Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Best gifts for job seekers

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giftIs someone on your holiday gift list looking for a job? Whether your friend or family member is a new college graduate, an unhappy careerist who covets a new job or an unemployed baby boomer, there are many great gifts that will be perfect for someone who is wishing for a new position in the new year. What are the best gifts for job seekers?

Start with these ideas and share your own in the comments.

A gift certificate for a job search coach and/or a résumé makeover. Many people remain unemployed or have a tough time finding something new because they don’t understand how to create appropriate job search materials. Looking for a job is a skill most people don’t use very often, so the majority of the population isn’t particularly good at it. Coaches who stay in the know about the job market understand how to create marketing materials that appeal to employers. If you know someone who has been looking for a long time, it’s very likely he or she has a poor résumé or isn’t focusing on the correct path to a new job. A coach can help.

Tools of the trade. Does your job seeker have the technology needed to land a job faster? A computer loaded with software needed to create résumés to send to employers is a key tool. A smartphone or tablet can also be helpful.

Bag or portfolio. It’s always nice to have a well-appointed bag to carry a computer and other materials needed when you’re out for a day of networking or interviewing. Something professional can help provide an extra boost of confidence. Look for special touches, such as pockets for key items like business cards so they don’t get lost at the bottom of the bag. A nice portfolio to carry to meetings can also be a great gift.

Watch. Even though it’s easy to see the time on a smartphone, a fashionable watch can be a great accessory and useful for the job seeker. Let’s face it – it’s awkward to pick up your phone in the middle of an informational interview to check the time; a quick, surreptitious glance at a watch is not obtrusive or distracting.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

Coffee shop gift cards. It’s nice to get out of the house, and coffee shops are locales of choice for many job seekers who want to be out and about while checking online for the latest opportunities. A gift card to cover at least a few lattes is likely to be welcomed.

A new look. Clothing or a visit to a salon for a makeover can be helpful for the cash-strapped job seeker, or for someone who hasn’t had a haircut in two years. We don’t like to admit that people judge us based on how we look, but there’s no question an updated look, including stylish clothing, polished shoes and a modern haircut can help the skilled job seeker get to the next step.

New skills. Most people can benefit from a class that helps them learn new skills. Whether you gift a job-related course or select a fun opportunity to explore or continue a hobby – either an online class or an in-person learning opportunity that may double as a chance to network – a gift of new skills is a great choice for job seekers.

A night out. If your gift is for someone who has been out of work or saving money for some time, an enjoyable evening out is especially welcome. A gift card for a favorite restaurant, movie passes, concert tickets or something along those lines can be a great gift.

Give a gift that keeps on giving. If you have even a small part in helping someone find a new job, they’ll always remember it.

Strangest reasons to miss work

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file000671618538Is work becoming tiresome? Do you need a “mental health day” and a break from your job and co-workers? Sometimes, just calling in sick (cough, cough) doesn’t seem inventive or interesting enough, and you ramp it up a bit by offering a more interesting excuse.

Before you decide to call in sick (when you’re not really sick), or provide another excuse to stay home, keep in mind that some distrusting employers may decide to check up on you. A survey from Career Builder found 30% of employers checked in on employees to make sure they weren’t making up excuses to miss work. The survey found 64% required a doctor’s note for being sick, 48% called the employee during the missed day of work, 19% snooped on social media posts, 17% asked another employee to call the worker and 15% reported that they had driven by the employee’s house. (Presumably to determine if the person was actually at home or not.)

Recently, a man in Florida went so far as to fake a home burglary to avoid going into work. Apparently, he did not know that reporting a false crime was actually illegal; he wound up in jail.

Most people don’t go to such lengths to avoid work, but they do come up with some interesting excuses. Have you ever heard (or used) any of these:

“I was so overwrought because my team lost last night, I just couldn’t get out of bed.” There’s a reason the term “fan” comes from the work “fanatic,” but even the most die-hard fans would balk at this excuse for missing work.

“There was a squirrel in my house and I needed to wait for animal control. They took all day to get there.” It sounds crazy, but it is possible for outdoor animals to find their way into the house. Would you really want to leave home with a squirrel roaming your house? However, if this is true, it may be wise to post some timely pictures on social media of the squirrel chowing down on your cat’s food in the kitchen.

“The cat got out and is hiding under the deck.” If you have animal lovers in your office, they probably wouldn’t expect you to leave your indoor cat outdoors for the day. However, as with the squirrel, you better have some photos, and does it really take you the whole day to rescue your cat?

“There’s a sinkhole in my yard.” What sounds like a crazy excuse could actually be true, but this is pretty easy to confirm, especially if your employer is the “drive by to check on you” type.

“I didn’t have a thing to wear.” Even if you work in a fashion conscious environment, this is unlikely to hold water as a reasonable excuse to stay home from work. Similarly, “I can’t find my shoes” will not garner much sympathy.

“The electricity went out and I can’t open my garage door.” Even if you’re not particularly handy, it shouldn’t be too difficult to disable to automatic garage door. Alternatively, consider other transportation options, such as a cab or a ride with a friend.

Even if you work in a creative industry, make sure you’re using your skills to your advantage, and not to get you in trouble with your boss and colleagues. Don’t be the one in the office best known for reasons NOT to come to work!

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.

