HOW TO NAVIGATE YOUR JOB TO WORK REMOTELY

2/11/2019

Imagine a commute that only took 5 - maybe 10 minutes, if you stopped at the Keurig to make a cup of coffee before heading into your home office? It is estimated that 70% of professionals across the globe work remotely at least one day a week. Some are full time!
Some companies will absolutely not let you work from home, and there are some industries and occupations that do no enable you work from home to include law enforcement, health care, emergency responders, etc.

What are some of the benefits of remote work?

You can work from - just about anywhere - which includes waiting to pick up your kids from school or practice, Starbucks, Spain, Hawaii, or the ‘hopefully’ serene atmosphere of home.

There are even co-working spaces that enable you to somewhat socialize, while still working.
If you are not feeling your best, or need to care for a family member, you can still get work done.
Scheduling - domestic chores, contractor appointments, and family support burdens may be eased by a shorter commute.
Family time may increase due to a shortened commute.
You may be able to travel - see the world - while working and earning a paycheck.

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You just found out that your Boss quit - now what do you do?

10/17/2018

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Maybe you like your boss, maybe you don’t - but suddenly finding out that your boss just quit can catapult you into the deep end of the pool. Do you float, sink, or joyously splash around - whatever you chose, undoubtedly, you may have some questions:

Is someone new coming in? Are they internal or from ‘the outside’?
Is my position secure? Am I next?
What’s going on that he/she knows that I don’t?
Should I consider leaving too?

Will you sink or swim when the dynamics change at work? First, don’t panic - when the dust has settled - ask clear concise questions and make some strategic moves.

Is there an interim process that is going to happen and what is that - how does it relate to you?
Is your boss leaving immediately? If not, will you be cross-trained on any new elements or will you be expected to take on new responsibilities.
If you are not targeted for cross-training or to pick up the slack - identify some extra responsibilities that you could take on at this time - this will not go unnoticed by your (former) boss’s boss.
Find out if you have an opportunity for promotion to the (now) vacant position.
If you are not tapped for promotion to the position - make sure to help the new boss settle in successfully. Next, schedule a meeting with your new boss to discuss (team/individual) priorities and expectations. Relay the projects that are on your plate and the status, so your boss has a good situation awareness. Make sure to have a list of accomplishments ready to hand/email to them.
This is a good time to suggest new processes if you see room for improvement.
After some time with the new boss, evaluate your current role, your opportunities for growth, and your job satisfaction. If you are not making progress on your career path; your relationship with the new boss is not working out, or you just don’t feel like you ‘fit’ anymore. Consider leaving and getting a new job/career, starting a business, or going back to school. If you do decide to leave, make a strategic exit plan.

Most of all, see this transition as a time of growth for you - a time to take inventory of your career. It may be a wake up call or just the ‘kick’ you need to make some new or different decisions for you.

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INTERNATIONAL UPDATE YOUR RESUME MONTH

9/3/2018

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Did you know - have you heard …

September is International Update Your Resume Month!
The month of September has been designated International Update Your Resume Month by Career Directors International and the National Resume Writers’ Association.
Now that you know… why not dust your resume off - open up that file folder on your computer marked ‘Resume’ and take another look at it? You may not be looking for a job right now, or anytime soon; however, it is always beneficial to have an updated resume. Promotion and job opportunities usually come up when we are not as prepared as we would like to be, and then find ourselves scrambling for information to put on our resume. Unforeseen company changes can happen to anyone. Be prepared with a resume that speaks to your ‘value add’ to your company…or a new company.
Let me help you here…if your resume still has an ‘Objective’ statement at the top - or “References provided upon request’ at the bottom… then it is past time to update your resume.
Here are 7 tips to help you update your resume….

New Job: do you have a new job or two to list? Add in your new jobs with titles, dates, and 3-4 accomplishments. Review your entire resume to make sure all jobs are relevant - it may be time to take off that entry level job from 1993?
Make a list of new skills that you have learned. Have you increased your social media skills; learned new computer programs or software; become proficient at handling a new piece of equipment or mastered a process?
Have you attended workshops, webinars, podcasts, or conferences where you learned new skills or were taught a new way of doing something? This can include interpersonal skills such as ‘communicating with customers’ or ‘conflict resolution’? Make sure to annotate the title of the event, the dates, and the sponsoring organization or agency.
Have you been asked to speak or represent your company at an event or conference? Did you create a presentation or briefing? Have you contributed to a company/national/international publication or written an article on an industry-related topic? Or perhaps, you were part of a team that wrote/developed/created something. You may do these tasks and not realize the value they represent to a future employer.
Include any new honors, awards, certificates, or licenses. These are key elements that set you apart from your competition.
Did you get a ‘glowing’ or ‘excellent’ evaluation? Add a supervisor’s quote or reference ‘excellent evaluations’ in your resume.
Were you asked to lead a project or team? Highlight your leadership roles to demonstrate increased responsibility. Remember a leadership role can also occur outside of work.

Save Time: Keep a running list of your accomplishments, new skills, certificates, achievements, and kudos throughout the year. You are then prepared to update your resume at any time! In the industry, we call this a ‘brag book’.
Moving Forward: Take this time not just to review your current resume for updates, but to take stock and reevaluate your career growth.

Learn a new skill to add to your resume in the future. Consider earning a new certificate that develops or enhances a skillset. Even outside interests such as photography, blogging, or coaching demonstrate personal development.
Updated resumes are a great tool for discussing a salary increase. If you are like the majority of employees who did not negotiate an initial job offer, an updated resume helps provide ‘talking points’ to discuss future raises.
Start a part-time ‘gig’. Consider consulting as a ‘side job’ if you have a very high level of expertise in your field and do not have a non-compete clause in your contract.

Don’t forget to add all of your newly discovered information to your LinkedIn profile!
I’d love to hear from you. How often do you update your resume?

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TAKING PROFESSIONAL INVENTORY

6/22/2018

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It is summer - punctuated by hot sunny days, vacations, school being out, and longer days. Not really the time to think about your career aspirations, or is it?

You are half way through the year - another six months and you will have completed another year at your job - what have you achieved?

Let’s take stock - inventory if you will - of where you are now - and where you want to be at the end of 2018.

Here’s a checklist to get you started - great thing about this exercise - you can do it anywhere - on the beach in your cabana, waiting in line at Starbucks, watching your kids play in the pool, or at your desk at work. Another great thing, the answers may surprise you - you may find that you are right on target for where you want to be, or possibly lagging behind. Hopefully the process will give you a renewed focus and energy for making clear strategic decisions so you can end the year strong!

What have I already accomplished this year (for those of you who follow my articles - you may remember that this would be easily accessible if you are keeping an accomplishment journal) - not too late to start one!
What have you overcome? What obstacles, challenges, or problems have you faced so far this year - what did you do - and what was the result?
Have you checked any boxes for professional development or increased skills? Did you take classes, online training, or attend conferences?
Dust off last year’s performance appraisal and review the good and the bad. Are there areas that were identified for improvement? What can you do to increase your performance in those areas?
Have you been having ‘regular’ check-ins and feedback sessions with your boss to make sure you are both on the same page regarding your progress, milestones, and achievements?
Are you happy in your job or are there aspects of your job that make you happy? If you are not ‘mostly’ happy - figure out what the reasons are, and what YOU can do to change things. Sometimes it is making a shift in routine or delegation; opening communication lines with management, or cross-training - and sometimes it is finding a job where you feel that you will be happy - most of the time.
Once you evaluate where you have been for the past 6 months, identify where you want to go and how you will get there before Dec 31st. Have you set goals and identified the next steps to where you want to be at the end of the year? If not, honestly evaluate where you are now, and outline the next 3 - 5 crucial steps to get there. Yes, Christmas will be here before you we know it! Design a roadmap (broken down monthly or even weekly or daily for the Type A folks) so that you can stay on course. Plan your work - work your you plan. You will be happy you took a little time this summer to check in with yourself!

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WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A BAD PERFORMANCE REVIEW

5/23/2018

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It just wasn’t a great year…the project didn’t go as planned, or on-time or budget, or maybe you had some personal problems or family problems that were difficult to work around, or maybe the job expectations were just too high this year. Whatever, the reason, suddenly you are faced with a negative performance review. What should you do?

One of the first steps may be to ask your boss if it would be possible to avoid having the review made part of your permanent record until you’ve had a chance to analyze the information in more detail. Is the information correct? Are there errors that need to be corrected?

If you previously received positive performance reviews, assess what about your performance may have changed. Do you have a new boss? Has something in your personal situation changed that is affecting your job performance? In some cases, it may be a simple misunderstanding: You were focused on objectives that you thought were important, but your boss was measuring your performance based on a different standard. Gaining clarity about how your performance will be assessed moving forward is critical to your future success with the company.

Second, you may want to ask your boss about the impact of the negative performance review. Is your job in jeopardy? Will you be put on probation? Are there specific measures you need to address in order to meet by a certain deadline to rectify the deficiencies that were identified? Make sure you are clear about next steps — what do you need to change or improve both immediately and in the future?

Lastly, ask to schedule a follow-up meeting — and set a specific date for that meeting. Continue to communicate with your manager about your progress towards fixing any identified deficiencies. Also continue to track your activities, projects, and accomplishments.

MOVING ON…Immediately start preparing for your next performance review as soon as you complete your current review. Don’t just file the paperwork away. Use the feedback to guide your work. Review your objectives monthly to ensure you are on track for the expectations your boss established.

If you haven’t already, start a journal to track your performance. Develop a system to collect information from third parties — customers, co-workers, vendors, etc. that can be used in next year’s performance review. When you have meetings with your boss between your annual performance reviews, be sure to take notes. As you think of things you want to ask about in your next meeting, write them in your journal so you can find them easily when it’s time to meet. Showing effort, enthusiasm, dedication, and continued hard work often results in improving your next performance review.

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HOW TO NAVIGATE YOUR JOB TO WORK REMOTELY

What are some of the benefits of remote work?

You just found out that your Boss quit - now what do you do?

INTERNATIONAL UPDATE YOUR RESUME MONTH

TAKING PROFESSIONAL INVENTORY

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A BAD PERFORMANCE REVIEW

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