It’s tough to give criticism and even tougher to take it, but unfortunately it happens to the best of us.

Giving criticism can be difficult because you want to make sure that your message is received loud and clear, but you also don’t want that message to create animosity. Personally, I would avoid using the term, “don’t take it personally.” I don’t know how someone can be expected to put their heart into their work, but not take it personally. Let’s be honest, we spend more time here than anywhere else. Work is personal.

Avoid using pronouns.
Wrong: “The font you chose for the ad makes the product seem cheap”
Right: “Using a font that is less bubbly would portray the product as more luxurious.”

Focus on repairing the problem and, if possible, explain why.
Wrong: “We never use images from Google images”
Right: “Google images are often copyrighted, so we use stock images from iStockphoto. Otherwise, we could be sued for stealing someone else’s images.”

Avoid using questions. For one thing, this isn’t a discussion and if it becomes one, it’s more likely to create animosity. For another thing, you should be clear on the correct way.
Wrong: “Do you think it would be better if orange was used in the logo?”
Right: “Brighter logos are always better for this industry because it portrays a summery vibe.”

Move quickly. Be quick to point out the error, what you would prefer to happen in future and then let it go. Don’t bring other factors into the mix. Be succinct.
Wrong: “Listen, in the past, you and I have talked about sending out emails on Friday and I said not to do that. Last week you sent out an email on Friday once again. I don’t know if there is something in your ears, or maybe you had a momentary lapse of reason, but they should go out on Mondays…. “
Right: “Emails should only go out on Friday. Please make sure it happens this way from now on.”

If you should find yourself making a mistake and saying something you shouldn’t, or leading the conversation in a bad direction. Stop, apologize for not being succinct, and get back on track. Giving criticism can be tough, but getting it over and done with quickly and following these tips will allow everyone to move on quickly, and hopefully with best foot forward.

Taking criticism can be even tougher. Stay tuned for our next install that will teach you how to take criticism and build upon it.

Our last post taught you what should be in your resume; this time we focus on the layout of that resume.

In these changing times, your resume has to stand out and fit all manner of medium (meaning it has to look good printed, as well within email and on various websites). So, how do you ensure that yours stands out amongst all others? Take a look at any newspaper for direction. Not only do they have to fit all mediums, they now have to compete with blogs, opinions and keep both readers and advertisers happy on a daily basis.

First thing you should notice on the newspaper is the layout. I can take one quick look and know where to find what I need. Make sure your resume is clean and easy to navigate. It may be fun to create a funky resume, but don’t go too far – if you’re not a graphic designer, you could be asking your reader to work too hard to find your information.

The most important spot on any resume is the top left corner. We read pages, regardless of website or printed piece, from top to bottom and left to right. The top left spot on a newspaper usually includes the company logo and should showcase the most important piece of your resume: your contact information. When I am scanning resumes, I always look at contact info first to see if the person is located in the correct area (more often than not, I want somebody to start immediately, so I can’t consider someone looking to relocate). Don’t use fancy fonts for your name or address (Georgia is always a good choice, easy to read and available on all computers). Again, unless you are showcasing design skills, make reading the resume as simple as possible.
The second most important spot is the rest of the top bar. This should house your objective. Hopefully you know which specific job you are applying for, so you should tailor this one sentence to that job and answer the question, “Why are you the best fit for this job?” If you are posting to a site and not for one particular job, answer that question about your ideal job.

Next, the actual content. When journalists write they use the inverted pyramid, meaning the most important information is at the top with more minor, more detailed information at the bottom. This way, editors and readers can understand the entire story from the first few sentences. Below your objective and contact information, your qualifications are next on the list of importance. Start with your most recent job and work your way backwards. If you are fresh out of college, use any positions you may have had on student government, campus newspaper or within your fraternity. Try to show how this has enhanced your education. Did you win any awards, learn organizational skills, did you have to stick to strict deadlines or come up with fresh ideas? Put this info here.

