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.

A friend working for a large company recently lost her coworker to layoffs and was asked to take on the additional tasks that were left behind. Now managing the workload of two people, she felt so overwhelmed by all that needed to be completed in one day, that she spent half the day panicking about how to manage and left the office that night having completed nothing.

If you find yourself jumping from task to task without completing any, or if your to do list spans more than one page, it might be time to step back, take a deep breath and reassess.

First, stop beating yourself up about reading this blog! Cut yourself some slack. You can only do your best and sometimes that may mean some things don’t get finished until tomorrow. If you try to take on too much you could burn out fast; nothing is less productive than an unhappy employee so take a second to read this and you’ll be able to prepare for today and all the days to follow with a much lighter mindset.

We’re going to break down the list together by following these six simple steps:

1. Write down all of your tasks on a master list, regardless of how important they are or when they need to be done. If you’re mind is wandering to tasks you have to complete outside of work, make two lists, but don’t add your home tasks to your work list – you should always strive to keep the two separate. If any project will take more than a day or two, break it down into steps that are manageable in one day only.

2. Prioritize these tasks by writing A for top priorities, B for secondaries, etc. First, consider which have deadlines that need to be met. Second, are any of these tasks that you can delegate? If you can ask for help, then ask. Don’t be proud – a good manager will always know how to delegate. Third, do you need input from others to complete this task? Give them plenty of time by pushing this up higher on the priority list.

3. Plan your daily to do list.

a. Make sure you do this in peace. If this means coming in 10 minutes earlier, you’ll be happy you did – you’ll find yourself organized and productive all day as a result of a good task list. Choose six of the A tasks. No more, no less. Make sure you choose at least one that can be completed in one day, so that you leave feeling a sense of accomplishment every day. If you happen to complete all six and can take on another, then great, but do not, no matter what, start the day with more than six.

b. Consider any meetings you have today or tomorrow and any prep work that may need to be done for them.

c. Decide when you will read and answer your emails (3 or 4 times a day) and stick to that plan – don’t fall into the trap of reading emails as they arrive (turn off that pop up). Usually, checking email before planning your day, and fifteen minutes before you leave for the day will catch any urgent meetings or messages and once or twice throughout the day will give you time for a break between tasks.

4. Finish each task before moving on. This is probably the hardest part for most people. We get bored, we get frustrated, we start surfing the web, Joe from accounting drops by to talk about football. No matter what the distraction or annoyance you have to finish that task. By only accepting six tasks, you should have enough breathing room in your day to take a break, but you have to stay true to your list and get back to the task where you left off. If the task requires input from someone else, pass it on to that person and consider it done FOR NOW. I have a system of marking this task. I don’t cross it off the list because it will be coming back to me, and I may need to remind the other person, so I use an arrow with the recipient’s initials. Hopefully, you prioritized with plenty of time for others’ input, so you can now move this off today’s list.

5. If tasks come in throughout the day, add them to the Master list. You don’t need to assess the priority yet – you’ll do that tomorrow morning.

6. Finish your day by crossing off those tasks that are done from the master list– you should have at least one – and moving those that are not to tomorrow’s list. Now, tomorrow’s planning time should mean only picking the new tasks from the Master list and you can leave work with a sense of accomplishment.

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.

Regular old resumes appear to be for the birds these days. According to Colorado Tech University, the resume you choose needs to include your social networking savvy as well as your standard experience. Their own infographic walks a resume writer through the necessary steps:

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.

I’ve often heard that interviews are won or lost in the first five minutes. In the last week I have conducted a slew of interviews for an entry-level communications specialist. The position requires excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, organizational skills, a strong “get it done” attitude, and a journalism or public relations background. I can honestly confirm that, while the job may not be given, the job is often lost in the first five minutes.

You already know that you need to arrive on time, dress professionally and give a firm handshake, but did you know that the way you present your resume matters? I recently watched as one candidate spent several minutes looking through a stack of papers for what was a dog-eared copy of her resume and list of references. Note that organizational skills were integral for this job.

Another thing that will lose an interview is showing a lack of confidence, so act confident, even if you’re not.*
How?
Watch your body language. Sit up straight, don’t fidget and maintain eye contact.
Don’t be afraid of silence. This is difficult, but it’s the easiest way to trip someone up; just ask lawyers or journalists!

One that some people may not think about is showing that you take direction well. You may think that you need to prove you can take control, but there is a level of respect that should be adhered to within an interview.  Let the interviewer lead the interview. I once interviewed a graphic designer that brought his laptop to show some of his sites. What transpired next was twenty minutes of him leading me around the Internet. I didn’t want to be rude as he was clearly excited about his work, but it was unnecessary and I felt he lacked focus as a result.

Do your research. I’ll never forget asking a candidate, “What do you know about StormStaff?” and the response was, “Well, I was hoping you could tell me more about StormStaff. What is it that you guys do?”  Clearly the journalism skills haven’t led her to research us! Plus, how passionate could she possibly be if she doesn’t know what we do?

If you need further interview help, download our Interviewing Tips Whitepaper

* When acting confident, don’t act cocky. It’s ok to admit if you haven’t done something that may be expected of you, but are a fast learner and excited to take on new challenges.