Back in the Saddle 10 Tips For Taming Backlogs At Work After Being Gone - Pathfinder Careers

Back in the Saddle 10 Tips For Taming Backlogs At Work After Being Gone - Pathfinder Careers Back in the Saddle: 10 Tips For Taming Backlogs At Work After Being Gone Sound familiar? You are heading out on vacation or on the road for work, and theres the mad rush in preparation beforehand to tie up loose ends. Then, while you are gone, you are stressed out because you are afraid of missing something and feel the compulsive need to keep checking emails to stay on top of things. Upon you return, there is a monster tsunami wave of work waiting gleefully to engulf you on that first day back in the office. Is it any wonder we are running around stressed out all the time? Personally, I have been traveling quite a bit for the last month and a half three weeks, to be specific. While on the road, I have maintained office operations (being a one-person shop) and kept client appointments thanks to cloud computing and having a virtual office.  But it still stressed me out and being away from the normal routine of daily work and having some email connectivity issues didnt help when Outlook decided that it would receive but not send email messages that always helps ease ones frustration. (Ha!) But what I learned from this experience is that a lot of this stress is self-induced.  Of course there are people that need responding to, and projects that need to be completed. But it was me and me alone that allowed the sense of urgency to compound itself into aggravation by feeling like I was almost overwhelmed. We can all learn a lesson here on how to handle situations like this, and calm our anxiety levels. Here are some quick tips to help you navigate getting around the stress of backlogs at work while maintaining your productivity: Before you leave, see if you can have someone checking messages on your behalf.    This obviously only works if you have support or other employees in your office, but having someone running interference while you are gone can take a huge amount of anxiety off your mind.  Dont be afraid to delegate, or ask your boss to assign someone to help in your absence. Block out specific times to respond to messages.   We are ALL in danger of becoming messaging addicts. A recent article in PC World showed that there is a physiological response, sort of an adrenaline hit, that takes place when we get a message, which prompts us to look, and so the cycle continues. Instead of responding each time our smart phone pings us, turn it on silent and then plan a specific time of day to manage those messages.  If you are on vacation, this is especially important- our brains need a rest from work-related issues and if you are on the beach in Hawaii stressing out about a project that just suffered a major problem, you are not resting and relaxing. You are tense and pacing like a tiger. Try to leave your office at home if at all possible. Easier said than done, but this is your health.  Remember: THE WORLD WILL NOT END if you arent checking email!! Upon your return, do a once-over of all of your messages (voice mail  and email) so you have a general idea of where things stand.  Until you have the big picture, you wont be able to develop responses. Keep a task list.  Getting everything on paper or into a software tracking program will help you organize your thoughts and you can also feel a sense of accomplishment as you slowly and steadily scratch things off that list. Triage the urgent priorities.  Create a master list of what you need to respond to and develop an idea of what it is you need to do in terms of urgency and priority.  Start responding after you collect the facts. As you know, sometimes there are multiple tiers to one particular conversational thread read the first one and then skim through the rest- sometimes what was an urgent situation was already rectified by the time you read the last message! Take a deep breath. You arent going to be able to do everything in one day so remember you need to step away and take a break just to give yourself that breather before diving right back in. Dont be afraid to ask for deadline extensions.  Sometimes, these are set in stone. Othertimes, they are arbitrary timelines set up.  It never hurts to ask for additional time the worst thing they can say is no and the best thing they can do is say, sure and wouldnt that be a load of stress off your back? Communicate.  Keeping stakeholders in the loop is important most people are understanding that you just got back, but they only get upset when they simply dont hear from you.  Providing updates and acknowledgement of receiving their messages is just good business form, but also gives them a sense of reassurance that their project is a priority and on your radar screen. Dont be afraid to push back in a good way.  You know the type: the pushy client who thinks their project is the only one on the planet you can reassure them that you are working on it but if they keep pushing you, you can firmly establish yourself by saying, I want to reassure you that I am working on this project, and as soon as I can, I will make sure it gets the attention and priority that it deserves. I am doing my very best, and as you can understand, this is my first (day or week) back in the office, so I am balancing multiple priorities at this moment. It is very difficult to be away from a busy office no matter if you are gone on business or taking some time out vacation time (much deserved, too!). Structuring your work flows and maintaining some kind of regimen will help you slowly but surely work through backlogs at work.  By feeling like you have forward momentum, your level of stress should decrease as you keep progressing forward.   It can help you retain some sense of peace and organization to your work while keeping productivity levels up!

