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.

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.

On Monday morning, I woke up to a text message from a close friend who made me feel as if I were the Rachel Zoe of the business fashion world. She asked, “If you wear a black skirt to an interview, do you have to wear a black blazer with it?” I thought my eyes were fooling me (I’m not necessarily known as the most fashionable of the bunch), so I rubbed them a bit and yes, the words were still there… at 7:30 in the morning on a vacation day. Turns out, my friend was doing some Labor Day shopping (both online and in stores) for a job interview coming up during the week. I guess I have to say I was flattered that she (also my elder) was coming to me for career wardrobe advice. I know this question may seem silly to some of you, but I’m curious to know… is it something you can say you’ve actually considered? I like to tell myself I know every single “do” and “don’t’” for interview and career attire, but the truth is, there are still some things I’ve never even really thought about (this scenario being one of those things).

It’s been said time and time again that carefully constructing the perfect interview outfit is worth the effort because it can be a deciding factor in whether or not you land the job. In fact, appearance isn’t just critical to first impressions during interviewing, it’s also important throughout your entire career! For example, have you ever noticed people dress up a little more at networking events or social events after work hours? That’s because they recognize that what you wear can be what defines you when you first meet new people (similar to that of an interview), so you need to make the best first impression possible. It’s just the plain truth. Once you recognize this (if you haven’t already), you may find that your career could be suffering a closet crisis and now is the time to get help!

Going back to the original story at hand… I thought to myself, well, can you wear a different a blazer and bottom that don’t match? Honestly, many of us out there probably can’t rattle off a list of exact dress-code rules for job interviews and your career other than just knowing the everlasting rule that you need to dress “professional.”

It seems that we all might have our own slightly different perceptions of what’s considered the “right” thing to wear to a job interview. So how can you play it safe? I did some research and I’ve compiled a list of rules that are generally accepted as what to wear and what not to wear to a job interview and throughout your career (including the answer to the suit question!). Take a look below, you may actually find some you didn’t know about.

For women:

1. Bring a basic handbag in neutral or dark color.
2. Wear neutral hose with a skirt! Do not go bare legged in a skirt.
3. Use appropriate accessories such as small classic styled earrings, a thin necklace or strand of pearls, no more than one ring per hand. No tongue, nose or eyebrow pierced jewelry. Avoid noisy or chunky jewelry as it could be considered distracting.
4. Don’t put on too much makeup.
5. Avoid sleeveless tops and dresses as well as skirts that are too short (above the knee).
6. Leave the heavy perfume at home and stick to body splash or small dabs of regular perfume.
7. Make sure to wear close toed heels. Do not show up in open toe shoes, flip flops or sandals!
8. Make sure that the hairstyle you choose holds back any stray hairs from falling on your face. You do not want to play with your hair or have to touch it very much while speaking about yourself.
9. Avoid anything ruffled, frilly or lacy, along with accessories on shirts in the form of extra buttons or bows. You want to be classy, not cute.

For men:

1. Polish or clean your shoes – no scuff marks.

1. Be careful with cologne and aftershave! Most likely, your interview will take place in a small interviewing room with just yourself and the interviewer. You may want to consider using none at all.
2. Remember to trim your facial hair! If worn, it should be well-groomed. Observe men in your industry if you are unsure what’s appropriate.
3. Hair should be clean and well kept. Shorter hair is generally considered to be favorable.
   1. Do not wear too much jewelry. No more than one ring per hand. Wear a watch with a leather or metal band. If you wear cuff links, choose a classic style.

For both:

1. Stick to basic, conservative colors and fabric: Navy, dark gray and black work for suit colors. Button down shirts and blouses should be reserved to basic colors, avoid patterns. Wool and wool blends are generally the best fabrics in all seasons. Avoid acetate / rayon blends. Remember that simple, classic styles will save you money in the long run because they never go out of style.
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