The next thing I like to put actually steps away from the newspaper layout. Put your additional info next: any volunteer work, community groups, any articles printed. The reason I put it here is habit. It’s habit to expect a newspaper’s contact information in the footnotes and it’s habit to expect education to be at the bottom of a resume. There’s a good chance that a reader will read the top of your resume and then skim to the bottom to see your education.

So, last on the list is your education and any awards or accolades (restate them if you have them in the detail of your previous jobs). Start with the highest level.

Thinking of your resume like a journalist might think of an article or an editor might think of the newspaper puts you in that competitive mindset, which in these tough times you need. To get the job you want, your resume is your lead story – make it easy to read, interesting and intriguing.

Stay tuned, next we will discuss how to Search Engine Optimize your resume.

Image courtesy of institutechildrenslit.net

You ask most people if the cause of their stress is email and they’d say yes, but the cause is not so much the amount of email or the work it can lead to, but the culture that has been created around email.  According to Boston University Associate Professor Stine Grodal, email causes stress because of the following issues:

• Time over volume: It isn’t necessarily the amount of email we receive that overwhelms us, but the time it takes to read and respond to dense, cryptic or outright incoherent messages.
• Nebulous rules: Because emails don’t interrupt us like phone calls do, there are no rules around appropriate and inappropriate times to send emails. In this way, “email begins to blur the lines between work life and home life,” says Grodal. “It comes at all times of day — late at night and early in the morning.”
• Response time: Further complicating the rules, most senders have come to expect a reply within two hours, explains Grodal. “That puts a lot of pressure on people to respond to email outside of the work day,” she adds.

By this reasoning, this stress can only continue as our business world relies more and more on emails and social networking and our personal lives adds text messaging and further social networking to the mix.

So, how do you manage that stress?

• Start a new culture. Pick up the phone and you might be encouraging others to call you instead of emailing. Response time will be cut down and hearing the intonation in voices will also cut down on your time spent decoding those “cryptic” emails.
• Schedule your emails. Read your emails and respond at set times of the day. Turn off the message alarms on your phone or Outlook/Entourage.
• Don’t double messages. If you send an email, leave it at that. Don’t then instant message, text message and/ or call as a follow up. If you’re in a hurry, start with a phone call.
• Avoid the cc. As a boss, I hate being cc’d on messages just to make a point. It acts as a silly threat; everybody knows why you’re doing the cc and everyone resents it. The risk is also that, if you continue to cc unnecessarily, the boss will ignore your more important messages.
• Same as above for bcc, read receipts and flagged messages. Don’t cry wolf.

Before you read this, I want you to stop and ask yourself the following questions:

-          Where do you want your career to be five years from now?

-          Five years ago, where did you see yourself today?

-          What do you love about your current job? What do you hate about it?

-          What would constitute your perfect job? What tasks would you do, what industry would you be in and what salary would you make (realistically!)?

-          Now, what are your ultimate career goals? If you could envision yourself at the height of your career, what industry, title and salary would you have?

If you’re able to answer most of those questions, congratulations! It seems that you’ve got yourself on track for meeting your career goals – keep on truckin’, my friend! Now, what about those of you out there who couldn’t answer these questions? Yes, I’m talking to you, and you and you… Guess what? It’s time to sit down, contemplate the answers to these questions, focus in on your goals and shape your career to what you want it to be!

At the most basic level, an interview is a conversation to decide if a candidate can be a potential fit within a company, both technically and culturally. Most studies show that 60% of hiring decisions are based on “soft skills” and the perceived notion of “how the fit” would be in the group. This creates a lot of thought provoking considerations, to say the least. Let’s consider this “fit” factor:

- How you dress
- Body language
- How much you’ve prepared
- Smile
- Communication (how questions will be addressed)
- The follow up

Thinking about all the components that go into each of the following can frankly get overwhelming… right? Okay, slow down, don’t start fretting here… let’s think about the biggest, and in my opinion, the most important component: communication!

If we go back to the first part of this post for a minute, we’ll remind ourselves that an interview is basically a conversation. Therefore, how we answer questions and communicate greatly affects the outcome of the interview. So, let’s dig down in the weeds and I’ll give you some helpful tips!

