5 tough questions to ask before a career change

Robert Half International
 

When you're dissatisfied with your professional life, a wholesale career change can seem alluring. In one swift move, you can transform not just what you do but also where, with whom, how and even why you do it.

Of course, making the leap also carries some major risks. Getting started in a new field often means taking a cut not just in pay but also in security and prestige -- at least for a while. Moves of this type also often require additional training or education.

Here are five questions to help you determine whether a career change is right for you.

1. What do you dislike about your current work?
If you can't quite put your finger on what's troubling you, you may soon find yourself in the same situation after you've made your move and the new-career smell has worn off.

When you imagine a career change, is the most attractive part the idea of escaping from your current manager, co-workers or projects? Many problems that seem intrinsic to the kind of work you do are actually rooted in the particulars of your current position or employer. Those elements are much easier to change than your overall career direction.

2. What are the best parts of your current position?
It's easy to let your dissatisfaction with some parts of your professional life obscure its pluses. Take a moment to consider the greenest patches of grass on your side of the fence. That could include generous compensation, meaningful work or the admiration of your colleagues. Think about which of these factors you might lose in the leap to a new career and how much you might miss them.

3. How familiar are you with your target field?
Reading about the field you're considering can be invaluable. But talking to people who work in it every day will give you a much more realistic picture of its challenges and satisfactions. For example, these individuals can alert you to any glamorous but misleading notions you may have about the new field.

Use your professional and social networks to identify people who work in your target field. Arrange informational interviews or offer to buy them lunch in exchange for picking their brains.

4. Are you passionate about the new field?
As with a career shift motivated purely by money, one inspired only by an "anywhere but here" urge isn't likely to yield lasting satisfaction. A strong personal connection to the new work can make the transition easier. Without such commitment, you might find yourself missing the comforts of the position you left behind.

5. How portable are your skills?
The fresher a new field seems to you, the less applicable your existing skills may be. Talk to your contacts in the target field about how well your abilities and experience might translate. If these people don't see many convincing connections, chances are employers won't, either.

If your answers to these questions point you toward making the leap, go for it. There's no guarantee you'll love your new career, but you have good reason to believe it's a risk worth taking. Even if the new path isn't a smooth one, it will likely take you closer to a more fulfilling work life.

Keep in mind that your move doesn't have to be an abrupt one. Consider ways you can make the transition gradually, such as taking on temporary assignments to build your experience in a new area or undergoing training for your targeted field while you continue working part time in your current one. Such measures may take some of the thrill out of the leap, but they'll also make for a much softer landing.

3-Month Course Yields 5-Figure Job

App Academy requires 80 to 100 hours per week, but promises payoff

• By Erik Sherman

Programming is a hot career path to well-paying jobs. Unless, of course, you don't know how to program. But such people as Rose Auravide and Tyler Benjamin have found that, with a lot of effort and an intensive course called App Academy, they were able to learn to write code in three months and land jobs in the high five-figures -- guaranteed.

Specifically, 24-year-old Auravide traded a $12 an hour part-time job with no benefits for a position in Web programming with customer service software vendor Zendesk in San Francisco at $70,000 a year and full benefits. Benjamin, who's 23, gave up delivering Domino's pizzas for about $25,000 a year (after car repairs and gas) and now makes $80,000 at Lovely, an online apartment rental marketplace.

App Academy is an example of a new area in professional education: intensive courses in areas of business that once required a college degree. Dev Bootcamp is another type of immersive programming course, with a 9-week training in programming. General Assembly has a broader variety of courses, including mobile app development, data analysis, product design, and digital marketing. What makes App Academy unusual is that other than a $3,000 deposit, students don't have to pay until after they finish the course and get a job.

Sound like a fast track to Easy Street? Not in the least. According to the school, the course requires between 80 and 100 hours a week, which can be grueling. Also, between 10 and 15 percent of the participants drop out during the "intense" experience. A person named Ben who was blogging about his experience at App Academy ultimately left after the fifth week. He suggested to others that they find a way to live near the course so they didn't lose too much time in commuting, recognize whether they could think clearly on short amounts of sleep, and understand that the intense exposure to using a particular programming language isn't for everyone.

In other words, going through the experience just to make more money might not be enough to sustain you. Although the increase in pay was significant, it wasn't the real motivating factor for Auravide. "It was probably a couple of years ago that someone showed me how to write some Java," she said in an interview with AOL Jobs. "I was enthralled by it; I knew that was what I wanted to do."

