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!

First, you may want to look at your previous accomplishments and career moves. After all, you have to understand where you’ve been before you can know where you want to go, right?  Looking at your career history can give you a good starting point towards your desired career goals. Once you’ve got this understanding, you can map out your goals and determine how they align with your current or prospective employment opportunities!

Next, think about your short term goals (which may be followed on a daily basis and are immediate) and your long term goals (which involve building your career and future over the long run). Not having any of these goals set out and planned can cause stress and waste of time and resources, so it’s very important to make these decisions in order to reach your greatest potential.

So, set goals and work towards them! Sounds pretty simple, right? Keep in mind, however, several factors can affect your career goals, choices and path. Some considerations to keep in mind include:

Growth – what kind of professional growth do you hope to get? What resources do you want or need to succeed?

Finances – What salary goals do you want to hit? Are you willing to take pay cuts along the way in exchange for other factors? How well do you want to be compensated? How much pay do you need to make to be productive?

Happiness – Satisfaction is extremely important in career success. It’s absolutely required for long term goals. This includes every aspect of the job – tasks, salary, opportunities and culture/environment. You have to work five days a week, every week, every year… so make sure your goals include what it takes to make you happy.

Experience – How do you feel about new experiences, new challenges, etc.? What kind of experiences are you bringing to the table? What kind of experiences are you looking for?

Environment – What kind of people do you want to work with? What kind of team are you hoping for? What about an office environment? What environment would suit your work style best?

Whatever you do, pick career goals that you will feel passionate about, will give you purpose and will suit your skills and interests. Also, remember that career goals may transform all the time depending on the choices you make and your professional growth – this is why it’s important to revisit your goals often throughout your career!

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!

THE TENNIS MATCH

Think of the interview as a tennis match.  The manager “serves” the question and you “volley” it right back over the net… don’t hit it out! A good “volley” involves being accurate and answering questions in a positive light to stay in the “match.”  Let’s go over some examples:

INTERVIEWER: “Have you ever been to the moon?”

Hmm… most people would say, “No, no, I have not!”   Here is the reality: You just hit the tennis ball out of bounds! We never want to answer a question with a simple “NO I have not.” Why, may you ask? It creates a negative response and is not building on your communication.  We want to make sure we are having a CONVERSATION, not an inquisition.  So, in a conversation you probably would want to “get the ball back over the net” and keep the flow.

You could say, “No, I have not been to the moon, have you?” or “No, I have not been to the moon, why do you ask?” or “No, I have not been to the moon, is that a requirement of the job?”  All of these examples get the person on the other side of the desk back into a conversation while avoiding the basic yes/no.

INTERVIEWER: “Have you ever managed a team greater than 12 people?”

Well, let’s say you have not and only managed a group of six people in your last job.  We must use this opportunity to sell ourselves and prove how something that could be perceived as “unqualified” can actually fall into “qualified.”

Instead of no, you could say, “Actually, I had the pleasure of managing six very talented individuals over the last three years. Of which, at least two of my employees each year were promoted into new roles within the organization.  Although I have not managed a team of 12 or greater, I know that leadership is about building teams and from my track record, I build great teams that outperform the rest.”

Do you see the difference by simply changing the way you phrase your answers to questions? These are only a few examples of how you can handle questions and turn negatives into positives at your next interview!

About the Author:

Brian Brown is the Chief Delivery Officer of SkillStorm. With more than 13 years of experience in the Information Technology, Technical Services, Government Contracting, Accounting, Financial and Administrative sectors, Brown is responsible for candidate relations companywide and oversees the SkillStorm Program for Extreme Educational Development, known as SPEED, a highly competitive six-week sales training program targeted towards recent college graduates entering the job market. Trainees that successfully complete the intense training course are offered full-time recruiting positions with SkillStorm. Brown is based out of the San Diego office.

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?

Second, take some time for self-reflection. Look at your career as a whole. Look at your career in 2010. What did you do right? What did you do wrong? Being able to assess your strengths and weaknesses is a step to bettering yourself professionally. This will help you assess the best options for your career in 2011 and beyond.

Here’s a big step to follow: be proactive! If you want anything in life, you’ve got to put in some work. And if you put in a little extra effort, well, you’ve got the right idea. You want a certain job and think it’s out of reach? Well, put it in arms length by being proactive! Find out who the decision makers are, ask recruiters to help you, learn all that you can about the organization you want to work at and become an expert at their industry and what they do. If you do this, I guarantee that you’ll have a major advantage over other job seekers who simply send in a resume and never even follow up.