This year has been quite eventful. We’ve seen the economy plummet, then rise some, then fall and then rise some more. We’ve seen friends and colleagues get hired, then get fired, then get re-hired… or something like that. A tumultuous economic and hiring landscape has left everyone crossing their fingers, but one thing is for certain: it’s going to get better in 2011.

It’s also that time of year where many of us start thinking of New Year’s resolutions… maybe the goal is to lose weight, get involved in the community, make amends with an old enemy or be more compassionate. Whatever the list of resolutions includes, the common factor is usually to improve ourselves and part of that improvement includes considering your professional and career goals as well. Do you want to improve or change your career in 2011?

The first step to making career improvements in the New Year is to set aside some time to do research. Basically, find out who is hiring and who is firing. Look at which companies are seeing growth and which companies are downsizing. Knowing this information can be key to finding professional opportunities and change. A great way to get this kind of inside information would be talking to a recruiter. Part of a recruiter’s job is to do research every day. What kind of research? Recruiters need to understand the economic and hiring landscape better than any candidate out there. With the research and knowledge that they attain, they can then provide their candidates with the best opportunities available. Recruiters also work firsthand with clients and know which organizations and industries are the ones hiring and which aren’t. They also know what hiring managers are looking for and what they aren’t looking for. All of this information is like a recruiter’s bread and butter, so why not go to someone who can provide you expert advice on getting yourself on the better career path?

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time of the year again…holiday festivities are around the corner! Last year, we gave you several tips for corporate holiday soirées and we’ve got more to share this time around with additional tips for mingling at your holiday parties in 2010. Holiday etiquette at your next office fiesta can make or break you, so this is the time where you’ll want to be on your best behavior. It’s extremely important to make the right impression on your professional peers when celebrating the season at your company’s holiday function and slipping up could cost you respect, professionalism and even worse, your job.

Before you head out the door to your next corporate holiday get-together, here are some tips to help you be at your best as you celebrate the holidays:

Attendance

Do not pass up the holiday party invitation! Holiday parties present a great opportunity to mingle and talk with other individuals who work at your organization, particularly those with whom you don’t normally get a chance to interact with (such as executives). Remember, the office party is a business function and you are expected to attend.  Stay for 30 minutes at the very least, but also avoid staying too long (you don’t want to stick around if it gets too messy). Enjoy the atmosphere and when you have spoken with all of the bosses, coworkers and new people you planned to, graciously give your goodbyes and leave.

Gossip is a big NO during holiday parties.

Conversation

The holidays are a great time to brush up on your networking skills! The first step: don’t talk about work too much! Sure, you may have a common bond with your coworkers that revolves around your workplace (obviously), but it doesn’t mean your entire conversation needs to revolve around that alone.  Use this opportunity to learn more about your coworkers: ask about their interests, favorite hobbies, talk about their family… just keep it lighthearted!

Keep conversation upbeat and complimentary as you mingle, socialize and network. Some conversation tactics include:

-         Avoid gossiping at all costs! You do not want to gossip in the workplace and work parties are no place for it, either (trust me, the walls DO have ears at events like these).

-         Avoid awkward silence with good open-ended questions and you won’t have any trouble with conversations.

-         Limit your conversations to a few minutes to make sure you get a chance to speak with everyone.

Dress Code

If the event is immediately after work, business attire is appropriate. If it is later in the evening, your choices will vary. If you aren’t certain what to wear, check directly with your host or with coworkers whose taste and judgment you trust. Women should avoid revealing too much in their choices and men should consider wearing a button-down shirt and tie. Make sure that what you wear reflects well on you professionally.

Sometimes, there may be a theme. If there is, play along! You don’t want to be the wallflower in the corner who won’t be a team member.

