Life is short, so why not find your dream job?

You can get rid of work FOREVER, without being a filthy rich millionaire. Maybe you are making $30,000 a year, ‘working’ 60 hours a week, with a mortgage and 2 kids. You can still get rid of work FOREVER. No, it’s not a gimmick; I am not trying to sell anything (though maybe I should).

How Do We Define “Work”: What Does The Dictionary Say?

What you define as ‘work’ is the key. Most people in this beautiful country would just shrug their shoulders and say “That’s why bars were invented”, to relieve the pernicious effects of daily toil (Hmmm, I like that phrase; sounds like Shakespeare on Wall Street ). Is work a painful exertion, a job like any other, a 9 to 5 effort in mediocrity, or is it what you live for?

While many people don’t want to ‘work’ forever, the truth is, I actually do. I work as a teacher and I look forward to going to my high school on Mondays. When I mentioned this feeling to some of my colleagues, they looked at me in astonishment. “What kind of weirdo is this guy?” Yes, I got impatient during our 2 month vacation; imagine that! I wanted to walk amongst young people and enjoy their energy. I ‘work’ as a teacher, yes, but also as a counselor, a confidant, a father figure, a friend, and as a constant reminder of the world’s beautiful diversity.

Measuring Job Satisfaction: Questions You May Want To Answer

Are you happy at your present job? If you have doubts, try to answer the following questions:

1. Do I love my job or not? Then try to pinpoint the areas you like or dislike. Is it the boss, the environment, the salary, the colleagues, the challenge, the routine?

2. How do I feel on Monday morning before I go to work? Excited, grumpy, bored, alive, anxious, fearful, animated? Again, what specific aspects of my work make me feel that way?

3. Is there any way I can change the parts I don’t like? For example, you may be more skilled at planning than operating; or you may enjoy non routine work such as sales, which take you all over the country.

4. Who am I? What can I do better than anybody else in the company? Failing to take stock of your position and abilities may lead to more frustration.

5. Is this job (and company) what I want to do for the rest of my life? When I discovered that teaching was my real passion, I had been stuck in dead end office jobs that caused me and my family a lot of grief. I decided I’d rather earn less and do what I liked, rather than make more money and be miserable. It’s a no brainer, right? When it came to finding satisfaction with my job and life, it boiled down to making a lifestyle change.

How To Be Happy With Your Job

As I said at the beginning, you can rid of work FOREVER, by doing what you enjoy. Work, toil, and daily routine can become PURE ENJOYMENT. It’s about making a decision. What’s more important: an enjoyable job or more money? Sometimes these two goals may coalesce, and if this applies to you, then you are one fortunate individual. Most other times, you have to make a choice and determine your priorities at work. And for some of us, it’s not all about increasing our salary at all costs.

Here’s a wonderful story on this topic: a good friend of mine who worked as a high positioned executive in an insurance company decided one day that his real calling was as a farmer. He abandoned a lucrative career, bought a small farm, and started his back breaking work with gusto. He is one the happiest men I know, even though his marriage of 15 years suffered as a consequence. He has now found a woman who shares his enthusiasm for growing food.

It may not happen overnight, but you should have a reasonable timeline to reach your work goals. So next time that child inside of you asks, “Do you like this job? Are you happy?” You can answer with a resounding, “Yes!”

Measuring Job Satisfaction: How To Be Happy With Your Job

YNAB Pro Giveaway Code: fibonacci

Life is the sum of all your choices.
-Albert Camus (French author)

So you’re one of the lucky ones who’ve escaped a job layoff. Should you dare even think about or hope for a job promotion? It seems about as rare as spotting elusive wildlife, but a job promotion may still be achievable at a company that can thrive and grow in a bad economy.

Hoping For A Job Promotion?

In these difficult economic times, companies the world over are anxiously looking for people who can help their bottom line through innovative ideas and strategies. These gems are often found within their own ranks but may also go unnoticed if the employees in question don’t show that they have what it takes. If you’ve been working at the same company for 5 years without getting a promotion (not counting this recessionary period), then something could be wrong. Are you seeing less talented colleagues get ahead of you and wonder why? Your boss may have trouble remembering your name and you don’t understand why he/she always seems to be surrounded by other people. Believe it or not, any time could be the perfect time to get that promotion if you know what to do.