Last of all and probably most important, you need to use the help of the network you’ve created in 2010 for your career moves in 2011! People in your network include former colleagues, recruiters, friends, family and other professionals you have met. Use these individuals as your pipeline for new opportunities – don’t be afraid to ask them questions! They may know of several great job opportunities right within your reach and can also offer insights on other opportunities for career growth.

Also, don’t forget that you can always check out our job board for our latest job openings across the country! If you’d like to speak with a SkillStorm recruiter, visit our website or check out our LinkedIn group and post your questions and comments! Have a great New Year and we’ll see you in 2011!

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.

Gifts

Gift giving in the office can be a challenge. How big should a present be? What if you are on a budget? Gifts are up to your discretion, but gift cards and certificates are a safe option if you are having any concerns. Not sure what to get your boss? You may want to consider asking coworkers to contribute towards a gift as a department. By suggesting an amount that is affordable to everyone, you will split the cost significantly and fulfill your role as a team player (Go Team Awesome!).

If you are considering giving gifts to clients or customers, ask your manager or someone in HR what the guidelines are for giving these gifts and if there is a standard procedure you should follow.

Guests

Check out the invitation before you consider bringing a date, your spouse or other guests. Only take your children if the invitation reads “guest and family.” Otherwise, leave them at home for the event. Want to bring your spouse? Check the envelope for the invitation. If it is addressed to you “and guest,” bring them along. If not, plan on attending the event solo (sorry, sweetheart!).

Please note, however, that parties often get out of hand because of guests brought by employees rather than the employees themselves. If you are allowed to bring a guest, you may want to take a moment to explain to them beforehand the culture of your company. That way, they will have a good idea of what is considered acceptable behavior and what is not.

Getting “friendly”

Whether you chose not to bring a date to your holiday party or your event invitation requested “employees, only,” guess what? Now is not the time to reveal your office crush to the entire company! If you’re feeling sweet on someone, don’t confuse the office party with a time to let your feelings get a little hands-on… instead, hands off! This will only lead to extra unwanted chatter about your inappropriate flirting with a colleague and no one really wants that now, do they?

Saying “thank you”

This seems to be obvious, but it can never be stressed enough. Be sure to thank the hosts for a wonderful event before you leave! Remember to say thank you for any gifts you receive as well! If this small gesture is done and meant sincerely, it will definitely make you stand out among other event attendees and will say a lot about the type of person you are.

In the end, just remember that while a holiday party may be a good time to let down your hair a bit, it doesn’t mean you need to let loose. By avoiding drinking too much alcohol, getting too friendly with bosses or co-workers and basically, just behaving in a less than professional way, you will save yourself lots of grief. Don’t do anything you think could jeopardize your job and save the real fun for the parties with your friends and family! An office holiday party should be considered as an office gathering, with the same rules of behavior that you would have in the office. Enjoy yourself, but for your own sake, stay professional!

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.

To get the best results, employers should explicitly ask for employee feedback and create transparent follow-up methods for employees. You may already have these avenues for feedback in place at your current employer and just don’t realize it! When you decide to voice your opinion but don’t know where to go, ask yourself these questions first:

Does your employer have a blog or other platform where you can share ideas?

Does your employer encourage an ongoing dialogue between employees for feedback?

Is there anything on a company intranet where you can voice your opinion?

Does your employer utilize any employee feedback tools?

Does your employer measure employee opinion via feedback surveys?

Regardless of how you choose to communicate and share your opinions, it doesn’t mean you have to immediately jump up and speak out amongst the crowd. Instead, there are several other ways to “speak up” and still get your point across. Here are some tips for communicating and getting your voice heard in the office without ruffling any feathers in the process:

• Give yourself time to think carefully about what you’re saying and why you’re saying it
• Express yourself in a positive manner – it’s all about your approach and delivery
• Be mindful of your body language
• Truly engage yourself in listening to others
• Keep your emotions in check at all times
• Do your homework so you may have a full understanding before you speak up about a certain issue or topic
• Come prepared with solutions – the better prepared you are, the better feedback you will receive
• Be assertive, but not rude, and always give respect to others
• Respect organizational structures and roles and do not use them in undermining ways
• Value everyone’s background and experience and do not discredit another’s competence
• Give credit for good work that is being done, instead of blaming others
• Be supportive, even when mistakes are made, to help figure out how to do things differently in the future
• Speak in terms of “we” rather than “me and you”
• Focus on a shared, common purpose in your organization and do not get sidetracked by differences in the details

Sources:

Organizational Development Resources

Harvard Business School

The McCombs School of Business Magazine

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.