Benjamin had graduated with a degree in psychology and found that while his education was good, it wasn't "marketable." A contract job doing research paid the bills, but little else. When that ended, he wound up at Domino's -- literally a financial step up -- until a friend posted on Facebook a Wired article about App Academy.

Not that personal finances play no part in applying. According to App Academy co-founder Kush Patel, almost three-quarters of their students are unemployed when they come to the courses. The rest come from average salaries of $30,000 to $40,000 a year.

"What sets us apart from traditional for-profit education is the tuition model," says Patel. Students put down a $3,000 non-refundable deposit (although App Academy has waived it at times). After the course, which can take place in either San Francisco or New York City, App Academy has to place a student in a job that pays at least $60,000 a year. Patel claims that average salary for graduates is between $95,000 and $100,000 in San Francisco and $80,000 and $90,000 in New York.

App Academy gets 18 percent of a student's first year's gross salary, less the initial $3,000, to be paid off over six months. That works out to more than a third of the salary over the half year. But that can work out financially. Even paying 36 percent of their salary over six months leaves average students with significantly more income than they typically had before.

"I had saved up enough delivering pizzas to pay the up-front deposit as well as my living expenses while I was in San Francisco," said Benjamin, who only had to pay 15 percent of his first year's salary. (The amount jumped to 18 percent after he graduated and got a job.) "It's a small percentage of your salary and it's not like you'll need all of what you'll be making afterwards. Finding a cheap place to live in San Francisco is harder than paying."

Getting in was no snap. App Academy only takes 5 percent of applicants because they have to show themselves capable of learning the concepts in a social environment (students pair off to do work) in a very short time. "It was kind of high pressure," Auravide said, with tests and interviews. And then the course itself was "grueling and amazingly difficult" with many 12-hour days and work through the weekends, "but equally fun."

"It sounded too good to be true, but turned out to be even better than I expected," Benjamin said.

The power of introverts in the workplace

• By Guest Contributor

By Kaitlin Louie, writer and editor for CareerColleges.com and CityTownInfo.com

The thought of networking parties makes us cringe. Instead of a Friday night on the town, we prefer curling up in a chair and reading a book or watching a film. In work meetings we rarely speak up, but when we do, it’s after we’ve thought our entire contribution through. We are introverts, and for the longest time we have been encouraged to change our secluded nature, lest we flounder in the working world. In order to be visible, earn promotions and gain credibility in corporate America, selling yourself is invaluable — or so we’ve been told. Recent studies have cast new light on the value of an introverted disposition in the workplace.

In her recent book, “Quiet: The Power of Introverts,” former lawyer and self-professed introvert Susan Cain explains how introverts, while initially less impressive to hiring managers than extroverts, often perform better in the workplace. “We live with a value system that I call the Extrovert ideal — the omnipresent belief that the ideal self is gregarious, alpha, and comfortable in the spotlight,” Cain says in the excerpt of her book that is available on her website. “But we make a grave mistake to embrace the Extrovert Ideal so unthinkingly. Some of our greatest ideas, art, and inventions — from the theory of evolution to van Gogh’s sunflowers to the personal computer — came from quiet and cerebral people who knew how to tune in to their inner worlds and the treasures to be found there.”

“Quiet: The Power of Introverts” is not the only publication that advocates for increased appreciation of introverts in the workplace. In their study entitled “The Downfall of Introverts and the Rise of Neurotics,” Corinne Bendersky of UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and Neha Parikh Shah of Rutgers University studied the dynamics within study groups composed of MBA students. They found that, contrary to popular belief, work ethic and delivery on responsibilities took precedence over gregariousness when it came to an individual’s status in a group.

“Rather than a calculation of people’s status-valued attributes creating a stable hierarchy, we demonstrate that status allocation processes unfold more fluidly as peers revise their noisy initial expectations based on actual task experiences,” they wrote in their report, published in the Academy of Management Journal in April. In other words, their findings indicate that first impressions in the workplace might not have as powerful an effect long term as people think, because ultimately it is one’s actual contributions that determine one’s value in the eyes of one’s teammates.