How To Get Promoted At Work

How do you plan to get ahead? Here are a few suggestions that may help you:

1. Become the best at what you do. While the idea is not new, many employees are too busy trying to avoid the pink slip that has affected some of their colleagues. If your mind is set on fear (of being unemployed), you won’t be able to function properly and your performance may be affected. The worst case scenario? Your fear may become self-fulfilling and may eventually lead to job loss. So do your best to stay positive even during these trying times.
2. Socialize. No, I don’t mean going to the clubs till the wee hours of the morning; I’m actually referring to networking at the workplace. No matter how you feel about your colleagues and your boss, take advantage of any social opportunities to show them the kind of person you really are. Be yourself, keep up the energy, and stay positive.
3. Act like the CEO. Of course, be mindful that you don’t come on too strong either; instead, try to acquire in-depth knowledge of what your company faces in the market place. For instance, find out which government regulations affect your operations and obtain detailed information about the competition. It doesn’t matter where you stand in the company hierarchy. Thinking like an executive — as someone whose professional life depends on the success or failure of the business — can also be self-fulfilling! Hopefully, your efforts and talent won’t go unnoticed for long.
4. Show leadership skills. Whatever your task, show management that you have what it takes to tackle bigger jobs. Offer suggestions after analyzing every circumstance carefully. Just be careful not to upstage or offend your superiors by exhibiting any of them as incompetent. Also, watch out if someone tries to take credit for your accomplishments, since this does happen more often than not. Inform a superior who’s supportive of you at work about any concerns you have.
5. Let them know. “Believe it or not, you’ll have to ask for a promotion to actually get promoted.” That may not always be the case, of course, especially in smaller businesses where everybody knows everybody else. But in well-run large companies, top management is always looking for promising prospects, just as baseball scouts look for the next Nolan Ryan in minor leagues.
6. Learn, learn, learn. The process of learning never ends, contrary to what some of us long-time graduates may imagine. Wouldn’t our diplomas be devalued if we just lie back and let the world get ahead of us? Things change every day and if you’ve got your eye on the big prize, you’d want to know and care about what’s going on around you (at work and in your industry). Things do change on a dime, so it’s good to be on your toes: for example, who would have thought two years ago that AIG would be so grossly mismanaged?
7. Be humble. Arrogance could be waiting in the background for anyone who obtains their promotion. With human nature as it is, I’m sure you’ve encountered cases of cocky new managers who end up alienating everyone around them in record time. But nobody is better than the rest; some people may have just been luckier, or more political, ambitious, opportunistic and perhaps just a tad bit more prepared. If you are fortunate enough to get promoted, it’s always good to remain humble. Successful CEOs keep in touch with the base to stay connected: I remember the head of a steel conglomerate who was famous for knowing the names of every employee around him, from the lowest to the highest level. He even remembered the names of their children. Needless to say, he was revered by his staff. Then again, there are certain CEOs who remain successful despite being (or because they are?) pompous (check out the lifestyle of a former boss who makes no apologies)!

Good luck on getting that job promotion!

Hoping For A Job Promotion? How To Get Promoted At Work

YNAB Pro Giveaway Code: fibonacci

Do you think you’ve got a tough job? How do you face difficult people or tough situations at your workplace?

Most work places are pressure cookers where stress and conflict are commonly endured. How many of us find ourselves burned out several months after the honeymoon phase at a new job is over? Job burnout is a common consequence of a tough work environment, and it’s something we certainly want to avoid. But what happens if you’re particularly sensitive to the politics that take place around you at work? Unfortunately, it’s something that’s a fact of work life for many employees; office politics is something that many of us have to learn how to deal with in order to ensure our longevity and success at the office (wherever that may be).

Image by MSNBC

So how many of us have some work war stories to share? In my case, one of my colleagues at school is a young teacher, barely 23 years old. She’s a highly sensitive girl, so whenever she receives any form of criticism, no matter how constructive it is, she can’t help but run off to cry in the restroom. This is just one of many examples of people who simply haven’t learned how to handle difficult situations in the working place.

How Do You React To Work Stress and Workplace Conflict?

While co-workers are sometimes supportive, on many occasions they may secretly enjoy seeing you in trouble with the boss, possibly sharing the erroneous belief that your sorry plight will benefit them in some way. Then there are those other employees, who can’t help but spend their time at work looking over their shoulders, constantly feeling paranoid, wondering how well they’re doing and how much they’re pleasing their bosses.

The fact is, our reactions to confrontations vary, depending on each person’s temperament and each individual’s personal agenda and position. In the movie “The Devil Wears Prada”, the boss is simply immune to criticism, a fault that will eventually cause the company to lose money since nobody dares to oppose her decisions. How then should we handle difficult situations in the work space?

6 Ways To Deal With A Difficult Job Environment

1. Work on your self-esteem. A worker who has a good understanding of their value to the company will be able to handle confrontations without falling into despair and without losing faith in themselves.

