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Getting Ahead at Work

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Information is power

Ever wonder why some people get ahead at work, while you don't? Ever wonder why you don't get the job you want, the raise you want, the promotion you want? It could be because you just don't know what other people know. In other words, you make mistakes and take wrong turns because you haven't yet figured it all out. But that's what I'm going to help you do. I'm going to give you the information you need to get ahead at work. I've gathered this information for more than two decades, and you're going to have it at your fingertips. You're going to start heading down the right path because you now have all the information.

How to successfully get a raise

Business Week
Whether you're hitting up your current boss for a bump in pay or looking to leverage a new opportunity, thinking ahead and planning your approach will be key to getting the compensation you're after. As with all career-related matters, you've got to be smart about it.

When the boss micromanages

Monster job advice
Keeping a micromanager at bay is seldom easy. And while it's tough to get a boss to change her behavior or convert to a more inspired management style, you can employ some strategies that may help you and your micromanager get back on the path to a productive and cooperative professional relationship -- or at the very least help you fend her off until you can find a new job.

Effective meetings

Helpful tips for facilitators

Meeting tips
A survey by Opinion Research USA (www.opinionresearch.com) found that respondents ranked disorganization as the greatest frustration (27 percent) in business meetings, followed by people who interrupt peers and try to dominate the meeting (17 percent) and cell phone interruptions (16 percent). This site gives lots of helpful tips and useful advice for anyone who wants to improve the meeting experience, before, during and after the meeting. Ideas also given to provide some fun and give participants a positive experience.

Speaking intelligently

  • You're judged by the way you speak at work. Some ways to improve include:
    1. Check out www.yourdictionary.com to find the top 100 most mispronounced words and phrases in the English language. Do you say "acrossed" when you should say "across"?
    2. Don't use foreign words or phrases unless you're sure how to say them and what they mean. Saying "ad infinitum" or "joie de vivre" may make you feel smart, but you will look dumb if you don't fully understand how to use them in the context of a normal conversation.
    3. Read "highbrown" publications. This can help boost your vocabulary and help you feel more comfortable using different words. Joining a book club will also help you find publications that can be discussed with others.
    4.Avoid slang. Telling your boss you're going to "chill at your crib and holla at him later" may just leave him confused -- and irritated.

Meeting Do's and Dont's

Meeting basics
Anyone who has ever sat through a boring, pointless meeting with no agenda, no bathroom breaks and no real progress will appreciate this checklist of what to do -- and what not to do -- in a meeting.

Video resumes

USA Today
Leveraging one of the Web's most popular new formats, job hunters and corporate recruiters are adding online video résumés to their arsenals.
The companies offering such services, available sites, prices, and what to look for are discussed.

Surviving a merger

Wall Street Journal
Many people ignore warning signs that a merged workplace is no longer the right fit because they overestimate their own value to the company.
Advice from experts on whether you should stay put or dust off that resume as soon as possible.

Dressing for Success

Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger

workplace advice
If you've just gotten your first real job or internship, don't despair about having to retire belly-baring tops and flip flops.

Transitioning to the work force doesn't mean looking frumpy. Many of today's trendy fashions can be successfully incorporated into an office wardrobe.

"The more appropriate you dress without losing your own identity, it comes across as being a little bit more driven and motivated and being taken more seriously, whether it's by your peers, your manager or boss, or even your clients and customers," said Maeghan Mittelstaedt, better career collections buyer for Dillard's stores in 10 states, including Mississippi and Louisiana.

The most important thing is to remember where you work. If you, for example, just landed a job at a large bank, you're not going to have the same fashion freedom as your friend, a newly hired graphic designer at a small company.

