Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Things that drive you crazy about corporate life

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file0001344010980What drives you crazy about the corporate world? In an environment where conformity seems to be the rule, you may have even caught yourself participating in some of these hated rituals – even as you mock them to friends in happy hour after work. In the new, third edition of her book, They Don’t Teach Corporate in College, Alexandra Levit points out these conventions and traditions we love to hate.

1. Corporate Déjà Vu. It seems as though it’s a requirement in business that you spend huge amounts of time reporting the same information in a dozen different formats, attending status meetings where conversation from the week before is repeated word for word and where you put out the same fires, because your department doesn’t learn from its mistakes.

2. Name dropping. Also known as “invoking syndrome,” this occurs when colleagues try to persuade you to do what they want by name-dropping someone higher up. Whether the executive manager was actually involved or not, invoking him is a manipulative tactic used to get you to bend to your colleagues’ wishes. For example: “Really? Well, I spoke to the CEO last night, and he told me we have to do the event this way.”

3. Ego-mania. When certain people reach a high level in a company, they think that they are better than everyone else and that they are entitled to be treated like a god. Regardless of the issue, they believe they are always right and that they can’t possibly learn anything from someone lower on the chain.

4. Corporate jargon. If you think everyone in the business world speaks your language, think again. The business world’s language is one of subtlety, filled with euphemisms and pet phrases to cleverly disguise what people actually mean.

5. Bureaucracy. How many departments does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Corporate business has a lengthy approval process for everything, and companies delight in changing those processes constantly so that you’re never sure which 10 departments you need to consult before a decision can be made.

6. Hypocrisy. Don’t you just love the way some companies tout values such as quality, entrepreneurship, innovation and integrity, when they would be perfectly happy if their employees just kept quiet and never suggested a disruptive change?

7. Uncommon Sense. Is common sense dead in the business world? People might make a joke of it, but this dearth of logical thought is kind of sad. It’s also frustrating when the obviously correct way to do something is staring everyone right in the face, and no one sees it.

8. Nonsensical Change. Every now and then, companies will decide to throw their departments up in the air and see where all the pieces land. Yes, it’s the reorganization (otherwise known as the dreaded re-org). Despite the fact that it results in mass confusion, greatly decreased productivity and low employee morale, companies continue to do it year after year.

Originally appeared on AOLJobs.com.

Is it important to have privacy on LinkedIn?

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DSCN8580Privacy. Clearly, it’s fleeting in our “tell all,” “share everything on social media” society. As the fine line between the personal and the professional (is there even a line at all?) becomes less and less significant, it’s even more important to be vigilant so you know what you are sharing, with whom and potential consequences. Make no mistake about it: it’s up to you to manage your online identify and privacy.

One of the main benefits of using social media is it allows you to be found. In fact, it’s a main tenet of social media; your goal online should be to be discovered, and to magnetically attract people you want to hire you for jobs or consulting opportunities. Traditional media outlets would have you believe the worst thing you can do for your career is post information on social media. They feature big mistakes people make online leading to loss of income and jobs as representative reasons to stay offline.

However, for job seekers and business owners, it’s dangerous to don the online equivalent of Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak. Professional goals are difficult to accomplish if privacy settings are locked down to the point they effectively render the profiles useless. However, reducing privacy puts the onus on the user to understand ramifications of not sharing information they make private.

LinkedIn is clearly a key player in your professional online identity. Your goal on LinkedIn is to connect and engage with people; it’s expected that you will have a LinkedIn profile. Generally speaking, the best advice is to peruse privacy settings and choose the most open (least private) choice. Doing so positions you to be found more easily, and potentially to be invited to apply for opportunities. However, each individual user will have specific goals and reasons to share or want to hide certain information online. Overly tight privacy settings on LinkedIn can lead you to miss opportunities. These tips will help. (Tweet this thought.)

Review and scrutinize your choices on these settings in particular:

Turn on/off your activity broadcasts.
If you’re running an illicit job search, and planning to conduct a major overhaul of your LinkedIn profile, turn this off before making changes if you are worried it will alert your current boss. Consider turning it back on after your profile overhaul is complete.

Because LinkedIn will send out a message announcing that you have a new job if you update your job titles or add a project to your “experience” section, others who sometimes get dinged by this setting are people who own businesses and decide to change their official titles or people in jobs who update their job titles to be more descriptive or interesting. The last thing this group wants is for people to think they’ve taken new positions.

Communications.
Be alert and aware of how LinkedIn works by keeping an eye on messages you receive from the network. Check the “Communications” tab under settings to ensure you do receive the type of messages that will help you decide what you want to share with others.

Select what others see when you’ve viewed their profile. If you’re doing some “undercover” research on colleagues or competitors, feel free to set this to “anonymous.” However, leaving the setting locked down prevents you from seeing who is viewing your profile, and that represents lost opportunities. In general, it can be a good idea to let people know you’ve viewed their profile, especially before an interview. It makes you appear to be thorough and diligent about your research.