2. Dialogue. Ask your boss for a chance to talk privately whenever he or she chides you publicly for making a mistake. Communicating your concerns to your supervisor and offering to improve your track record while reminding them that a private conversation is something you’d appreciate, could be effective. Try to aim for a give and take at work with your boss and colleagues: a positive approach will have a better chance at diffusing any conflicts that are brewing. When you’re given a chance, try to put yourself in a positive light, say by giving concrete evidence of your efforts (e.g. if you’ve gone on training classes or finished projects ahead of schedule, remind your superiors about this).

3. Reach a decision. If the boss seems to be an unrepentant dictator who apparently will never change, make up your mind whether you are willing to take his/her tyranny much longer. After all, you’ve got free will and choices to make. It may be time to leave your job if you believe you won’t be seeing any changes to your current environment.

4. Move on emotionally. Do not let negative emotions ruin your mental stability. Pain, sadness, anger, humiliation and frustration are normal, to a point. Do not dwell on the past unless you want to become permanently stressed. Don’t let anything or anyone cause you any more stress — it’s unhealthy! Roll with the punches and go on enjoying life.

5. Remain calm during confrontations. “Always keep your cool — try to stay calm…even when someone does something that upsets you. Try to be a ‘bigger’ person!”, according to eHow. Martial arts teaches us to keep our cool in a fight; don’t be the one to get upset. If your nemesis sees that they are not getting to you emotionally, they will eventually quit and maybe even apologize.

6. Surround yourself with good energy. Seek the company of those who like and appreciate you whether at work or in your personal life. You might want to talk to a former teacher you hold in high esteem; or to a minister at your church. Forget “shrinks”. They cost a fortune and are not likely to help you solve anything; you can get much better advice from persons you admire and respect.

As we learn to handle difficult situations, we also grow in experience and wisdom, which are qualities that will weigh heavily in life’s experiences. We become more mature when we examine ourselves — a technique called “introspection” — during which we actually sustain an internal dialogue. Let us practice this ability in order to grow more mature and more successful in our interpersonal relations.

Work Stress and Workplace Conflict: Dealing With A Difficult Job Environment

YNAB Pro Giveaway Code: fibonacci

Why earn a college degree abroad? Have you considered sending your kids (or yourself) to study in a different country? Besides some relatively cheaper options for schooling, studying abroad may also offer a lot of rich and new experiences. In this article, we explore Mexico as a potential place to get an education, but the ideas here are simply representative of what to consider when you decide to pursue your studies overseas.

Pretty picture by the NYTimes.com

When I was living in Mexico, teaching English to Mexican university students in Monterrey, a doctor friend of mine launched a bold program to attract dollars to the School of Medicine via American students who either were unable to enter a school due to the high costs, or who were simply rejected because their SAT scores were too low. He was quite successful and I helped him welcome the first batch of 20 students from various states north of the border.

Of course, these medical students were aware that once they had their degree, they would still have to satisfy State Bar medical exams to be able to work as physicians. Some courses were in English, but a wise requirement by the University of Monterrey mandated that they had to learn Spanish during their first year; hence, ad hoc classes were provided as part of the curriculum.

Take Your Studies Abroad

This program lasted only 3 years, as the founder passed away suddenly of a heart attack; however, any American student can study at any Mexican university, as long as she/he understands Spanish. The costs are a little higher than for native Mexicans, but still a long way below the amount paid in the U.S. The Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon is a state university that is renowned the world over for its extraordinary record in kidney transplants. It has its own public hospital which caters mainly to the indigent population.

…And Broaden Your Horizons

You don’t have to get your degree in a foreign country to enjoy studying abroad. Many American universities even require some students (based on their curriculum) to spend a year in a foreign country studying the language and the customs. Some financial aid is even available:

“The Carlos Castañeda Memorial Scholarships are available to students with an above average academic record as well as significant financial need. Awards are $1,000 toward summer tuition or $2,500 for a year of study in Mexico. Applicants must also meet Spanish language proficiencies,” according to this site called College Scholarships: this offer is among many other offers of scholarships for American students in various areas. Isn’t it fascinating to think about archeology or anthropology in Mexico, Costa Rica, or Honduras? Primitive artifacts are awaiting the audacious graduate student!

Note as well that if you have a 529 college savings plan in your name (or your child’s name), then the funds here can be applicable to certain accredited colleges and universities abroad. There are certain “study abroad programs” that are approved as viable recipients of funds from 529 plans.

Scholarships For Americans!

While most of this site is in Spanish (you’d also have to ignore the questionable web design), there are sections here that discuss options and possibilities for financial support for American students (referencing the Fulbright-Garcia Robles scholarship for tuition and living allowance.) The U.S.-Mexico Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (COMEXUS) has government support for growing the understanding between the two neighboring countries by developing programs of this sort that allow graduate students who are US citizens to seek international experience.