Helpful career books

Worth the money

After reading hundreds of workplace advice books, these are the ones I recommend that are useful. Remember: Just because it's a bestseller does not mean it's great. What makes it great is that is has advice you can really use.
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Helpful online career sites

These Web sites offer a variety of information, ranging from vital statistics on on a company where you might be interviewing, to starting your own business to getting helpful advice on how to deal with a bully at work.
U.S. Department of Labor
This Web site contains a wide variety of information, from news releases on the department's activities to highlights of community-based job training grants. One of the most helpful areas on this site for those seeking career or job information is the "workers" section, found on the home page. By clicking on it, you can get information on wages; workplace safety and health; retirement and health benefits; disability resources; layoff resources and training; and statistical information. Once you click on the worker's page, check out "information for job seekers," which provides some interesting insight into the job outlook for various occupations, along with some job-hunting tips.
The Kids Page offers career information for students, but is of equal value to adults. In Spanish and English.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
If you think you might be the victim of discrimination based on gender, age, race, religion or disability, check out this site that can answer your questions about whether you can take legal action, and what steps you need to take. In English and Spanish.
The Small Business Administration
If you're thinking of starting youru own business, check out this Web site first. It can help you not only come up with a business plan, but address concerns such as financing and marketing your ideas. You also can download more than 200 free publications and e-books. In Spanish and English.
Service Corps of Retired Executives
More than 10,000 volunteers -- the majority of whom are retired business executives and entrepreneurs -- are available to coach and mentor others who wnat to own their own business. One-on-one sessions are offered from those with experience most closely matching your needs. On the home page you'll find an e-mail link to send in your specific questions.
Careers.org
This site provides thousands of links to a wide variety of career sources on the Internet. You also can take a free career test to find out what job is right for you, find out how to increase your worth in a specific field and read up on career education issues. Jobs and careers are listed individually by state.
Seniors for hire
This nationwide online career center for job seekers 50 and over helps older workers find job openings from employers who "value a diverse workforce and actively recruit and hire older workers, retirees and/or senior citizens." Employers pay to post openings on the site, and job seekers over 50 can browse for free.
Careerkey.org
This site, launched by a North Caroline State Univesity president, offers free advice on career changes, career planning, job skills and choose a college major or educational program. Its career test is touted as "one of the few professional-quality career tests onthe Internet." Versions are available in Romanian, Spanish and Korean.
Harvard Public Service Network
While this site is geared toward students, there is information available that is of value to anyone interested in certain careers. By clicking on "resources" on the home page, you'll be directed to a variety of other Web sites, such as finding employment in non-profit organizations, careers in government and jobs listings in national parks.
Jobstar.org
Orginally called JobSmart, this stie is geard to service much of California. But after a decade of being online, it offers career and job advice for a variety of careers no matter where you live. You can "Ask Electra" (a.k.a. librarian Mary-Ellen Mort) just about anything. As she says, she doesn't know everything...but she does know how to look it up. Along with a team of other librarians and job search experts, she's sure to provide useful information.
Know what you're worth
It's always a good idea to be aware of what others in your profession and industry are making. This useful sight has become a mainstay when employees begin salary negotiations or want a raise.
Careerbuilder.com
Not only does this list gazillions of job that are available, but it provides interesting, timely workplace advice on a wide variety of issues.
Monster.com
Similar to CareerBuilder...lots of good advice and job listings.
Web site for Anita Bruzzese
Anita's personal blog that invites readers to share their workplace experiences. Lively discussions of topics affecting jobs today, from bullying to working from home. Also included: helpful career Web sites; personal bio and contact information; sample syndicated workplace column; recent publicity; and how to order "45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy...and How to Avoid Them."

California Job Journal

Why Your Boss Just Isn't That Into You

45 Ways to Drive Your Boss Crazy
Published: May 6, 2007
By Michael Kinsman

Read a few pages of Anita Bruzzese's book and you probably will see yourself. And you're almost guaranteed not to like the picture you see.

"We hear all the time that people aren't happy in their jobs because of the boss, or because of the company, or because of something else," says Bruzzese, author of the book 45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy (Perigee Trade, $14). "Never once have I heard from someone who blamed their troubles at work on themselves.

"I just got to thinking that can't be right. Some people do create their own problems."

