorts. At Augusta Physical Therapy in Staunton, VA, Hattie, the golden retriever, serves as the greeter, saying hello and giving patients a reason to chat when they first arrive. The 12-year-old dog has been coming to the office with owner Jacque Walters regularly since 2004 – except on the busiest days or when there’s special activities and she stays home. When a rare patient doesn’t like dogs or is nervous about them, Hattie retreats to a back room.

People come to the office because it’s dog-friendly, and a few even bring in their dogs during their treatments.  “People miss her when she’s not here,” said Walters, who’s vice president of administration. (I love stories like this and would love to hear more about your office dogs and what they foster in your workplace.)

Despite such successes with laid-back dogs like Hattie, we know dogs don’t fit into many work settings – especially the pristine or very regimented ones. Remember too that many commercial and business leases do not allow animals in offices, unless they’re service dogs. My Washington Post Capital Business piece tells of some dog-gone workplaces where the animals were sent home.

Badly-trained dogs could lead to trouble – disruptions, destruction, even a bite! – and undermine your colleagues’ trust and collaboration if you aren’t careful. If you’re a manager and yet your dog won’t follow basic commands, what does that say about your ability to train and lead? If your dog is high strung or needs lots of outdoor time, can you afford to disappear two or three time on Friday? Hire ire a dog walker for an hour or so; no it is not fair to ask the office administrator to add that to her to-do list.

If you’re not sure how well your dog will do at the office, especially if there’s other pooches around, bring her photo in  – or show a short video of her chasing a squirrel or a ball. Or bring her in to say hello on another day – when you aren’t expected to work a full eight hours.

If you’re determined to bring in Penny for Take Our Dogs to Work Day, make sure you’ve made good arrangements, and packed an extra bone. Check out “Seven rules for success” from the sponsors of Take Your Dog to Work Day. And by all means, find out how many other dogs are coming along too – unless your company sells doggy accessories, don’t turn your conference room into a dog park.

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Bike to work: Take along safety, a snack – and some deodorant

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I’m getting ready to bike to work again occasionally, and I’m stocking up on deodorant and nuts – and some extra water bottles.
My bike to work commute started a few summers ago when I was teaching classes on the University of Michigan campus across town. The class focused on business and the economy just as the economy was sinking like a stone hurtled into Lake St. Clair. My ride to the classroom also had a steep incline, and in the June and July heat, I often arrived sweaty and red-faced.
So I quickly learned to pack a clean-up kit -  deodorant, a spritzer of cologne and a comb – and head to the ladies’ bathroom for a fast sink splash off. I’d make sure my laptop was far from the sink as I washed and wiped and cooled down.
Now as national Bike to Work Week approaches on May 16 – 20,  I’m thinking about resuming my bicycle commute at least for a bit.  When working from home, I guess I’ll bicycle around the block and end up back where I came from. On the other days, I’ll pedal seven miles into town – and decide later whether to jump on the bus for the return.
Overall, 534,896 people across the United States say they rode their bikes to work in 2005, up from the 488,497 in the 2000 Census. That’s twice as many people biking as riding a motorcycle to their job, but it’s still way below the 3.3 million who said they walk to their jobs, according to the U.S. Census.  The numbers are likely to rise right now because of higher gasoline prices and a need to live more frugally. Bicycling not only can help lower your blood pressure and reduce your stress levels it also costs a lot less than car or bus commuting.

When I wrote a piece for the Washington Post Capital Business about the joys and complications of bicycling to work around the Beltway, two of the big advantages are the exercise and wildlife bikers experience. “Beaver, kingfisher, wildlife — you see that while everyone else is honking at each other. I think I have the best deal going,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture economist Carol Goodloe, who’s biked to work for 30 plus years.
Hot weather and humidity aren’t a barrier. What may slow people down is reluctance to start or their fear of getting injured while riding. So Goodloe and others suggest you learn the rules of the road – including local bike ordinances. “Be very safety conscious. Ring your bell when you pass. Always look over your shoulder,” said Goodloe. And if you’re on a heavily traveled road or bike path, try to avoid the busiest hours when bike and auto traffic can make the commute more stressful.
Here’s my three tips for those who want to start bicycling to work:

  1. Figure out your arrival and gear. Know where you’re going to stash your bike and where you will head to wash off the sweat. Carve out a space for your biking gear – including those extra water or juice bottles you will want and a change of clothing or at least a fresh shirt or blouse for the really warm days. Give yourself 10 minutes after arriving for these tasks and also to change clothes if you work in a place where you must wear a suit.
  2. Find a bicycling buddy or two. Connect with someone who’s earned their bicycle stripes, and can give you some insights and ideas. Or join a bicycle club – there are thousands, those that offer leisurely Sunday afternoon rides and those that challenge you to climb steep mountains on a bike. You could also find camaraderie by signing on for a 50- or 100-mile charity ride team (though make sure you do that soon so you’re in shape for the trip).
  3. Handle hunger and hydration. Depending on the length of your commute, you may feel hungry once you arrive. So make sure you have some dried nuts or fresh fruit to nosh on at your desk. Stock up on cC\ereal or granola bars, energy bars and other healthy energy boosts. And drink up too. In the summer months you may need two or more bottles of water to dehydrate appropriately.

Tell me about your bike to work trip and tips. What works for you?
Happy, safe biking!

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More signs the job market is warming up

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Even in a spring as full of gray chilly days with snow and sleet as this has been, eventually the tulips bloom and we start planting carrots, oregano and pepper plants. The U.S. job market may also be warming up nicely, with  268,000 jobs created by private-sector employers in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s the highest since 2006.

The report Friday had other encouraging news too: More than 200,000 long-term jobless found work or consulting projects, or were otherwise not counted as unemployed. And every sector, except government and temporary employment, added jobs last month, with retail, manufacturing and health care showing especial strength in hiring.

Two months ago, in a blog post for Glassdoor.com, I listed seven signs of spring  in the job market, including some BLS numbers and hiring by small businesses for 12 months. Lately, more green is showing up in the hiring fields – and more flowers are preparing to bloom. So with hopes that my optimism will ring true in the months ahead, here then are seven more signs of growth in hiring:

  1. Companies are recruiting more HR people. Human resources job penings increased 34 percent in the last year, same gain as health care, according to Indeed’s blog. Companies hire HR people when they need help with recruiting or retaining talent.
  2. Some areas experience labor shortages. Recruiters say it is increasingly difficult to find well qualified candidates, according to the latest Society of Human Resource Executives LINE survey. In IT security, database administration and nurse practitioner openings, there are more jobs than job-seekers, according to CareerBuilder. The two-to-one ratio of jobs for candidate is a standout.
  3. The number of quitters has inched up. The proportion of job leavers now is higher than the laid-off, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This is a big shift, and indicates people are confident they have other work options.
  4. Hiring on college campuses has increased. This year, 42 percent of college seniors who had looked for work has received a job offer by graduation, up from 38 percent last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. More seniors also were saying no to offers, holding out for something better or more appropriate.
  5. Metro unemployment rates keep declining. More cities are adding jobs, according to the BLS. And Indeed reports that 15 metro areas – from New York to Milwaukee to San Francisco – have one job for every candidate, meaning much less competition to land the opening you seek than a year or two ago.
  6. Job openings are more plentiful. SimplyHired experienced a 33.9 percent increase in postings in the year ended in April, CareerBuilder’s job listings rose 23 percent as companies hire staff “in nearly every role.” These openings will mean more hiring in coming months.
  7. Innovation seems to be increasing. Some jobs available today didn’t exist two years ago, and some  companies  hiring hundreds of people didn’t either. Think Etsy and Groupon and all those app makers. Think filmmakers for YouTube. Think about hiring on or creating another Google or Netflix in your city. Consider the virtual internships and start-ups showing up not just in Silicon Valley but in Saline, Mich., and Southern Georgia.

To be sure, there are concerns that could freeze some green shoots of hiring. High oil and gas prices are cutting hiring in the travel sector, SimplyHired reported. Initial jobless claims are rising, and many companies are sitting on the sidelines of hiring, or adding jobs outside the United States.  State and local governments continue to shed jobs and some are in danger of insolvency. We still have 13.7 million Americans out of work, and at current levels of hiring, it could take another five years to reach pre-recession unemployment levels, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Yet the pace of hiring is picking up – in the last three months it has averaged 233,000 jobs a month, double the rate of the previous three, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Small companies are being established and bringing on friends or part-timers to grow. Corporate profits are strong and many individuals have learned to grow gardens or their own jobs.

Call me an optimist, if you like, but the employment tulips have shown up in bright red and yellow and soon career roses and broccoli will bloom again – in the yards and lives of many.

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Oscar-winning careers seen in The King’s Speech and other films

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The 83rd Academy Award-winning movies gave us a look into many career paths – from the entrepreneur’s highs and lows of The Social Network to the competition and beauty of a professional dancer in Black Swan. We met “independent security consultants” in True Grit, investment bankers and rogue financiers in the documentary Inside Job and some strange virtual reality workers in Inception.
The biggest winner, The King’s Speech, brings us the most intimate look at the career of a speech coach. The movie tells the story of Lionel Logue, helped Prince Albert overcome his fear of public speaking and his stutter as he ascended to become King George VI just as World War II begins. The movie won four Oscars.

The King’s teacher, played by actor Geoffrey Rush, didn’t have the credentials or training to work as a modern-day speech pathologist. His background  as an actor and elocution instructor, aided war veterans in Australia left with impaired speech and trouble breathing. Today, most speech pathologists have a master’s degree, and 47 U.S. states require a license and ongoing educational attainment.
Some 119,300 people work as U.S.-based speech-language pathologists, half of them in educational settings, and their career prospects are growing faster than average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. Their median salary was $62,930, though the highest 10 percent earned more than $99,000 a year. Those who work in nursing homes earned the highest median, $79,120, while those in elementary schools had paychecks – and work times – that were considerably smaller ($58,140).

Other careers brought to life in The King’s Speech include:

  • Radio announcer. So they don’t use those big circular microphones any more and they hardly ever get to cover royalty at a factory opening. But the BBC employs hundreds of announcers and news staff, and in the United States another 51,000 or so work as radio or television announcers, according to the the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Like many jobs in the entertainment – media fields, competition is keen, even for those who specialize – in sports coverage or by genre of music. Pay sounds low too – the median is $27,520, and some start at minimum wage.
  • Military officers. The King saw himself as a naval officer, not an heir to the throne. Today’s military has an array of jobs that its officers could hold, from managing supplies to training recruits to leading platoons.  An estimated 232,000 military officers serve in the four U.S. military branches, one-third of them with the Army, according to federal figures. The jobs, of course, pose serious hazards, during the King’s era and in ours.
  • Nanny. Whenever you saw the royal couple’s two princess daughters, somewhere nearby was their nanny, or perhaps a couple of them. This career was less visible than some others; their role then as now is often undervalued. Nannies toil under various titles  in the United States, and few work in surroundings as beautiful as Buckingham Palace. The 1.3 million child care workers in this country are more likely to work in a pre-school or elementary school. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, their earnings are almost as small as the children they care for: median pay is around $9.12 an hour.
  • Costume and set designer. OK, this career worked behind the scenes to dress the King elegantly for important speeches and find the right furniture for the speech coach’s rather faded apartment. They also designed or acquired ball gowns, jewelry, rugs and military uniforms aplenty.  They’re a rare breed – only 15 or so work full-time in or near Washington, D.C., according to Rosemary Pardee, who has been in the field for 35 years. The government counts only 22,700 fashion designers – which includes those who design the gorgeous dresses worn to the Oscars as well as work clothes and theater and movie costume designers.

The field is “not so financially rewarding” for most, yet “It’s so incredibly rewarding artistically and creativity,” Pardee told me. Her favorite part: As actors don her creations, “they cease to be a costume and become the clothing of the character….the magic moment.”

For those who work in films all the time and those whose careers never intersect with royalty or Hollywood, the magic moments make worthwhile our  long hours,  puny paychecks, stresses and stuttered missteps.

More Information:

The American Speech-Language Hearing Association has a variety of information on careers and research for the profession.

More resources will be added later on. VLE

This piece is copyright Vickie Elmer. To republish it, please contact me at Vickie.Elmer@gmail.com

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Shopping at work? Know the rules and be selective

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Planning to squeeze some holiday shopping in between answering customer calls or working on your next project?
If you’re checking deals on Cyber Monday or any other work day, first check out your employer’s policies on personal Internet use. Understand all the minutae of how many minutes of personal web use is acceptable or what constitutes excessive personal emails or chats.
And think through how your online shopping spree could change your perception and personal brand at the office. It may show your humanity and interest by buying gifts, but it also could put a chink in your hard charging, working like a ninja person.
So consider these three tips:
Go on the off hours. Arrive to work early to check the sales and do any “pre-shopping,” then buy on your lunch break. Let your boss know if you think that’s necessary, says Charles Purdy, Monster-Hot Jobs senior editor. Better yet: Announce to the surrounding cubes that you’re “Hitting the online sales now instead of going out to lunch. I’ll let you know if I find any good deals!”  This lets coworkers know what you’re up to so they won’t look surprised to see you on a store site.

Be selective. One third of employers allow employees to shop online but monitor for excessive usage, according to Robert Half Technology. So set an online timer and stop after 30 or 45 minutes of online shopping. And shop only when you’re ahead of work; use a 15 minute shopping spree as a reward for finishing a major task. Or shop online for some personal gifts after you’ve cleared your inbox and to do list for the day.

Prevent personal information from being ‘shoplifted.’ If a holiday offer looks too good to be true, it likely is, warns Robert Half Technology. Don’t click links or sites that could infect your company’s network with phishing attacks or viruses. Don’t go on those on your Blackberry or iPhone either – though those could be an option if your employer frowns on online shopping or is among half of employers that block online shopping sites.

Finally, know the costs and consequences of overstepping the shopping boundaries. One in five employers have fired a staffer for Internet use not related to their job and one in 10 have fired someone for non-work related emails, according to a CareerBuilder survey of 2,457 hiring managers. And lest you think the holiday spirit will save you, 5 percent of employers have fired someone for online holiday shopping. No one needs the gift of an unemployment check this season – so if your workplace has Scrooge-like policies on Internet use, take your lunch hour and shop from your personal laptop or iPhone.

More information:

A Monster HotJobs  article offers other smart tips on online shopping.

The Better Business Bureau gives 10 tips for safer online shopping, including paying with a credit card for the protections against fraud.

CareerBuilder’s survey shows nearly one-third of workers say they shop at the office.

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