Advice For American Students

One of the most important words of advice to young American students who wish to polish their education abroad is: Be Careful! What may be tolerated here may not be acceptable in the host country. I remember a young American tourist in Singapore who was condemned to 20 lashes for smoking pot. You will discover very quickly that we enjoy a much greater freedom and safety here in the United States than in many other countries. Mexican jails are not particularly hospitable to gringos (particularly to the younger ones). But if you adapt quickly and show tolerance for different mores, your stay could be highly memorable!

Why Study Abroad? Get Educated In A Foreign Country

YNAB Pro Giveaway Code: fibonacci

Here’s more on the creative job hunt. Find out what people are doing to stand out from the job hunting crowd!

We live in a society in which most people fear being different, fear making waves and thus fail to exhibit their unique qualities. In this jobless era, however, the few and the bold (to paraphrase a military slogan) are the ones who will get the good positions available. For let’s not forget a very important fact: Companies are hiring, albeit not as much as usual. For every open job, there are 250 people (OK, I exaggerate; it’s more like 4 per opening) asking for an interview and/or plopping their resumes in the company’s inbox at a job fair. So how can one differentiate oneself from all the other applicants?

Use The Internet To Your Advantage.

Heard about the guy who created a “musical resume”? He created an original composition, and delivered his song to the internet audience via YouTube, and it was a virtual hit. Just check out his “Will Sing For Work” video. Visit this link or click on the image below to watch it.

I was impressed by this job hunter’s creativity and wonder why he hasn’t been hired yet!

And what about this interesting case of a young graduate, Jamie Varon, (written up in Fortune Magazine); she applied to a lot of places (including Twitter) and pretty much got nowhere, even going as far as taking a box of cookies to Twitter’s offices. So she decided to do something different; she created her own website called twittershouldhireme.com, where she posted her resume, her recommendations and a blog to track her search. She was asked within 24 hours for a face-to-face meeting at Twitter, and got a couple more offers from other companies to boot. It pays to be different!

How To Get A Job: Think Outside of the Box!

Show just how different you are and make yourself stand out. If you’re applying for a job somewhere, let them know what you can do for them and what kind of value you’ll add to their enterprise.

There was also an interesting post on LinkedIn where the author emphasized that creativity and being different are two important qualities in today’s difficult job market. He gave the example of a young graduate who had a very creative (as in “I like Alice in Wonderland”) resume that mirrored her interests and priorities. I wouldn’t recommend that approach to everybody, of course. Some jobs require sticking to conservative mores, and a resume formatted to look like a movie ad may not go well in some circles (banking industry, anyone?). However, the concepts of clarity and courage are essential to impress would be recruiters, simply because these very qualities are going to benefit the company’s bottom line. You must however find creative ways to convince them that you’re the ideal employee for them:

1. Prepare for your first contact with the hiring company.
If you were lucky enough to be invited for an interview, prepare as you have never prepared before (maybe check out our job interview techniques!). Find out all you can about the company’s products and strategies and if you are an experienced manager or technical person, try to find something specific you can do to improve their products and or bottom line. Case in point: a software designer looking for work sent a list of 3 mistakes he found in his potential employer’s software product and was hired on the spot.

2. Participate in networks.
If you haven’t done so already, join LinkedIn and participate in the forums related to your area of expertise. Social networks are an excellent way to get noticed when you make thoughtful comments. You can also ask the group members if they know who is hiring.

3. Dust off your rolodex.
During your 20 years at Company X, you should have made a list of clients, providers and colleagues. Contact them one by one and don’t be ashamed to ask for help in finding a job. They can provide you with valuable leads.

4. Focus on those employers you’d really like to work for.
Do not shoot out a thousand resumes, hoping that one will bite. This is not fishing or gambling. Concentrate instead on 10 companies you know you’d like to work for and in which you can make a difference. By the way, a cover letter may not be very effective, unless you find a way to truly focus your achievements in such a way that the HR manager can get an instant picture of your worth. A P.S. might also be a good idea, as people are usually curious about that section.

5. Join highly visible social, professional and/or community groups.
Join social and professional groups where you are likely to meet people in positions of power. The local Chamber of Commerce may be a good start. At least you are meeting people face-to-face, not online. Drop a few hints in the conversation that you are looking for a job without sounding too desperate. Be ready to give them a personal card if they ask for your information. Look sharp and smart!

6. Volunteer.
Volunteering is another creative way to find a job. You may become so valuable that they’ll want to keep you. Think Red Cross, mentoring kids in schools or clubs, teaching immigrants English, and so forth. Quite a few important people work in these areas and may be able to help you.