According to Forbes’ explanation of the study, Bendersky and Shah classified the personalities of 229 MBA students as extroverted or neurotic based on their responses to a personality survey. They then placed these students into five-person study groups that would work together throughout the academic quarter. All students were subsequently asked to rate their teammates on how much they expected their peers to contribute to the group. Initial ratings showed that the more extroverted students garnered significantly higher status scores than did their neurotic peers.

Interestingly, as the academic quarter progressed, these ratings reversed themselves. Bendersky and Shah found that overall, the extroverts in the groups did not meet the expectations set for them by their teammates, and as a result, they lost status. Meanwhile, the neurotics within the study groups surpassed their peers’ initial expectations and contributed to their study group such that their status increased over time.

“Extroverts disappoint us over time when they’re part of a team,” Bendersky told USA Today, “On a team you’re expected to work hard and contribute a lot. But they’re often poor listeners, and they don’t collaborate.” In contrast, neurotics, by not selling themselves yet working consistently hard to contribute to their team, exceed expectations and earn the regard of their peers.

It should be noted that neurotics are distinct from introverts — while neuroticism refers to over-anxiousness, guilt and moodiness, introversion simply means that one derives more energy from being alone and often turns inward to reflect on life situations or creative projects. Yet Bendersky and Shah’s findings are relevant to , because neurotics and introverts share key attributes: neither enjoys being in the spotlight, and oftentimes they are not adept at selling themselves or arguing their points in large groups.

Anecdotal evidence also exists in favor of incorporating more introverts into the workplace. In NPR’s story, “The Quiet Strength of Introverts in the Workplace,” host John Donvan and journalist Anita Bruzzese heard from numerous callers who explained their experiences as introverts in the professional world. One introverted caller explained how her nurse manager colleagues appreciated her detail-oriented and focused nature, while another caller described how one of his extroverted co-worker’s attempts to sell herself actually backfired by making her seem self-centered.

One key point to keep in mind is that these studies are not placing extroverts and introverts in a kind of hierarchy or claiming one to be better than the other. In fact, they are an indication that both types of individuals have much to learn from each other: While extroverts could benefit from being more collaborative and contributing more to team goals, introverts may find more advancement opportunities if they learn how to advocate more strongly for their ideas and personal qualifications. Anita Bruzzese, who wrote a piece on the value of introverts for USA Today, told NPR, “Research will show, again and again, that the best workforces are diverse workforces. That means you need extroverts and introverts. You rely on their individual strengths to make a company successful.”

Management experts Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins, authors of “Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence,” agree with Bruzzese’s conclusions. In their book, they emphasize the importance of nurturing introverts’ and extroverts’ strengths, while encouraging both types of people to step out of their comfort zone and develop professionally. In an interview with USA Today, Su explained that introverts within teams “often have an approachable demeanor, which can make them exceptional mentors to more junior staff or particularly good sounding boards when you interact with them in one-on-one situations.” And while extroverts can be great at leading a group or initiating exciting projects, Wilkins explains that teaching extroverts how to listen better and be more attentive to their teammates’ needs will ultimately help them be more productive.

“Those who get out of auto-pilot recognize that their natural style is a strength and that adding a few more communication strategies in their repertoire won’t change who they are,” Wilkins explained to USA Today. “It will simply broaden their impact and get to the results they desire.”

Who's Hiring Where in Q4?

IT, financial services and manufacturing lead the way

• By CareerBuilder  

Getty Images

By Susan Ricker

In a booming economy, finding a new job can be pretty easy. In a recovering economy, however, you may feel more like a detective than a job seeker, spending most of your time searching for jobs, researching companies and investigating new opportunities.

In the last quarter of 2013, expect to continue using your detective skills as the hiring forecast predicts relatively steady hiring rates.

​"Consistent hiring has been the theme throughout this jobs recovery," says Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder. "Economic concerns are still looming. Some headlines in the news need to play themselves out before employers fully mobilize to create a more active job market. Companies will continue to produce an even stream of new jobs in the fourth quarter as they assess their positioning and prospects for the coming year."

While you may have to spend more time investigating in Q4, a recent CareerBuilder survey* of more than 2,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes nationwide found clues that will point you in the right direction of who's hiring and where.

Several industries are outperforming the national hiring rate
A closer look at hiring plans in the last quarter of 2013 shows the strong points of the economy. First, the overall hiring rate will remain stable, with one in four employers planning to add full-time, permanent headcount in the fourth quarter. This rate is very similar to last year, with 26 percent in Q4 2012.