What about my age - Hallie Crawford

What about my age If you’re over 55 and looking for a job, do you need to worry about age discrimination? Technically, asking about age is an illegal interview question, but if you’re worried about your age, here are some tips to help you. First of all, on your resume, leave off the dates you graduated from high school, college, and post-graduate school. What about the dates you worked 30 years ago â€" won’t employers know your age from your lengthy work history? On your resume, you only need to list your work experience for the last 10 to 15 years. On the other hand, if your work experience from years ago is relevant to the job for which you are applying, consider adding it. A clever way is to make a category title on your resume of “Other Relevant Work Experience.” Beneath the category title, list only the organization and your job title, but omit the dates you worked for the organization. Once you do have an interview scheduled, will the interviewer know your age by your looks? The interviewer probably will guess your age, but interviewers try to guess the age of every person they interview. Will the interviewer discriminate because of your age? If you don’t get the job, you may never know the real reason. The bottom line is that many employers prefer seasoned employees and as a job seeker, your job is to find the ones that want you! and  Terry L. Wynne, Ed.S., LPC, BCC Ceritifed Career Coaches P.S. How do you know if your resume is good?  Take this  Resume Quiz  to find out how to keep your resume out of the trash can.

Writing a Resume After 20 Years of Employment

Writing a Resume After 20 Years of EmploymentWriting a resume after 20 years of being in the same job can be difficult. A resume can become old and boring if you try to rewrite it too many times, or maybe you do not have the time to write a resume anymore. Whatever your reason for wanting to rewrite your resume, I want to show you how to do it successfully. Follow these tips and you will be able to go through the process without having to rewrite a single word of your resume after 20 years of employment.First off, you need to stop using your old resume. If you have not done so in a long time, consider replacing it with a fresh new one. If you have not even looked at your old resume in a while, you may have been using it for years without reading it. Replace it with a fresh new resume, and make sure you keep your current address and phone number.Next, when you go through a resume that is more than ten years old, try to eliminate any contact information that has been made by complete s trangers. This includes addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. Do not use these to contact people when you are trying to get hired.The third tip is to use a new template for your resume. You can create a fresh new template for your resume from scratch by following these three steps. The first step is to find the information you want on your resume. The second step is to copy and paste it into a new template.The third step is to use a program that takes the proper spelling out of your resume. Many companies require your resume to be submitted properly spelled and properly formatted. If you are using an older template that is out of date, you are likely going to get a better job without paying the extra money. So, if youare thinking about going through a lot of unnecessary paper, you should consider going through a template instead.After you have replaced your old resume with a new one, you need to stop using your old resume. After you replace it with a new one, you should avo id sending your old resume to everyone you know. In fact, avoid sending it to anyone unless they ask for it. Sending it to everyone you know is not only a waste of time, but can be damaging to your reputation.If you do not feel comfortable rewriting your resume after 20 years of employment, you may want to consider getting a professional resume writer. If you have never even used a resume writer before, I highly recommend that you start today. Your best option for getting the right person for the job is using a professional resume writer.