7. Go back to school?
College is a good place to find a job, of course. Aside from the school’s job board, the university may need help themselves in all kinds of areas. That is a good place to start if you are a recent graduate who doesn’t have to worry about mortgage and kids. You may also want to contact your favorite teachers; they often have leads from friends in the private sector who are looking for that special graduate student.

8. Check out government slots.
Our government is the largest employer in the nation with the best benefits. If you have joined the service or the Peace Corps or Teachers For America, you have a better chance of landing a good job. A friend of mine from TFA finished her 2-year teaching commitment and immediately obtained a position for a government agency that specializes in rescuing at-risk students.

Why Not Take A Risk?

Don’t be afraid of being different, which means taking different routes to the coveted position. Just make sure you don’t take a job just because there is nothing else (unless you have 5 hungry kids). Go out there and show how unique you are. Somebody is bound to notice!

How To Get A Job By Thinking Outside Of The Box

YNAB Pro Giveaway Code: fibonacci

Based on the awesome response we received for Studenomics’ guest post entitled How To Work Full Time While You’re In College, we decided to follow up on this same topic. The Studenomist is our guest contributor for today; he runs Studenomics, a great personal finance blog aimed at the college crowd. Please consider subscribing to his RSS feed here.

Image from ABC News.

Even if free college tuition isn’t in your cards, you may still afford going to college on your own. Want to know how to effectively balance your work and studies? It’s important to stay well-organized, and it also helps to develop a structured routine at school. Here are some suggestions based on my own experiences:

Create Your Own Work Study Program! How To Balance Your Job and School Work

1. Find a relatively easy job.

Are you too burned out after work that you can’t even keep your eyes open long enough to read a chapter out of your textbook? Well, you can try looking around for a job until you find one that’s relatively easy to handle. For example, my friend works as a teaching assistant at his school and on most hours, he just sits in the class with the students while a lecture is going on. When he has tutoring sessions after a class, he hands out tasks for the students to complete, then reviews the materials with them. Sometimes he works 40 hours a week and goes home without feeling any stress at all.

There was also a comment on my post, How To Work Full Time While You’re In College, which was made by a reader who wrote that he worked as a bus driver and had the opportunity to turn off his brain so to speak.

When you find a job that is relatively physically or mentally “easy”, you’ll find that you’re able to work full time hours without feeling much stress. What are some relatively easy jobs that college students can find? Well I hope I don’t offend anyone, but here are a few jobs that won’t burn you out mentally/physically:

• Library help. Nice and quiet while you stock books and work the desk.
• Custodial work or janitorial services. Mop the floor while your mind rests.

I could go on but you catch my drift. If you find that 10 hours of work a week is killing you, then maybe it’s because you need to find something lighter on your mind and body. You could argue that this is the lazy way out but the way I see it, your main goal is to complete college with high grades. If you can pay off your student loans as you go through college then you’re ahead of the game.

2. Try part time work first and SLOWLY pick up more hours.

Start off at 5 hours a week and try adding an hour each week until you reach your maximum capacity. What is your maximum capacity, you might ask? Well I could give the obvious answer and say it all depends on your situation, but here’s how I see it:

• If you find yourself with ample time in between lectures or with a light course load then add in some extra hours at work.
• If you are always struggling to meet deadlines, sleeping 3 hours a night, running from one class to another, then you’re definitely not in a position to pick up any extra work.

You may find that 15 hours a week is all you can spare or you may find that working 40 hours a week after a gradual transition actually feels quite comfortable. At the end of the day, if you find yourself spending time on mindless activities (e.g. playing Facebook games) then you can probably accommodate some work hours in your schedule. Some trial and error will be necessary here as you adjust what feels right for you. If you’ve got a truly challenging course load, then try to remain at a minimum of 5 hours a week of work.

3. Cut out pointless activities.

You must be willing to drastically limit the time you spend on “fun activities” (or should I say “pointless activities”?). If you see value in hanging out with your closest friends then this isn’t a pointless activity; it’s something you need to maintain balance in your life, so by all means, don’t miss out on this (social activities are important too, but anything taken to the extreme may simply be a waste of time and energy). But if you find yourself being bored (e.g. watching reruns on television or flipping channels), then you could just be misusing your time. If you’re not spending this time on your studies then this is valuable time that you could spend earning an income. The goal here is to maintain a balanced life and an efficient schedule.

4. Set up a “sleep in” day.

We all love to sleep in, but honestly, do you really need to do this every single day? True, the thing about working full time while studying full time is that you may not get the full 8 hours of sleep every night. So my suggestion here is to set up one day during the week where you have the morning off and get to sleep in for as long as you please.