However, several industries are expected to outpace the national average for companies hiring, including information technology (36 percent), financial services (32 percent) and manufacturing (30 percent).

Hiring among large health care organizations (those with 50 employees or more) is expected to mirror the national average, though that number may change as the Affordable Care Act takes effect and additional health care workers are needed.

The remaining organizations surveyed are either at full headcount or may need to reduce: 9 percent expect to downsize staffs, the same as last year. Sixty-one percent anticipate no change and 5 percent are undecided.

Despite the sluggish hiring numbers, there will still be a large number of employment opportunities in Q4. Thirty-two percent of employers plan to hire temporary or contract workers in the fourth quarter, similar to 33 percent last year. Those opportunities may very well turn into permanent employment by the New Year. Twenty-two percent report that they will transition some temporary or contract staff into permanent employees before the end of the year.

Opportunities will vary by size and location of company
Not only is it important to understand the industries that are hiring, but it's just as essential to know what kinds of companies are hiring and where those jobs are. Although small businesses continue to trail large organizations in the percentage of employers hiring, recruitment activity among companies of all sizes will remain relatively steady over the next three months.

• 50 or fewer employees -- 15 percent plan to add full-time, permanent staff in Q4 compared to 16 percent last year; 8 percent expect to reduce headcount compared to 7 percent last year.
• 250 or fewer employees -- 18 percent plan to add full-time, permanent staff in Q4 compared to 20 percent last year; 9 percent expect to reduce headcount compared to 8 percent last year.
• 500 or fewer employees -- 20 percent plan to add full-time, permanent staff in Q4 compared to 21 percent last year; 9 percent expect to reduce headcount compared to 8 percent last year.
• More than 500 employees -- 32 percent plan to add full-time, permanent staff in Q4 compared to 34 percent last year; 11 percent expect to reduce headcount compared to 9 percent last year.

Similar to previous surveys, the West remains the most optimistic in terms of hiring plans. The South saw the largest year-over-year decrease (four percentage points) in the number of employers expecting to recruit new talent in Q4 but is still slightly ahead of the Northeast and Midwest.

• West -- 29 percent plan to add full-time, permanent staff in Q4 compared to 31 percent last year; 9 percent expect to reduce headcount compared to 7 percent last year.
• South -- 24 percent plan to add full-time, permanent staff in Q4 compared to 28 percent last year; 9 percent expect to reduce headcount compared to 8 percent last year.
• Northeast -- 23 percent plan to add full-time, permanent staff in Q4 compared to 24 percent last year; those reducing headcount remained at 10 percent.
• Midwest -- 23 percent plan to add full-time, permanent staff in Q4, the same as last year; 11 percent expect to reduce headcount compared to 10 percent last year.

9 Ways To Conference Call Like A Pro

Your week will be so much easier to get through.

• By CareerBuilder
  

Tetra Images via Getty Images

By Tony Valdivieso

Conference calls don't have to stink. It's as simple as that.

Sure, you may still cringe when they're mentioned during meetings, in emails or at the end of other conference calls. They'll still irk you when they take up an hour or more on a busy afternoon. But you can learn to make them more manageable and even valuable, by following some simple conference call rules.

Here are nine etiquette tips that will save your next conference call:

1. Scout your location.
Don't be the person taking conference calls from your desk. Nobody likes that person. Also, silence your cell phone before the call begins, and do what you can to control "background noise that could interfere with the call," says Boston-based human resources executive Nancy Thomson. "You want to convey the impression that you take the call seriously and that the listeners have your full attention."

2. Be professional.
It's still a meeting, and you're still trying to move a project forward or accomplish a business goal. Don't start out looking at it as a waste of time. "You can learn something on every conference call," says Mark Stevens, CEO of MSCO, a global marketing and consulting firm. "The most boring conference call I've ever been on, I can learn something from if I wanted to and I can communicate something if I wanted to."

3. Don't play catch up.
If you want everyone else to pay attention, you'll need to do the same thing. This means no using the call to catch up on work or respond to emails. "Your attention will turn to the email and away from the call," Thomson says. If you can't fight the temptation, Thomson recommends closing your email. "If documents need to go back and forth, it is easy eno

ugh to open it back up."