Drinking

Avoid heavily drinking at office events! The biggest mistakes people make at work parties usually involve drinking too much. This could lead you to doing or saying things you’ll regret the next day and that’s the last thing you want to mix with work. Here’s a tried-and-true tip to use: if you must drink, limit your consumption of drinks with alcohol to a maximum of two. Instead of consuming these beverages all night, try drinking coffee, tea, soft drinks and water instead. Being smart about your drinking habits during the holiday party will pay off immensely when you step into the office the next morning.

Figuring out when to speak up in the workplace can be tricky: maybe you were asked about something controversial and were afraid to speak about it or maybe someone wanted constructive criticism and you chose to keep to yourself instead. Do you know what you would do in situations like these? People usually don’t speak up because of fear of risk and specifically, fear of offending those above them. Employees who are afraid to speak up and communicate ideas at work may miss out on amazing opportunities, because what they don’t realize is that these very ideas could offer valuable knowledge and experience to employers. Whether you’re naturally introverted or outspoken, we can all relate to times we’ve wanted to voice our opinion but have bitten our tongues instead.

In a study by management researchers Kathleen Ryan and Daniel Oestreich, 70 percent of people said they hesitated to speak up about problems at work or suggest possible improvements to their firms because they feared repercussions.

Simply saying “my doors are always open” can no longer be enough to open up the lines of communication in the workplace. In fact, the best environments for speaking up are those where risk-taking is advocated and visibly rewarded.

According to Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson and Penn State professor James Detert, the “up” in the actual saying “speaking up” comes from the term upward voice: communications directed at someone higher in the hierarchy of an organization with the perceived power or authority to take action on the problem or suggestion.

It also turns out that there are two factors that lead people to feel either more or less safe about speaking up: individual differences and contextual factors. Personality differences can include varied levels of extroversion and communication skills. Contextual factors include organizational factors outside of the individual that provide them with cues about how voicing opinions will be received.

Have a corporate event coming up? Heard a lot of talk but not sure what to expect? Whether you’re a twenty-something that’s new to the working world or a seasoned veteran out in the field, there are certainly guidelines every working professional needs to follow when attending corporate events. It doesn’t matter if it’s a social gathering, conference or a quarterly meeting, you should always follow these rules to keep the most professional appearance possible. But wait, what exactly are the rules?

Well, we’ve created a list and personified the five tips you do want to remember and the five things you want to avoid doing at your next corporate event!

The things you want to remember:

First Impression Frank – Remember the adage, first impressions count? In the working world, this certainly holds true. When you first meet others in business, how you appear right off the bat is extremely important. First Impression Frank is a perfect example of this. He has learned that if he wants to give off his desired first impression, he’s got to look the part. Want to be seen and respected as the professional that you are?  Look and act the part by giving a good, firm handshake, a friendly smile and wearing appropriate business attire to top it off. When it comes to first impressions, you can choose to either be remembered as the person who’s got it all together or as someone who’s a complete mess. You want to avoid being the latter.

Safer than Sorry Sam – Sure, corporate events are a time to meet people and show off your sparkling personality, but that doesn’t mean you should cross the lines of professionalism. That’s why Safer than Sorry Sam considers this a golden rule! You want to show people the “real” you, but use discretion too. Of course you don’t want to be a wet rag either, but being “safer than sorry” doesn’t mean you can’t have fun! Talk to people and enjoy yourself a bit at your events, but just be wise. If you’re not sure if a joke is appropriate, don’t tell it. If you’re not sure if you should have another margarita, it’s best to hold back. After all, you don’t want to set yourself up for disaster. Use tact with your decisions and be smart about your choices and you’ll avoid any trouble getting in your way.

Changing careers can be a tough decision. Sometimes, it isn’t even a decision at all. If you are considering a career change, by choice or because of unemployment, take a moment to stop, sit down and begin to imagine your ideal “Plan B” career. What do you see?

Here are tips that can help you stop feeling trapped by your current situation and start thinking about change:

• Evaluate your current job satisfaction. Think about the content of your work. Also think about where you work and who you work with. Who are the people with whom you’d like to surround yourself? Is your current situation where you want to be? What direction do you want to go in?
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