5. Sucks to say this but sacrifice is needed.

So you want to earn a college degree but don’t have a 529 college savings plan in your name? I really don’t know how else to put this, but you must be willing to make some sacrifices in college. There will always be time to get wasted or time for just lounging around; however, based on your goals and priorities, you’ll need to make tradeoffs. If you’re determined to make a work schedule fit into your college life, then be prepared to make a few sacrifices: you can still have fun… but you’ll need to place limits. During last year’s fall semester, I went for 6 weeks completely focused on work and study. My girlfriend wasn’t happy about it, but those are the sacrifices that have helped me accumulate a decent savings account while studying in college full time.

Create Your Work Study Program and Balance Your Job and School Work

YNAB Pro Giveaway Code: fibonacci

In your opinion, what’s the toughest job in America today? I think these are close seconds.

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector

Logging Worker, Lumberjack

Fisherman

Zoo Worker

Septic Tank Worker

Police Officer

Or what about the myriad other really difficult jobs (in my mind), such as working at a slaughterhouse, being a firefighter, or manning a prison or juvenile hall? When I think about all those employees who wake up each day to get this kind of work done, it’s hard not to feel foolish about complaining about the paper jam that put my printer out of commission, or of feeling miffed about the coworker who put me on the spot during my last presentation (which thankfully, was a long time ago). With all the job classifications that are out there, I’m glad I don’t have this kind of tough job to face each day.

Would You Take This Job? The Toughest Job In America

But to answer my question, in my mind, I believe that the toughest job around is that held by the soldier and by those who work in the military. I’ve given some thought to the sacrifices made by American soldiers who’ve given their lives for our country.

When I think about it, any job that puts your life on the line must be the hardest job you could ever have. Not only does a soldier risk their own life when they perform their job, in many instances, they’re also doing it under the worst of conditions. So how about putting into perspective what it really means to be making a sacrifice?

No matter what job we have or situation we find ourselves in — financial crisis be damned — I believe there’s always room for us to look on the bright side and count our blessings.

Images by CNBC and Grad Money Matters.

Would You Take This Job? The Toughest Jobs In America

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At first, this may seem like a strange question, but you’d be surprised by the responses you’d get if you ask it: would you leave your job during the crisis? Would you prefer to get laid off or would you take a pay cut to save your job? There are reasons why you’d opt for one situation over the other — the only answer I can give here is that it all depends. Based on your circumstances, you might decide to hang on or move on.

Image from BioJobBlog

Job Layoff or Pay Cut: Which Would You Take?

Some companies have opted for shrinking paychecks instead of firing people. Hewlett-Packard and the NY Times are some of them. Smart companies will even give their employees a day off as compensation, converting the job into a French imitation of the 35 hour week. Even smarter firms are able to encourage their CEOs to come down from their perches to personally talk to affected employees (for small and medium companies obviously). It supposedly helps morale in the office when the boss says “I’m going to take a pay cut myself”, say from a million dollars a year to $800,000 (boy that 20% pay cut sure is a sacrifice!). Do all these measures really help employees feel better? And what about the company stars, the ones who bring big clients and contribute to the bottom line; how would they react to a pay cut? What if you were one of those affected?

Should you agree to lower salaries? Reducing the base salary is anathema to many people, according to BusinessWeek: “Employees know their bonus is going to go up and down, but base pay is supposed to be sacrosanct,”; thus, pay cuts tend to create an unpleasant atmosphere inside the office where sotto voce grumblings can be heard in every department. Then again, in some circles, even bonus cuts are met with fire — just ask investment bankers who hold Wall Street jobs about this. Now how should you react if this happens to your job? Would you prefer pay reduction to layoffs and hope to be spared by the pink slip guillotine?

Another problem is losing your key players who are upset by the lower salary: “The last thing you want is for your A players — or people in key strategic positions delivering the most value — to leave because you’ve mismanaged your compensation system”, says Mark Huselid, a famous Human Resources consultant.

How To React To Changes To Your Employment Situation

As an exercise, let’s consider your options once you’re hit with a salary cut:

1. Discuss your situation with your boss.
If you are one of those stars in the company and you are hit by a generalized pay cut, you should immediately ask to talk to your boss in private. Make sure you have the facts, the numbers to support your claims. An enlightened supervisor will go up the chain of command and try to reverse the decision, because he/she knows that his/her position is contingent upon your success.