How to get a job when you work the night shift

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Night ShiftDo you work two jobs or odd hours? Are you a freelancer, but you’d prefer a more traditional job? Perhaps you’re sick and tired of your unconventional schedule and hours, but you can’t figure out how to break out of your current work situation.

You’ve heard that networking is the key to landing a new job, but you don’t have any time to attend events or hob nob with people who may be able to influence your job opportunities. Is there hope for you?

There is, if you’re willing to take a few key steps to manage your career. If you continue on your current path, you may eventually luck into a new opportunity. However, finding a new job that fits your best-case scenario isn’t likely if you don’t make a concerted effort.

How can you find a new job when you’re so busy keeping up with the odd hours or inconvenient oddities of the job you have?

Make a plan

You’re never going to get anywhere if you don’t know where you are going. Having a general idea that you’d like “better hours” or a “different” job is a first step, but it’s not specific enough to help you make a change. Write down exactly what type of job you want. Include target companies, hours you’d like to work and what you want to do. Don’t be afraid to be very specific. Once you specify your goals, it is much easier to reach them.

Research people

Even if you work odd hours, you can turn to Google or LinkedIn at any time of the day or night to research people who work in places where you want a job. If you’re already using LinkedIn, see if the company has a page there and determine if you have any contacts that connect you to people who work there. Look in LinkedIn’s advanced search to find possible contacts, and investigate the “Education” section to see if you should connect with fellow alumni. Don’t forget to check out Groups. This is a great place to meet new people, and your odd schedule doesn’t prevent you from connecting with new people who may be able to refer you to job opportunities.

Expand your network on your own time frame

One thing a lot of people don’t realize: even if you can’t meet people in person, when you connect online and share information and resources, you can win friends who may open their networks to you and help connect you with opportunities. No matter what type of work you do, there is likely to be a community online of people who can help you along the way.

For some professions, it’s most obvious to turn to LinkedIn’s groups to connect, but what if your profession doesn’t have an obvious professional arena? Look for interest groups unrelated to work. Do you have a hobby or interests that could help you connect with people you don’t know online? Search Facebook or Google+ for an interest group. Maybe you like to cook or are passionate about ultimate Frisbee. Even if you can’t participate with in-person groups, you can still extend your network. Look on Twitter to see if there is a chat about something you like to do. Even if you can’t attend a Twitter chat “live,” you can still connect with the people who participate and get to know them online.

Network everywhere

The best networkers look for opportunities to meet new people wherever they go. In the grocery store at 2 a.m? You probably have something in common with the person in the line behind you. At the gym in the wee hours of the morning? Say hello to people working out beside you. You never know how a smile and a hello can influence your future.

Don’t ask for a job

Even if your primary purpose for using social media may be to increase your network for job opportunities, avoid telling people you’re looking for a job when you first meet them. Even though you’ve heard you should let everyone you meet know you are looking for work, it’s better to get to know people first and share your professional goals later. If you play your cards right, you could be quitting that job before you know it.

Originally appeared on AOLJobs.com.

 

How to work with a clueless co-worker

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cluelessDo you work with someone you could only generously refer to as “dumb as a post?” Do you have a clueless co-worker? You have no idea how this person finagled a job in your department or company, but it’s clear focusing on the task at hand is not his or her strong suit? There are a lot of difficult personality types in the office, but it’s possible the colleague who just doesn’t seem to ever “get it” can be one of the most challenging to manage – especially if patience is not one of your virtues.

Take these tips into consideration if this hits home for you.

Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

Maybe you’ve already decided your co-worker is clueless, but try to stop and think about what may be confusing him or her. If the job is new or the job description recently changed, it is possible your colleague is experiencing overwhelm and maybe isn’t as dumb as you think! Instead of getting angry or annoyed, take a deep breath and try, try again to explain things, or co-opt another colleague to take a shot at helping make things clear.

Is it you? 

Maybe you don’t realize how intimidating you are at work. Do you have a tone of voice that makes it clear you think the other person is clueless when alerted to a mistake? Do you raise an eyebrow a little too quickly or let out an exasperated sigh? If so, you could be contributing to the problem. Try to take a long look at how you are handling the co-worker and make a change.

Extend yourself. 

Perhaps a little special attention from you can make a difference in helping get things on track. Don’t underestimate the power of spending a little extra time explaining things and offering support and help. Some people would rather make mistakes than ask a question. If you offer to respond to inquiries – even though you’ve already explained things – you could save yourself a lot of grief later.

Seek assistance. 

Depending on your company, there may be external resources available to help manage a problem employee. In some cases, he or she may be offered formal training. In other cases, it will be up to you (or a supervisor) to carefully document problems in order to counsel him or her into a more appropriate position elsewhere.

Problem solve.

If the problem isn’t a matter of a new employee, and it’s clear you’re stuck working with someone who is more likely to cause a problem than to solve one, do what you can to circle the wagons and avoid handing important projects to the sub-standard colleague. It may mean more work for you and others in your team, but if you can avoid cleaning up problems later, it could be worth it. (Consider trying for a promotion yourself while you are at it.)

Be a friend.

If nothing else works, and it looks like your clueless colleague is there to stay, consider how you can help him or her find a different job. Share information about networking events and talk up the value of social networking to move ahead, career-wise. While you won’t want to give a strong work recommendation to someone who clearly can’t perform, maybe you can mentor the person into a role more appropriate – and out of your department.

Originally appeared on AolJobs.com.

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