The Highest Paid Part-Time Jobs

The Highest Paid Part-Time Jobs Are you at a station in life where a part-time job is the best option? Maybe you have completed a degree and cannot find steady work in your chosen field, or you’re starting a family and are balancing childcare duties with a career. Perhaps you require the ability to slip out whenever you want to enjoy a sunny day during the week. Regardless of why you are working part-time, it can be a challenge to find part-time work that pays well enough to make the effort worthwhile. To help you out, CareerCast.com compiled the ten best paying jobs that are either part-time by nature or can be done part-time by choice. We have included them below for your review, in alphabetical order. Note: Median salaries are as of 2012 and job outlooks are through 2022 as supplied by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1. Accountant â€" If you have a background and degree in accounting, part-time work is often available. Accountants are in high seasonal demand around tax season, but they are also in demand to fill in for summer vacations and for stopgap work with busy corporations. Median wages are $30.55/hour with an expected 13% increase in jobs. 2. Computer Programmer â€" Computer expertise is often outsourced to save money and handle temporary surges in programming or troubleshooting needs. Median wages are $35.71/hour and job openings are expected to increase by 8%. 3. Driver â€" Delivery truck driver, the entry on the CareerCast.com list, get a median wage of $13.23/hour and a 5% job increase is expected. We think the more lucrative part-time driving gig is with ride-share services like Uber or Lyft though. In both cases, be sure you have the correct license and insurance â€" the rules are changing state by state. 4. Graphic Designer â€" Between print and electronic media, the need for good graphic designers is increasing. BLS expects a 7% increase in jobs (which is slower on average than other occupations), but we would not be surprised if that is a conservative estimate. The median hourly wage is $21.22. 5. Management Consultant or Management Analyst â€" If you have the sufficient background and proven record in management, you can go independent, to help other companies solve their management problems. BLS predicts a crying need, with 19% growth anticipated through 2022. The median hourly wage is $37.79 6. Market Research Analyst â€" This is a hard job to do on a free-lance basis, but according to BLS there should be opportunities available. A 32% increase in jobs is expected at a median salary of $28.99/hour. This increase is well above the national average and bodes well for job seekers in the field. Generally, you will need a finance background and a thorough understanding of the customer’s field. 7. Mover â€" Got a strong back and time on your hands? Help people move their things for a median wage of $11.04/hour. BLS expects a 10% increase in jobs, which is as fast as the national average. 8. Network and Systems Administrator â€" Help troubleshoot and upgrade networked computer systems, or handle Internet access and security issues. Companies are almost always understaffed in this area and need skilled assistance. The median wage is $34.88/hour and BLS anticipates a 12% increase in jobs. 9. Editors â€" BLS reports a $25.90 per hour median wage but a 2% decrease in jobs. Based on what we see on many websites and newspapers, including highly respected ones, perhaps editors should be in even greater demand. If you have an eye for proper grammar and a love of language, this may be for you. 10. Writer â€" Surely you did not think an article writer would leave this one out? Writers generally work on a free-lance basis, covering everything from blogs to movie scripts to technical documents. The median hourly wage for writers is $26.89/hour, but job prospects are slow with only a 3% increase expected through 2022. Do not go into part-time work thinking that it is easy. You must be disciplined with your time and resources, and be able to correctly schedule work times and manage deadlines. Your free time may not match your preference. However, if you can successfully balance work time with family time, then part-time work can be reasonably rewarding and lucrative â€" and every once in a while, you do manage to cash in on that sunny day when everyone else is at work. More From MoneyTips: 30% of Millennial Men Have No Job Labor’s Share of Income Is Falling Today’s Headlines: A “Picture Perfect” Jobs Report