Select who can see your connections.
Some people worry they’ll compromise their privacy by allowing people to know who is connected to them. If you are in such a cut-throat field that your livelihood is in jeopardy if your connections are revealed, by all means, make this private. However, keep in mind, if everyone locked down this setting, networking on LinkedIn would be severely thwarted.

Change your photo profile and visibility.
This is a non-negotiable: your photo should be viewable for “everyone.” Otherwise, people who may want to learn more about you may be discouraged from reaching out because they see the default “shadow face” LinkedIn inserts in lieu of a picture.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on privacy settings; don’t set them and forget them. Be vigilant and make sure your settings match your goals, and you’ll be more likely to win new opportunities.

Originally appeared on AOLJobs.com.

How to be appreciated at work

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file3831269347533Many people feel underappreciated at work. Why? Perhaps the organization does not have a culture that promotes appreciation. Maybe everyone constantly feels under the gun and no one has time to stop and say thank you. You may ask, “How long does it take to say thank you?”

The reality is, in many workplaces, “thank you” is not automatic, and cannot be expected. In the cut-throat environment where many people toil away every day, it takes a lot more than a job well done to attain the acknowledgement or reward you’d like to see.

Here are tips to get the recognition you deserve when you feel underappreciated at work. (Tweet this thought.)

Identify the stars at your organization and follow their leads. 

Once you figure out who’s doing a great job getting recognition at your workplace, you can leverage that knowledge for your own benefit. Did someone get a huge shout out at the last staff meeting?

Why?

Identify key factors that often lead to recognition. For example, what accomplishment led to the appreciation? Perhaps the organization has more of a tendency to appreciate extra effort; is going above and beyond the call of duty needed to attract appreciation? Is someone appreciated in your office because he or she is a really helpful person to have around in a crisis?

Different organizations value different characteristics at work. Once you see where the bar is set in your organization for recognition, you know what you need to strive to achieve.

Offer insights instead of complaining. 

No one likes a complainer. Like it or not, if you have a reputation for always being a downer at work, it’s going to be difficult to achieve much in the way of recognition. That’s not to say you necessarily have to be a “yes man or woman,” either. Be aware of your attitude and keep it in check if you have a tendency to spout off about every single thing that annoys you. That includes comments on social media, especially if you are connected in any way to anyone connected to your workplace.

Keep in mind: your privacy settings are only as good as your least loose-lipped friend.

Be a problem solver. 

What’s the biggest problem your organization or team faces right now? If you can help take major steps to help solve the problem, or come up with a way to solve it altogether, you will earn recognition. If you still don’t feel appreciated, you may be in the wrong job.

Network in and outside of the office. 

Sometimes, appreciation comes hand-in-hand with relationships. If you’ve been skipping team nights out or prefer to lunch alone, maybe it’s time to make a change and to try to get to know some of the people at work. If you’re not a social person, consider it research instead of socializing. Make it your business to determine what’s most important (in and outside of the office) to your colleagues – and your boss, if possible. You may be surprised to find that a few well-placed lunch appointments can yield interesting information that may help you attract the appreciation you deserve.

Join professional or volunteer organizations. 

While it may not specifically land you appreciation AT work, when you volunteer for your professional association, it’s very likely you’ll have an opportunity to receive some kudos and the “thank you’s” you want at work. A side benefit, you’ll have the opportunity to network with people who can get to know you and your work ethic. Those contacts are key when it’s time to find a new job.

Ask for it. 

While it’s not ideal, perhaps you need to ask for recognition in your workplace. That includes requesting a promotion, a raise or other benefits when appropriate. (Such as after a huge win.) If you don’t get any feedback at all from your boss, request a review. Create a list of your accomplishments and ask for what you want.

It’s possible that you work in a place where the culture is to believe providing a paycheck is thank you enough. If that’s not a good fit for you, after you’ve taken these steps and still aren’t satisfied, it’s time to find a new job where you’ll feel more appreciated.

Originally appeared on AOLJobs.com.

Can you say no to your boss?

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Screen Shot 2014-07-03 at 10.38.49 PMAre you the “yes man or woman” at work? Whenever your boss or a colleague needs anything, your name is at the tip of his or her tongue? If you are the go-to person at work when someone needs a “yes,” congratulations! You’ve likely secured your place in the office. Who wants to lay off the person who can never say no? On the other hand, it’s likely you put yourself (and probably non-work relationships) at risk in favor of doing whatever is necessary for your career. That could be a big mistake.

How can you find a balance between maintaining your indispensable status at work and your sanity? Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. Everyone’s circumstances are different, and if you work in a place where you’re only as good as the last thing you’ve done, not all of this advice may work for you. However, in many cases, once you’ve created a reputation for being helpful and agreeable, carefully choosing times to say “no” may not hurt your work reputation, and may actually earn you additional respect.

How can you say no without risking it all at work?

Choose the situation carefully.