4. Treat people (you can't see) the way you'd like to be treated.
Yes, it may be tempting to roll your eyes at a co-worker in response to something said on the other end of the line, but you'd never do that in a face-to-face meeting. Conference calls shouldn't be any different. "These days nothing really goes unnoticed," says career consultant Jennifer Chandler. "By envisioning people can see you, you are less likely to engage in bad behavior."

5. Time still matters.
The old adage still applies: If you're early, you're on time; if you're on time, you're late. If you've got a few extra minutes before the call begins, use the extra time to prep your team or have a pre-discussion addressing what you'd like everyone to cover during the call.

6. Don't dine and discuss.
"If [you] set aside time to make a presentation, if it's important enough to take people's time to make the presentation, then you shouldn't be eating lunch," Stevens says. "You should be paying attention, looking for questions to ask, looking for reasons to object, looking for ideas to insert."

7. Mute responsibly.
While normal etiquette may involve heavy use of your mute button, just know that it's not for every call. "Muting so that you can talk to someone offline for long periods, do something else or generally zone out is rude and not a particularly good idea professionally. You never know when you'll be asked a question," says James Gasteen, CEO of Precursive, a resource management software company. "But in general, using mute when you're not contributing is a courteous thing to do, as it reduces background noise on the call."

8. Don't be a call hog.
"The worst kinds of calls are those that are dominated by one overbearing individual who speaks without pausing. Here, you'll need to be more assertive, politely but firmly asking if you can make a point," Gasteen recommends. "Then it's just a case of making your point confidently and succinctly."

Make sure you recognize there are other people on the call. If you're driving the conversation a little too much, take time to solicit responses. In all likelihood, people have ideas or feedback they'd love to discuss.

9. End the meeting when it's over.
Sometimes conference calls can drag on and easily go over their allotted time. To avoid this, don't be afraid to wrap up a call by saying, "I think we're done here." It's just the respectful thing to do, Stevens says. "Someone might say, 'hold up' and ask a few more questions or clarify something. Or you might just break there and save a lot of time."

Countdown To Shutdown: One Federal Worker's Story

Commerce Department manager describes the mood

• By Laurie Petersen

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With one eye glued to C-SPAN for updates on their status, federal government workers are feverishly preparing the final work steps a total shutdown requires.

There's plenty to do before what appears will be the first full government shutdown since 1996.

AOL Jobs spoke with a senior manager in the Department of Commerce, who shared what's happening in the world of the "non-essential" employee on condition no names be used as it's bad enough being furloughed. She wouldn't want to be fired.

First off, the government has changed the language. Now it's "excepted and non-excepted" as opposed to the apparently more offensive "essential and non-essential."

The department held a meeting last Thursday and that's where people learned their status. Basically if you're essential for life and liberty, you're on. So that's VA hospitals, people dealing with roads and bridges, federal prison workers.

This worker's entire department was not excepted and told to watch the news because once the government shuts down they are immediately forbidden from using any government-issued Blackberries or web portals to communicate.

"Most people I know live paycheck to paycheck. We don't know if we'll get paid for the time or not. Our pay raises got frozen two years ago. A lot of people in the government were furloughed over the summer. Government workers have already been taking a hit with frozen pay grades and furloughs.

"Obamacare is the law. Why are we taking the hit?"

Ironically, the workers who face furlough are also scrambling to handle the many requirements involved with possible shutdown.

Already, airfares, hotel rooms and other travel expenses have been incurred. So cancellations are being made.

"From what I understand," she added, "it's an IT mess. You have to allow some people to get paid and stop payment to others. It's a real IT challenge. Some employees are 'excepted.' Their paychecks continue to accrue. But they don't get paid either. They get an IOU."

Personally, says this Commerce employee, "I feel that they knew this was coming and it's just a partisan game where the Republicans are arguing they want to not shut the government down and then they're filibustering to avoid a vote."

Oh, and the work of Congress is "excepted," once they get to work, that is.

"The Democrats are saying they don't want to shut it down, but they didn't go to work on Sunday, then they're not coming to work until 2 p.m. today. It's very frustrating."

Blast emails are being prepared offering more guidance for people on Tuesday. Which systems will be shut off? Which will still be operational?

"I 100% blame the Republicans who are making a game out of the federal budget. They want to blame Barack Obama. And using Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, as a hostage to try to hold up the budget is outrageous. It really is," she says.

"I don't have money to pay my mortgage if I don't get paid."

What Would Happen If The Government Shuts Down?