Goal Oriented Gary – Some people say that you should set a goal for yourself when attending business events. Maybe you want to make five new contacts, maybe you want to sell people on a project you’d like to start, or maybe you’d just like to get your name out there amongst the bigwigs at your organization. Whatever the case may be, the truth is it never hurts to have an end goal in mind with anything you choose to take on. Before you go to your next event, why don’t you try setting up a small goal to test the waters? You don’t necessarily have to put your entire focus on this goal the whole time you’re at an event, but it’s definitely a good way to keep yourself on track towards making the best decisions for your career. That being said, you also don’t want to ruin your time by setting a goal that may be unrealistic, or worse, becoming the person we all hate, handing out business cards like they’re going out of style (aka The Promoter who was mentioned in one of our previous blogs!).

Networking Nancy – At a corporate event, you definitely want to make sure you dedicate some time to networking. After all, bringing people into your professional life adds value to your career, so the more you get to meet and truly connect with, the better off you’ll be. Networking Nancy takes advantage of these situations and tries to be as friendly and easy to talk to as possible, while making sure she dedicates enough time to really listen to the people she meets. She also remembers details of the things people say, names and gets contact information for following up after the event.

Team Player Tara – At the end of the day, you need to remember that at any corporate event, you are not alone. You are on a team and business is bigger than just you. When you’re out at corporate and business events, remember you are not only representing yourself but your company and your boss as well. That’s all part of being on a team, right? Be sure to act like it.

The five things you want to avoid doing:

Foul mouth Phillip – When you’re out with other professionals, always use appropriate language! This is not to say you need to speak like an android with no personality, but just keep it professional. You may have a slip-up once or twice and that’s ok, it happens. Just remember that in a business atmosphere, whether in the office or not, this kind of language can be inappropriate. You don’t want to raise eyebrows and shock people with any inappropriate language, so keep any of the foul mouth play at home.

Touchy Tammi – When you’re out for business, keep your hands to yourself! This may sound silly, but hear me out. Let’s say you’re at an event and you come across Ms. Touchy Tammi. She may be a very, very friendly person who uses her hands when she talks, but that can definitely turn uncomfortable really quick if she starts touching arms or legs. Some people are not comfortable with this behavior, regardless of age, title or gender, so you should always respect the personal space of every individual. Besides the standard handshake greeting, remember it is always, always best to keep your hands to yourself!

Introverted Ingrid – Don’t be afraid to meet new people at your corporate event! People like Introverted Ingrid may fall more on the shy side of the spectrum and choose to sit in the back of the room, eat alone at a table or avoid small talk from peers. It doesn’t have to be this way! Actually, it really shouldn’t be this way because corporate events are also meant for meeting and greeting! Remember that many of the other attendees are in the same boat as you and are probably just as nervous and excited as you are. These are the perfect opportunities to network and connect with co-workers and other industry professionals. You may also want to try picking a “buddy” at your event. This person can help ease your nerves and can work with you as a team to mingle with other attendees!

Reputation Rebecca – Yikes! This may be the worst of the worst. The way you act at these events will follow you past the event, so be weary of getting too wild or rambunctious. This can also be tied into Touchy Tammi and Life of the Party Larry. Whatever you do in the public eye (or even behind closed doors at an event) may very well haunt you afterwards, so don’t set yourself up for a bad reputation!

Life of the Party Larry – At corporate events, you may find some people really let their hair down, let loose a little and have fun! That’s fine and dandy, but there’s a point where you can have fun, but not too much fun. Before you go to your event, know your limits. A corporate event is not the same as a college fraternity social and not an excuse to act irresponsibly. Life of the Party Larry forgets this important rule. Your actions may end up costing you more than just a hangover the next morning. Remember, you never want to be “that guy,” because you may very well end up being “that guy… without a job.”

We hope you’ve found this blog helpful for your next corporate event etiquette! If you enjoyed this blog post, you may also want to check out a previous article, “The Six People You Will Meet At Your Next Networking Event.”

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?

• Think about your interests, values and skills. What are some of your previous successes? What volunteer work, projects and jobs have you enjoyed in the past? What drives you? Consider your core values and the kind of career that would address these values.

• Look into self-improvement and personal growth activities. You may want to consider educational opportunities such as evening courses or weekend seminars. Consider joining professional groups and organizations for professional growth and valuable insight. How will these help you achieve your career success?

• Discover alternative roles that would be of interest within your industry. Do some research on career and job options by using resources that are available to you. If you find yourself having difficulties with your job search, consider using the services available to you.

If you are motivated by change and professional growth, companies such as ours have staffing managers that can help take the pressure off of your job search and make the transition easier! Call your local recruiter for more information.