2. Threaten to quit?
Don’t try this as a bluff, because the last thing you want is for your employer to call you out. If you are ready to move on anyway, then express your dissatisfaction about your situation in as diplomatic a way as you possibly can. I wouldn’t go this route unless I had other offers on the table, of course. The worst thing you could do is jump from the frying pan into the fire by leaving a job without better options under consideration. So only try it as a last resort: mention the possibility that you will resign if there’s no room to negotiate your situation and you’re truly going to be unhappy with your new terms of compensation. Here’s my opinion as a former HR representative (some of you may disagree, and if you do, we’d love to hear your thoughts!): HR departments must know that treating everybody the same way may not be conducive to good office morale. Just as salaries are different for different positions and responsibilities, so must the pay cuts be treated according to individual merits. Now if you’re bent on quitting, you may want to check out our articles on 25 Reasons To Leave Your Job and 15 Ways To Resign.

3. Know when to complain.
If you are not one of the big movers in the company, should you complain when you are told that salaries will be cut? No, of course not. Be thankful you still have a paycheck at the end of the month, albeit a smaller one. It’s still better than collecting unemployment. Don’t even gripe privately to your office buddies; as you know very well, the grapevine will make sure that your comments reach the boss. Back stabbing is unfortunately an old custom at the work place, a habit that has been compared very often to the crabs in a basket: whenever one tries to crawl out, the others pull him back in. There is nothing wrong with discussing the situation with your boss and explaining what hardships a lower salary will cause. If you have a good relationship with him/her, it will make a difference when he/she is considering promotions (if you prove to be a loyal and hardworking employee.)

4. Look at the bright side.
Consider the long term and the overall economic situation. The company wants to keep you; that’s why they reduced your pay. It’s not punishment; it’s a way of saying that they value your contribution but that times are tough. When the economy rebounds, people like you who showed their loyalty when things were difficult should be rewarded. Bosses are like elephants: they have a long memory. So it pays to put your good face on when everybody else is complaining. It just might make you the front runner for a better position when the time comes.

So what’s your take?

Job Layoff vs Pay Cut: What’s Your Preference?

YNAB Pro Giveaway Code: fibonacci

When online social networking and your career don’t mix.

Leverage The Internet To Get A Job

We’ve heard about how great social networking can be to our job or career. For instance, by connecting with past colleagues and friends over the Internet, I’ve increased my chances for getting job leads which eventually led to actual job offers. I’ve been using LinkedIn as one great resource for connecting with others professionally. Facebook can potentially do the same job if you take a professional stance with your profile. Then there are many others who have immersed themselves in a creative job hunt by setting up web sites that reflect and market their accomplishments.

So yes, the Internet is a fabulous resource that you can leverage to land a new job. But there’s a flip side to this — especially when you end up sharing too much of yourself online. Here’s an interesting article about how the online world can be hazardous to your career, plus more thoughts on this below (courtesy of our guest poster, Jacques Sprenger):

Can Online Social Networking Break Your Career?

It used to be, before the birth of the Internet, that applying for a good job only required a good, short, crisp, resume and a terse, professional, cover letter. In the past, your resume writing and job interviewing skills plus a quick background check would be enough to get you hired. Well things have changed for the job seekers of today.

Nowadays, it’s a whole different ball game because of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other such wonderful social networks. If you don’t believe this assertion, try to Google yourself. That’s what employers do, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey: “Employers are checking job applicants’ profiles on sites like Facebook, Brightfuse and LinkedIn.”

What are employers looking for? Incriminating information and material that job candidates probably shouldn’t be posting in his/her profile — stuff that betrays the image of the professional who fits the mold of the ideal employee. Such as Marilyn (not her real name, of course) who was filmed by a “friend” when she was lying on the sidewalk, completely drunk and minus her clothes. The “kind friend” promptly posted her visage on Facebook, complete with first and last name of the victim.

Or how about this survey that claims that “35 percent of job recruiters have dropped a job candidate because of information uncovered online”? These days, it’s not that hard to make someone look bad: if you ever become the target of someone who is tech savvy, say because of envy or rage, then watch out! It wouldn’t be too hard for the conniving perpetrator to post numerous profiles of you as someone with a past (criminal), a boozer, or any other filth they may think of. Guess what the prospective employer will think after Googling you?

Stuff To Watch Out For Online

Here’s a list of things you may want to beware of, when you set out to cultivate your online presence:

1. Watch what you say in a social network.
The troublemakers of this world have found a new way to reduce everybody else to their own mediocre level. You can sink yourself, however, by not being careful. As qouted from Regulargeek.com: “for some reason, many people have the idea that if they use a social network or other popular website they can say whatever they want.” Even a silly statement uttered as a joke can backfire on you if a potential boss fails to see the humor. Extreme case in point: a couple of miscreants thought it was funny to post their malicious antics on the web. Nothing funny about landing in jail!