Everyone Does It
In the introduction to her book, Bruzzese suggests that "part of the problem is that employees often have the mindset that 'everyone' spends time goofing off at work, or that 'everyone' gossips or that 'everyone' is rude these days - so it's really OK to do those things. The boss doesn't really care since 'everyone' does it, the thinking seems to be.

"But the truth is, the boss does care, and he believes employees should too. He further believes that correct behavior should be a given in the workplace. He doesn't believe he should have to lecture or cajole employees into behaving properly - he's not your teacher or your friend or your family. He is your boss, and, you are the employee. When your behavior shows that you don't get that - well, it drives him crazy."

Who's to Blame?
Bruzzese has been writing about the workplace for the past 15 years. During that time, she's interviewed hundreds of workers and hundreds of bosses about what makes a workplace good and what doesn't.

After realizing she'd never heard any workers blame themselves for career problems, she decided to start compiling the many reasons some people torpedo themselves.

She found 45 blind spots, the places most of us never look to discover what we have done to wind up in the fix we're in.

Among those blind spots might be things as simple as wearing the wrong clothing to work, being disorganized, or misbehaving at a company party. Others are failing to get to know co-workers, dodging meetings, having questionable personal integrity, asking for a raise they don't deserve or being intolerant of others.

Gripe Number 16 on her list is being a poor listener. That might not seem like a terrible faux pas, yet it can have a profound impact on your job effectiveness.

"Let's say, for example, that you don't pay much attention when a co-worker tells you about past mistakes made with a customer," she writes. As a result, you make the same mistake again, and the customer is understandably angry.

"He doesn't even bother yelling at you - he goes directly to your boss to complain," she continues. "The boss investigates and finds out you were told of these problems, yet you obviously didn't listen or it wouldn't have happened again."

Suddenly, you are on the hot seat over something that easily could have been avoided.

Oblivious Bliss
At first glance, these irritating behaviors would seem to be self-evident. Clearly, they are not always so obvious to the perpetrators.

"The reaction I've heard from bosses is 'Finally, someone is on our side of this,'" she notes. "They're frustrated that workers don't discover these lapses on their own.

"You used to have employees who were with you for 30 years. You trained them, they observed clues to behavior and they knew they had to conform if they wanted to be successful. Now you have employees revolving in and out of the workplace. And everyone is busy - including bosses - and no one has the inclination to sit down and go over the rules."

Bruzzese freely recognizes that no one is a perfect employee. "Nobody wants to admit they have flaws. Everybody wants to pin it on the boss or someone else.

"I hope that by getting people to see that they make some mistakes themselves that are easily correctable, that they might be happier in their jobs knowing that they have more control over their job satisfaction than they thought."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael Kinsman is a syndicated columnist for Copley News Service. His e-mail address is michael.kinsman@uniontrib.com.

Praise for "45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy"

From communications expert, Bill Lampton, Ph.D.

Saturday, February 17, 2007
Anita Bruzzese Writes a "Must-Have" Book

Several years ago, I started reading "On the Job," a terrific weekly column carried by Gannett Newspapers. The columnist, Anita Bruzzese--pictured on the left-- gave superb advice about how to succeed in the work force.
Her writing style captivated me--humorous, upbeat, yet content-rich, sprinkled with practical illustrations that came from her numerous interviews with successful professionals.
Now Bruzzese has produced a book that capsules the advice her columns offered. The title grabs attention quickly: 45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy--And How to Avoid Them.
My review of this book for Amazon displays this title: "Don't Go to Work Without This Book." Really, you shouldn't.