And who would be affected?

• By Reuters  

Getty Images

A partial shutdown of the U.S. government will begin at midnight on Monday if Republicans and Democrats fail to agree on a funding bill.

In a government shutdown, spending for essential functions related to national security or public safety would continue along with benefit programs such as Medicare health insurance and Social Security retirement benefits for seniors.

But civilian federal employees -- from people who process forms and handle regulatory matters to workers at national parks and museums -- would be furloughed.

The last government shutdown ran from December 16, 1995, to January 6, 1996, putting about 800,000 federal workers on furlough.

Here is a roundup of the expected impact of a shutdown.

Federal Workers

Photo: NASA Johnson Space Center control room in Houston, Texas.
Up to 1 million U.S. federal workers could face furloughs without pay beginning on Oct 1.
Most federal agency workers would be furloughed, but a small number of "excepted" employees must continue to work. These include security workers such as air traffic controllers and prison guards. Congressional staffers could work if requested by the lawmaker or committee that employs them.
Congress has previously paid federal workers for their furlough days.
Federal workers could face penalties if they tried to do any work during the furlough.


 Read more. What Would Happen If The Government Shuts Down?

4 Ways To Get More From LinkedIn

Create a bigger digital footprint

• By Miriam Salpeter  

 

You know you should be using LinkedIn to create your digital footprint – what people know about you online. You signed up and created a profile, but opportunities are not flooding in. Are you making mistakes on LinkedIn or missing something important? Here are four things you can do to use LinkedIn more effectively.

1. Jazz Up a Boring Headline

The headline appears directly under your name in LinkedIn and shows up whenever your profile comes up in search. Does it say something that will make someone want to click through to learn more about you? If it is a job title, it's not likely to be very compelling. Consider your headline an opportunity to pitch your unique value proposition – what is special about you – to anyone who comes across your profile. Include keywords that people will use when they search for someone like you as well as a promise of something you will do for them. For example: Leadership Development Management Consultant: Build effective work culture and accelerate employee performance.

Be sure you choose words for your headline that people will type into the search bar when they are looking for someone like you. When you incorporate a promise or a pitch, you'll be a step ahead of the competition.

2. Connect with Alumni

LinkedIn's most successful users engage and interact with colleagues and mine new contacts. One great tool is under the "Network" tab: Find Alumni. Click through and you'll be able to find information about alumni of your schools. You can see "where they work," "what they do" and "where they live." It's a great opportunity to easily find and connect with people who share your alma mater.

3. See Who's Viewed Your Profile

Under the "Profile" tab, scroll to "Who's Viewed Your Profile." Even with a free account, you can see the last several people who clicked through to your profile. If they allow you to identify them (some people are anonymous), you can ask them to connect with you or reach out to offer to network with them. Keep an eye on this tab and you may wind up connecting with someone who can make a big difference in your career.

4. Choose Your Groups

Maybe you joined some groups, but you aren't actively involved. Or, perhaps you're trying to decide which groups to join so you can be more productive? Did you know you can learn about groups before you join them, or check out some stats to decide if you should be active? Click into the group you want to investigate. Then, select the I (it's on the right side of the toolbar in the Group). You'll see another toolbar pop up below with information about the group, including "Group Statistics." You can learn what type of people are members, where they live and how active the group is based on discussions and jobs posted.

Once you pick the right groups for you and prioritize the ones best suited to your needs, you'll want to be active and post discussions and updates in your favorite groups. Also, be sure to request notifications from groups so you're aware when someone posted something you'll want to see and be able to respond.

Keep in mind...

Once you have a firm handle on how to use LinkedIn, don't miss the opportunity to use other social media tools -- including Twitter and Google+ to land a job.

10 New (And Legal) Ways Your Employer Is Spying On You

The right to privacy is fast vanishing.

• By Donna Ballman 

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Just when I think I've heard every extreme story about employer spying, I hear a new one that curls my hair. For instance, a company recently turned in a former employee to the local police for making "suspicious" Google searches on the company computer. One employer installed a tracking device in the car of an employee they thought might be moonlighting with a second job. The National Workrights Institute says that two out of three U.S. employers are using some sort of electronic monitoring of employees. Why? Because it works. One study found that monitoring decreased theft by 22% and increased revenues by 7%. Employers don't seem to care that monitoring also causes increased employee stress and dissatisfaction with their jobs.