If everyone is stressed to the hilt, you’re up for a promotion and the boss comes to you with a desperate request for help, it’s probably not the time to decide you’re going to change your reputation as the “can-do” person in the office. On the other hand, if things are a bit more stable, and it seems like there are plenty of people who could help out, you should have more leeway to indicate if your plate is already full. See the following suggestions for ideas to say no instead of yes.

Learn to say no, without saying no.

Perhaps your boss forgot about all of the other crucial work you are doing. Instead of saying, “No, I cannot take on one more project,” say, “I can see how important this project is. Can we sit down for a few minutes so you can help me prioritize my work? I want to be sure to focus on the most important things.”

In this meeting, make sure you don’t forget to include any key projects (or even day-to-day work) you’re managing. If you can make a solid case indicating that you really don’t have time to handle another thing, it’s possible you can say “no” without actually uttering those words.

Suggest an alternate solution.

Perhaps you are too busy to take on the work by yourself, but you can handle one part of the project. If you have a specialty area (for example, you’re the best at analyzing data), suggest that you could manage that piece of the project in partnership with someone who specializes in the research piece.

No doubt, this is a tricky conversation, as you are trying to deflect pieces of a project away from you. However, if you maintain an enthusiastic, “can do” approach and communicate in a way that will resonate with your boss, it’s possible you can trick him or her into thinking you’re still saying “yes,” even though you are really saying “no.”

Put your foot down, but have a really good reason.

What qualifies as a “good reason” will vary from office to office. Condolences to you if you work in a place where there are no good reasons – perhaps you are in the wrong job and it is time to look for a new job that values your time outside of work.

If you already have planned time off to attend a family wedding or your child’s graduation, and this new project will interfere with that, you may choose to tell your boss you cannot help. Ideally, you won’t lead the conversation with the word “no.” Instead, choose your words carefully, remind your supervisor that you always like to say yes, but the circumstances this time mean you’d like to help by coming up with another solution.

Originally appeared on AOLJobs.com.

What NOT to say at a job interview

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Screen Shot 2014-07-03 at 10.34.28 PMInterviews. They’re a necessary evil for both job seekers and employers; no one seems to love them. There’s lots of advice out there about what to say and what not to say in an interview. Today, we’re going to explore the topic of what you wish you COULD say in an interview, but shouldn’t – that is, if you want the job.

Why do you think I am looking for a job? My boss is a real jerk.

It’s common knowledge that one of the biggest reasons people leave their jobs is because their boss or manager is difficult (at best) or horrible (at worst). The interviewer may even assume you have a bad boss. But, that doesn’t give you the green light to say anything about it.

Why? Because no one wants to hire the person who is going to be bad mouthing him or her in another year’s time. Dissing your current or recent boss is a big mistake. It’s a huge red flag that is unlikely overlooked in the hiring process. Throw your boss under the bus (figuratively) and you can kiss the new job potential goodbye.

You will not believe the things going on behind the scenes at my job. My employer makes T.V. shows like Scandal seem tame.

If you’re effectively fleeing a shady operation, a toxic workplace or your employer regularly seems to sidestep ethics in favor of profit, it’s great that you’re interviewing. What is not great is if you discuss your experiences with your interviewer.

That’s not to say you should never consider being a whistle blower. Although, you wouldn’t want to take on that role without first considering all of the possible ramifications, and consulting an attorney. It’s just that spilling your guts about all the wrongdoing at your current or past office, even in hushed tones, while looking behind you to see if anyone else can hear what you’re saying, is bad form for an interview.

Could you BE less prepared for this interview?

Career coaches are always harping on how important it is for job seekers to be prepared for interviews. Meanwhile, many employers, especially the ones who don’t have many opportunities to interview candidates, often seem totally clueless when it comes to what to ask. Some don’t appear to have even reviewed your resume. What a waste of time!

However, your best recourse is to take advantage of an unprepared interviewer and volunteer information you want him or her to know. Do not wait for someone to ask you about the best accomplishment that qualifies you for the position – you make sure to fit it into the conversation. And, no – you can’t suggest the interviewer may want to prepare better the next time if you want a chance to advance in the process.

I know you aren’t going to hire me because I’m twice your age.

Ageism is alive and well, but it doesn’t mean you can’t get a job with a younger boss. If you could be the interviewer’s mom, it’s likely clear to everyone in the room. Instead of focusing on the age difference, make a point to avoid highlighting the generational gap. For example, also avoid colloquialisms such as, “When I was your age” or “Back in my day.”

Let’s cut to the chase: what does this job pay?

It would save so much time if employers and candidate could always be upfront about salary expectations. Unfortunately, it’s usually a guessing game, where each sizes up the other and hopes for the best. Under most circumstances, it is not appropriate to bring up salary until you’re offered the job, so this is just one more on the list of things you wish you could say at the interview.

If you have a lot of hostility or secrets to keep while you’re interviewing, consider practicing what NOT to say as equal in importance as planning what TO say at an interview. You’ll be glad you did.

Originally appeared on AOLJobs.com.

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