Without fail, Bruzzese scratches readers where they itch. In fact, hers is not armchair counsel. "I work for a living," she explains in this book's Introduction, "and have since I was fifteen."
Beyond her own experience, she draws on the hundreds of letters she receives from readers, and "hundreds of interviews I have done with company managers and career experts." Her conclusion: "Something is seriously wrong here, folks."
In 45 Things You Do, Bruzzese spotlights what's wrong--what we do, or don't do, on the job and even off duty that jeopardizes our standing with the boss, and frequently annoys our work associates as well. Office romance, enjoying the office holiday season party too much, inappopriate clothing, gossiping, crying at work--nothing offensive escapes her sleuthing eye.
In every case, fortunately, she tells us how to eliminate toxic behavior from our professional life.
I wish this very helpful book had been available when I started my twenty-three year management career. I would have benefited two ways. First, I would have avoided stupid blunders of my own that angered my bosses and threatened my career. The unfortunate part was that I didn't consider my behavior risky, much less out of bounds. Yet with each careless act, my bosses must have moved me into the "do not promote" category.
Second, I would have made this book required reading for every person I supervised, so they would ease my mind and improve their performance dramatically.
Now that I serve as a consultant and coach for top-level corporations, I will recommend 45 Things You Do to my clients. They will thank me, and will praise Anita Bruzzese for her terrific practical guidelines.

Business Week online

Marshall and Friends

Marshall Goldsmith, considered one of the top management gurus today, and author of several bestselling business books, interviewed Anita for his popular online BusinessWeek.com column, "Marshall and Friends." He quizzed her about her new book, "45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy," her career as a syndicated workplace columnist, and what she sees as the biggest pitfalls to workers today. Check out:

www.businessweek.com/careers/content/feb2007/ca20070227_534189.htm

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Interview with Liz Strauss

www.successfulblog.com

May 17, 2007
Interview 17: Anita Bruzzese on 45 Things
ME Strauss wrote this at 10:47 am

A Woman Who Knows Your Boss
I met Anita Bruzzese via email quite a few weeks ago. Then about two weeks before SOBCon, we had a wonderful conversation via telephone about her book and her job as a nationally syndicated workplace columnist for Gannett News Service and USAToday.com. Anita has been writing her column for about 15 years, with a readership of more than 8 million. She also blogs at AnitaBruzzese.com. Recently, she wrote her second book, 45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy-And How to Avoid Them published by Perigee.

Anita, how did you get started writing about workplace issues?

I had been the managing editor of a magazine on employee benefits, and that exposed me to a lot of workplace issues. Then, when I had my first child, I decided to start freelancing from home and looked into writing about the workplace for a general interest audience. It was interesting because when I first proposed it to several newspaper syndicates they weren't interested, saying that they already had finance columns. They just didn't get it. The workplace had changed and people needed information to manage their own careers. It wasn't just about money - it was about the problems with co-workers and bosses and the strategies people needed to get a raise or get a promotion.

I had worked for USA Today, so the company that owns it, Gannett, knew me and decided to begin distributing the column nationwide. I sort of held my breath the first week, not knowing what the reaction would be. Then, the mail started coming in, and I knew that I was on the right track. All these people were writing me saying, "I thought I was the only one going through this at work.." They now felt they had someone (me) out there helping them.

In that respect, it really was like blogging. I wrote about an issue, and people just jumped on it, responding with situations they were going through, looking for more information. I spent a lot of time in those early years responding to reader letters - that was before the Internet and e-mail, and people didn't have any idea where to go for more resources. Now, with blogging, you get that instant community and that instant access to information.

Your book certainly has an interesting title. How is it different from the other career books out there?

I'm a journalist. That means I'm not promoting a specific product or method that will get

Recovering from a bad first impression

If you goof up during a job interview or say the wrong thing when making a business contact for the first time, there are ways to recover.

According to ClearRock, an executive coaching and outplacement company, you can either ignore the goof (if you don't think you've done too much damage and the other person doesn't seem to notice your error)or take quick action.

Specifically, you can:
* Use follow-up communications (such as an e-mail or phone call)to direct attention once again to your qualifications and accomplishments.
* Apologize. If you made a glaring error, hurt someone's feelings or embarassed someone, this may be the best solution. Don't go overboard -- be succinct and sincere.
* Only use humor carefully -- it may make the situation worse. Your self-depracation may fall flat.
* Take steps not to repeat the mistake. If you get another chance, make sure you won't repeat your error.

by

Anita59

An award-winning syndicated workplace newspaper columnist for 15 years and author of two career advice books.

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