What Santa Claus can teach you about your careerÂ

What Santa Claus can teach you about your career   Many of us look towards role models when figuring out how we want to live our lives, and having a professional role model is no exception. When choosing a person to help us shape our own career paths, we often look to mentors or successful individuals in our chosen fields, celebrities, or even famous athletes. But since its the holiday season, why not turn to someone iconic and accomplished in his fieldâ€"have you ever thought about looking at Santa Claus? googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0'); }); It’s not a jokeâ€"Santa may be a fictional character who rarely gets discussed until wintertime rolls around each year, but perhaps thinking about how he handles his job can teach us all a valuable lesson about how we can best handle our own.We’re not alone hereâ€"others agree that we can learn a lot from the work ethic of Santa Claus: “The Santa Claus work ethic has also conquered time. He, the reindeer and them elves are going at 10X levels all year long in preparation for one single night.  If you can duplicate the work ethic of Santa Claus you too can create a success that will go down in history.”Let’s take a closer look at some of the best-known work habits of jolly old St. Nick and what they can teach you about your career and professional journey.Santa is a great manager.Think about it, every year Santa is able to motivate and inspire the loyal elves, reindeer, and all the other employees at the North Pole to rally together and do the impossibleâ€"deliver gifts to all the good children in the entire world in just one night. If you thought your job was stressful and driven by intense deadlines, think of the beehive of activity that occurs in Santa’s workshop each year! Yet despite it all, Santa is able to get his team to get the job done. If you find yourself in a position of leadership, overseeing a team on a challenging project and a tough deadline, just ask yourself “What would Santa do?” in order t o get through it successfully.Santa is task-focused.Santa never wavers or strays from his important role on Christmas Eve, year after year. He doesn’t even let the pressure of being a celebrity deter him from his critical responsibilities. He stays focused, goal-oriented, and on taskâ€"and so should you with every project that you are a part of in your career journey.Santa puts others first.Do we ever hear a bad word about Santa losing his cool, or griping about his job, or having an insane list of demands that must be met before he gets to work each year? Nope, and perhaps that’s part of what makes him so successful. Santa puts the needs of all the good children of the world before his own. That’s both an inspiring attribute to have at work and a good way to not get derailed from your professional responsibilitiesâ€"regardless of what field you’re in.Santa has a great attitude at work.Despite long hours, brutal weather, and a seemingly impossible schedule, Santa always mana ges to stay jollyâ€"and who among us wouldn’t like the idea of working alongside him? His great attitude helps keep his staff motivated and the proof is in the puddingâ€"do you ever hear about high levels of staff turnover amongst the elves and reindeers on Santa’s payroll? No, they stick around year after year for a good reason. Try being the person with the great attitude at workâ€"no matter how tough or stressful or exhausting things areâ€"and you may be surprised at how far it can take you.Santa has unparalleled dedication.Do you ever hear about Santa showing up late, or being a few days behind on his appointed rounds, or taking a year off? You dont, and chances are you never will because his dedication to his job is second to none. The truth is, people who remain dedicated to their jobs often find career success and best position themselves to achieve their professional goals.Santa does his homework.Think about all the research and preparation Santa has to do each year to d etermine who was naughty and who was nice among all of the children in the entire world, figure out which child wants which gift, and then make sure his inventory and delivery strategy will keep him on schedule. After thinking about what’s on Santa’s work plate, maybe your job doesn’t seem as harrowing as it did before. Whenever you’re working on a project, approach it like Santa would: do your homework, research carefully, and plan diligently. Santa’s secret for project success can work for anyone.There you have itâ€"some of the reasons why Santa is a great boss who’s happy and successful at his job year after year. Consider adopting some of his best work habits and you’ll be setting yourself up for success in whatever career path you set your sights on.