Think you have the right to privacy at work? Think again. Here are 10 perfectly legal and new ways your employer may be spying on you:

1. Internet usage monitoring: Okay, maybe a worker searching for "pressure cooker bomb" might justifiably set off some alarm bells, as it did like for one employer who notified authorities. But searching terms such as, "pork," "cloud," "team" and "Mexico" can generate Homeland Security's interest, so if you spend time at work checking out whether there are storm clouds on the way for your visit to Mexico to see your favorite soccer team and eat pork rinds, you may be in trouble. Your employer is almost certainly monitoring your internet usage. Even if you don't care about Mexican pork rinds, if you're booking airline tickets, tweeting, checking out your ex-spouse's relationship status on Facebook or, god forbid, checking out porn sites, your employer will know about it. Read, understand and don't violate your company internet usage policy. Don't end up being disciplined for your internet usage.
2. GPS: While your employer might not go as far as attaching a device to your personal vehicle, many company vehicles are equipped with GPS. If you don't go right to the customer's house, and instead stop at the flashing donut sign for a quick snack, your employer may know about it. Make an unscheduled, unapproved stop for gas? Duck into a rest stop to avoid a nasty thunderstorm? Better make sure you supervisor knows about it, or you could be fired. 3.
3. Keylogging: A keylogging program records every keystroke you use on your computer. Employers who use keyloggers see everything you type, including your passwords. The Stored Communication Act and Federal Wiretap Act, along with some state laws may offer limited protection, but so far most employers are getting away with this intrusive practice.
4. Email monitoring: Your company probably has a written policy, something in your employment agreement, or some paper you signed when you started saying the company can monitor your email. This doesn't only apply to your work emails. Your company may well look at your personal emails sent on company computers and devices, even if you used your personal email address. While there is a law, The Electronic Communications Privacy Act, that limits email monitoring, it's pretty weak. Employers can sneak consent forms into handbooks, applications and contracts in order to circumvent your right to privacy. Looking for another job? Contacting an employment lawyer about discrimination at work? Sending confidential information to your personal email? Assume your employer will read what you sent and be sensible about email at work.
5. Social media: The trend of employers demanding social media passwords to monitor employee and potential employee activity continues, although the horrible publicity this intrusive practice got has slowed the employer bandwagon. California, Washington, Maryland, Arkansas, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey and Illinois have banned this practice, but it's fair game in other states. Legislation is pending or has been passed in 36 states in 2013. While demanding passwords is quickly being made illegal, your employer can still check out your social media activity. Some companies have an overbroad social media policy that says you aren't allowed to discuss or disparage the company in social media. This may violate your right to complain about working conditions with coworkers. If corporate snooping reveals that you have a disability, pregnancy, genetic condition or other protected information, you may have a lawsuit against them if they fire you. Management-side lawyers continue to tout a parade of horribles to employers who don't monitor employee social media, so expect more monitoring in the future.
6. Audio recording: There are limitations on taping conversations that vary by state. In 12 states, everyone in the conversation must consent. In others, only one party need consent to being taped. However, employers may be allowed to tape employee conversations even in all-party consent states. Federal wiretapping laws have exceptions for employers who obtain employee consent, which means you may have signed something saying you agree to being taped when they shoved that giant stack of papers in front of you on your first day, in your application, when you signed the form attached to your handbook, or in an employment agreement. Employers also are allowed to tape for legitimate business purposes such as customer service, under very strict conditions.

7. Videotaping: Employers sometimes use videotaping to monitor employees. The wiretapping laws don't apply unless there's also audiotaping. I've heard of video cameras installed in offices, company vehicles, and locker rooms. Imagine driving a truck on a long haul and having to adjust your clothing. Smile! Someone is watching as you sort out your unmentionables. Some states have limitations, such as privacy laws, but in most places your employer can watch you. Employers may even videotape you while you're out of the office. In a recent case, an employer had an investigator tape an employee's off-duty activities while out on FMLA leave. Instead of punishing the employer for this extreme snoopery, the court tossed the employee's case.
8. Off-duty conduct: Moonlighting? Unusual hobbies? Smoking? Social drinking? Your employer may or may not be able to monitor your off-duty activities and fire you if they don't like it. Some states limit employers' ability to fire you for certain legal off-duty conduct. Most allow you to be fired at-will, even for something you did outside of work.
9. