Archives

My Big Fat German Closet

May7

I started a new job this week! Yeah! I’m so happy to be away from my former job.  It’s so refreshing to come to work and everyone is nice and it’s a positive atmosphere. As I was perusing my closet for my first day outfit, I had an epiphany.  OMG! Do I have a ton of clothes! I can wear jeans to work, which is great, but I have way too much stuff.

Five years ago I lost almost 60 pounds, so I went out and bought a whole new wardrobe.  That was also the same time I discovered shopping at Goodwill.  I can’t believe how many flipping clothes I have. The great thing about Goodwill is that I have a banging wardrobe for very little money.  I’m not one to wear the latest fashions, but I really don’t need to buy another piece of clothing for, like ever.

I have every color of clothing imaginable, ok, not chartreuse, but every other color.  I think I counted twenty pairs of jeans!  I use to go to Goodwill every weekend, now I hardly ever go, except to donate stuff. I like to look nice, and my style is pretty casual.  Now I’m all about accessories and nail polish.

Looking for a different job is so exhausting.  I actually found my new job on Craigslist. It is truly amazing how much a miserable job takes out of you. I look forward to picking out my next day outfit for work instead of spending hours looking for a new job.Happy-Dance 5-7-15

Ok recruiters, take some flipping notes!

Mar16

Wow, I’ve gotten so many calls from recruiters lately, I’ve lost count.  Which is great except the ones that are calling for a second and third time and annoying the living piss out of me.   Let me explain.  I’ve made it very clear to any recruiter that has called that I’m looking for a direct hire position.  All they seem to have are temporary jobs, which is fine if I was unemployed, but I’m not.

frustrated-at-work.jpg 3-16-15 I don’t like my job, but I’m sure as hell not going to quit to take a temporary one.  Do people do that? Apparently they do, as one recruiter told me.  She actually sent me on an interview, so she’s cool.  I didn’t get the job, but it’s always good practice.

This same recruiter also told me that employers take a dim view of potential hires who have quit a job to work as a temp, just because they hated their job. Something to keep in mind.  Stacy’s job tip for the day.

Happy job hunting! Jeez, it’s like a full time job.

 

 

OMG! The recruiters are coming out of the woodwork!

Feb25

I’m in the market for a new job, because the one I have now sucks balls. I have my resume up on two websites, and I swear I got at least ten calls today from recruiters.  Most of them were contract jobs. I also got five emails as well. I’ve stepped up my search as of late, as the stress is really getting to me.  Woo hoo!  I had an interview yesterday and today.

Hopefully I will have a new job very soon.  I would just love to tell my boss to go bugger herself! Except with lots more colorful language!frustrated-at-work

Holiday Tips for Job Seekers

Dec6

I just read an article on job hunting in December.  The article said how December is a great time to look for a new job.  I was surprised by this information; as I always thought the end of the year was a bad time to look for a new job.  Here is what I gleaned from the article.

  1. Many companies are finalizing their budgets for the upcoming year, and will be adding staff. Now is a good time to get your resume in front of a hiring manager for the New Year.  Most companies work on a calendar year basis, as opposed to a fiscal year.
  2. Get out and socialize. Parties, industry events and gatherings provide a great opportunity to mix and mingle with potential employers.
  3. Your completion level drops off in December. Most job seekers don’t want to bother with their job search during the holidays.  You will more likely get noticed when the competition thins out.
  4. Reconnect with old contacts. I have a list of recruiters who I have dealt with in the past.  I have shared this list with many others, and suggest they reconnect with them now.  In my opinion, during a job search you can never have too many recruiters working for you.  You have to take the initiative, and call them regularly.  New opportunities come in all the time, and now is a great time to let them know you are in the market for a new job.

Here are several of my own suggestions for a successful job search.

Reach out to former employers.  I recently read that nearly 50% of jobs are found through networking.  Be actively engaged on LinkedIn.  If you are interested in working for a particular company, sign up on their website for job opening notifications.

In mid-2013, I found out my position was being eliminated.  I was bummed out because this was my dream job.  The employer asked me to stay on for two months to help out with the transition.  I was happy to oblige.  During those two months I sent out LinkedIn invitations to every one of my co-workers who were on LinkedIn.  I also asked if any of my current co-workers knew of any employers looking for people.  I got very positive feedback, and doubled the amount of my LinkedIn connections.  I also asked people to endorse my skills.  Some of these wonderful folks wrote nice recommendations for me.   We live in a digital age, and having a good LinkedIn profile is crucial.

If you are currently unemployed, do volunteer work.  Having large gaps on your resume will hurt you.  You will be helping others in your community, and this may lead to potential jobs.  I work full time and volunteer with two local organizations.  I visit with an elderly gentleman every week, and teach financial literacy to high school students.   Being unemployed can be depressing, helping others makes you feel good.

Last but not least, try and help others who are looking for work if you can.  If you see that one of your LinkedIn connections knows a person at a company you are interested in, ask for an introduction.

Sitting on the couch eating Christmas cookies and drinking eggnog is great during the holidays, but don’t let that be the only thing you do.

How not to be a rotten boss-by a former boss-Part two

Nov8

I should know when I write late at night I am bound to forget something.  I wanted to add a few things to my previous post of the same name from November 7th.

So here we go.

  1. Be fair to all of your staff. I cannot stand favoritism, especially in the work place.  Any boss who blatantly favors one employee over another needs to be bitch slapped.  I always feel warm and fuzzy when the boss is saying how so and so should be cloned because they are so flipping wonderful. Really? Who says crap like that to their staff? Oh wait, that would be a rotten boss, oh never mind.
  2. Upper management really needs to get a clue. If your customers, employees, etc., complain about a boss’s horrid behavior, you need to take note.  It’s expensive to train people, and good workers are hard to come by. It’s especially galling when upper management (owner level) witness firsthand the terrible behavior and chose to do nothing. And they wonder why they have a huge employee turnover.
  3. Do right by your staff. The last time I managed others, I was promoted after the VP of finance was fired.  The accounting person had been working her butt off for the last five years for this company. But she had only gotten one raise.  The first thing I did was get her $1.50 an hour increase.  It was difficult because management thought she was being paid accordingly.  She most certainly was not.  This person had been through many management changes and was constantly having her workload increased. By the time I left that position two years later, I had gotten her hourly rate increased by $3.50 per hour.  She was a hard worker, and made my job easier.
  4. Do realize you are no better than the people you manage. I always tell my staff in the beginning that I’m no better than they are; I just have more education and experience. People really do appreciate that honesty.  If you work well for me, I’ll do everything in my power to help you.
  5. Never raise your voice to your staff. Once your voice goes up, the person will tune you out.  If you have a problem employee, work with them. They are not your children to be yelled at.  It doesn’t work.
  6. Your staff can hurt you. If you treat them poorly, do you really think they give a fig about what happens to you? Come down off your high horse, and just be a decent human being.
  7. Last but not least, be decent to everyone. I’ve always made it my policy to be nice to everyone in the company.  You never know when they might be your boss at your next job.

 

How not to be a rotten boss-by a former boss

Nov7

Every October I get a statement from the Social Security administration.  It shows me how long I’ve been working, and what my wages have been.  I’ve been working steadily for the past 42 years.  I’m so tired of working; I’m especially tired of working for rotten bosses.  I’m looking at the last stretch before retirement.  Don’t get me wrong, as I have had some great bosses over the years.  I’ve even managed others for 15 years of my career.  I’m a college educated professional who is tired of being treated like a pimply faced teenager at McDonalds.

The first time I managed others, I decided that I would never treat my direct reports how I have been treated in the past.  I still talk to many people I have managed over the years.  Some tell me I’m the best boss they ever had. Aww, that’s always nice to hear. Plus the best part of keeping in contact with old co-workers is being able to hear when the rotten boss you worked for finally gets fired.

I so often wonder how people get management positions that are not even qualified to manage a midnight trip to the bathroom.  I got out of management because, well middle management sucks, and I’m too pro employee.  I think everyone in the work place should be treated with respect.  I don’t want my employees to kiss my butt just so that won’t lose their job.  I’ve seen so many abuses of power in my work life it’s disgusting.  Talking to human resources was always pointless.  They don’t care about the employees, it’s whatever management wants.

So here are some of my suggestions for being a good boss.

  1. Respect your staff. Your subordinates will be much more productive, and make you look better if they are treated well.
  2. Don’t expect your employees to work a crazy amount of hours just because you do. They have lives outside of work. Plus they usually make considerably less money than you do.
  3. Be flexible. We all have kids, aging parents, you name it.  As long as the job gets done, don’t be a troll.
  4. Listen to your staff’s suggestions. I’ve been working for many years, but I’m all about working smarter, not harder.  We all have a common goal at work.
  5. Never comment negatively on your staff’s performance in front of others. Nothing makes me less productive than being humiliated in front of my co-workers.  This is probably the worst, especially if the boss has a twelfth grade education, and you have a Bachelor’s degree.
  6. Show concern for your employee’s wellbeing. We all have different things we are dealing with.
  7. Set a good example. Not the do as I say, not as I do.
  8. Go to bat for your employees. I’ve done this time and again for my staff, and it’s always greatly appreciated.
  9. Be honest. If you can’t give your employee a raise right now, try to give them more paid time off.  Flexible hours, etc.
  10. Go the extra mile for your staff. I always gave gifts to my staff at Christmas, and their birthdays.  I also bought my staff gifts whenever I traveled. A lunch out on the boss is a nice gesture.

Believe me when I say a happy staff is a more productive staff. Not a staff that could care less if you got hit by a bus.