How To Get Your Colleagues To Take Your Criticism Seriously

How To Get Yur Colleagues To Take Your Criticism Seriously Even when we are prepared to hear it, no one likes receiving critical feedback. As a manager, it can be equally uncomfortable to give it. Use the following checklist to ensure that all constructive criticism you give employees will be as well-received as possible and lead to worthwhile performance improvements.1. Ground yourself in why you are giving this feedback.More often than elend, how someone receives our feedback (both positive and negative) is not about what were saying but how were saying it and why. Assess what you want to achieve by giving this feedback.If you warned your direct report to proofread their slides twice before submitting yet there was a glaring error in the presentation, do they already know that? Is your motive for providing this feedback rooted in I told you so? If your reasons for providing critical feedback arent 100% rooted in improving their performance and the companys performance, ask yourself if it needs to be given, and if it needs to be given right now.2. Pick your moment.If you have reviewed your internal motivation for providing feedback and you feel confident that it needs to be done, ask yourself if it needs to be done right now. If your employees error just occurred, do you need to grab them as they come off the stage? Whenever possible, wait enough time to ensure that neither you nor your employee will be emotional or verteidigung for this conversation.3. Focus on actionable items, not personal characteristics.There is a world of difference between, Next time maybe your pride wont prevent you from listening to me when I ask you to proofread. and For next time, Id like you to confirm with me that you have proofread the slides by this date so that I can review them for anything you may have missed.Focus on only one thing if you can, not every possible change. Be as specific as possible with any suggestions, including objective measures of meeting expectations and a clear timeline of action items.4. Start from a place of respect- even if (especially if) you dont really feel that way.Imagine that rather than a subordinate, you are providing this feedback to a superior. Imagine you have to be as delicate as possible when you deliver your assessment. Be careful with your words and conscious of impact, not just your intent. Make positive statements that assume future success, like Once it becomes second nature for you to proofread while looking for specific things, you wont even think twice about it.5. Model receiving constructive criticism yourself.Establish a practice of regular check-ins with your direct reports and when appropriate, take the lead in self-identifying areas for growth. If you are honest with yourself, there are always things you can be working on, and by openly acknowledging specific development in yourself, you will remove some of the fear and anxiety from future feedback delivery conversations.6. Practice using open body lang uage.Plant your feet on the ground or cross your ankles. Square your shoulders and sit up straight. Be conscious of how you use your hands and keep them palms up when possible. You dont have to smile, but try not to clench your jaw or purse your lips while listening. Be cognizant of your eyebrows and facial expressions. Nod and reflect that you are actively listening to your employee - this should be a conversation, not a one-sided speech.7. Dont use 15 words when 5 will do.When were uncomfortable, sometimes we tend to repeat ourselves to make sure were getting our point across. This tactic backfires though, as it makes the person were speaking to feel lectured to. They tune out because they already got the message and everything else is just white noise. Your employee is most likely anxious during this feedback conversation and already knows criticism is coming. Be brief and make your point. If you ramble on, your key feedback will be lost. You want this person to walk away from th e conversation with a clear idea of how to improve.If you keep all of this in mind, you will emerge as a manager who is seen as fair and competent, and your feedback will no longer ding on deaf ears. Your teams performance will improve and you will get all the credit--Jenny is the founder ofForward in Heels Executive Coaching, which empowers badass women who want to excel at what they do, stand tall, and own their worth so they can light up the world. As a licensed psychotherapist as well as certified executive leadership coach, Jenny has been helping women make bold, lasting changes in their lives for over a decade.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer

The Honest to Goodness Truth on Writing Dancing in the Age of Postmodernism Sally Banes Resume

The Honest to Goodness Truth on Writing Dancing in the Age of Postmodernism Sally Banes Resume In addition, this is true of my notes on the job. However, I believe thats what the book is hoping to analyze. However, now I saw it inside her handwriting the way it was published. Things couldnt be that simple. The primary difference between both pieces is tone. While being an excellent writer is crucial, you also have to have the persistence to submit your writing for publication. According to Glassdoors Scott Dobroski, creating a video resume might be a good choice to aid your work hunt but, there are a couple things to consider prior to deciding to create one. Keep in mind, saying the incorrect issue is acceptable if you say it the proper way. Interactionists argue that labelling can impact pupils achievement by developing a self-fulfilling prophecy. Sometimes you may be in a rush and wont have the opportunity to muster even the tiefpunkt number of postmodern synonyms and n eologisms required to prevent public disgrace. You can create a quick reference chart to prevent time delays. By way of example, phallogocentricism (male-centredness together with rationalistic kinds of binary logic). The Demise of Writing Dancing in the Age of Postmodernism Sally Banes Resume If youre interested in working managing magazines and internet blogs, look at becoming an editor. And naturally, together with the practice of globalisation over the previous twenty or thirty decades, individual national cultures everywhere have become less distinct. Before you begin, think about the business and company that youre targeting. Bureaucracies are uncomfortable with the very first individual. This can be regarded as widening the class gap in achievement in a school. Schools need to attain a great league table position if they are supposed to entice pupils for funding. You can also qualify for journalism positions. The youth reports he is doing well.