2. Avoid writing about your company.
You may want to steer away from discussing your work or job on the Internet (except, maybe, if you do it anonymously in a forum like Glassdoor.com, where you can rate your job, company and salary). Complaining about your company (past or current) may have ill consequences. From Buzzle.com, here are top reasons given by employers for not hiring someone based on an Internet search:

• Lying about job qualifications (31%)
• Poor communication skills (25%)
• Links to criminal behavior (24%)
• Trash-talking previous employers (19%)
• Posting inappropriate photographs online (11%)
• Using unprofessional screen names (8%)

3. Avoid questionable associations.
In these trying times, when finding a job is so difficult, a small mistake in your past may make all the difference. Imagine using a screen name like nakedmonkey, or partygirl, or killingmachine. Speaking as someone who worked in Human Resources in the past, I would strongly hesitate hiring someone with questionable associations, especially during an employer’s market.

How To Defend Your Reputation

Okay, so you have some blots on the web that may affect your chances; so what is one to do? I heard of at least one innovative company that vows to “defend your good name on the Internet”. Companies like ReputationDefender will, for a fee of course, take care of the problem and keep monitoring your unwanted presence on the Internet until you cancel the membership. But you don’t have to go this far when you can simply take reasonable steps to keep your name clean online. It would be so much cheaper not to be caught in your underwear with a bottle of beer in each hand when a “friend” is taking pictures.

Online Social Networking Mistakes That Can Break Your Career

YNAB Pro Giveaway Code: fibonacci

This is a guest post from Grant Baldwin, the author of Reality Check, a book about helping students transition into the real world. His new website, BrokePiggy.com, answers questions from teenagers about personal finance, savings, and all things money.

This series “12 Things Every Teenager Needs To Know About Money (And How To Teach Them)” is a community blog experience. This post is only one of the 12 points in the series so to view the other 11, please visit the list of links below.

Don’t get me wrong… a college degree is valuable. All things being equal, someone with a degree will probably be more likely to get the job than someone without.

In fact, the Census Bureau estimates that someone with a two-year degree will earn on average $500,000 more over the course of their lifetime than someone with just a high school diploma. Someone with a four-year degree will earn on average $1 million more over the course of his/her lifetime than someone with just a high school education.

While I believe highly in education, and I have a pretty piece of paper in the form of a college degree to prove it, having a degree doesn’t guarantee success. Here are some things I do know to be true about a college degree:

1. A lot of successful people don’t have a degree.
Bill Gates. Steve Jobs. Walt Disney. Michael Dell. None of them had a college degree, yet they could all be classified as successful. Having said that though, understand that they are the exception and not the norm. One thing they do each have in common is that they each went out and started their own business and paved their own way for success. Could they have been as successful if they took on a J-O-B? We’ll never know!

2. What you learn outside the classroom may be as important as what you learn inside the classroom.
I sat through 4 years of college classes, and I’m not sure I could tell you a ton of specific things I learned in class. But what I could tell you about were the friendships I made; how I expanded my network through various new connections; and how I learned about time management, developed money management skills, and learned to live on my own. I learned just as much, if not more, about responsibility, dedication, and working hard. While I don’t remember the day those topics were taught, I do remember that I learned them.

3. You will most likely change careers at some point.
Statistics tell us that the average person will change careers seven times over the course of their lifetime. In addition, the Department of Labor says that each generation will have more careers than the previous generation. This means that you’ll probably have more jobs than your parents have had and that your teen will have more jobs than you have. So whatever degree your child ends up getting will probably have less bearing than you think, on the field or work they do during their lifetime.

Like I said, I’m all for college and education in general, but if you think that having a degree is going to open endless doors of opportunity, you’ll quickly find out that this may not be the case.

Here is the full list of articles in the “12 Things Every Teenager Needs To Know About Money (And How To Teach Them)” series:

• Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees @ Bargaineering.com
• Two Words: Compound Interest @ PoorerThanYou.com
• Delay Gratification To Succeed @ GatherLittleByLittle.com
• Living On A Budget Isn’t An Option @ TotalCandor.com
• Should You Earn A College Degree? @ TheDigeratiLife.com
• Spend Money Based On Needs Not Wants @ MoneyNing.com
• There Is More Free Money Than You Realize For College @ FreeFromBroke.com
• Living On Your Own Isn’t Cheap @ Studenomics.com
• Taxes Are A Necessary Evil In Life @ MoneySmartLife.com
• Do What You Love, Love What You Do @ GenXFinance.com
• Don’t Be A Tightwad: Give Generously @ CashMoneyLife.com

This is a guest post from Grant Baldwin, the author of Reality Check, a book about helping students transition into the real world. His new website, BrokePiggy.com, answers questions from teenagers about personal finance, savings, and all things money.

Should You Earn A College Degree?

YNAB Pro Giveaway Code: fibonacci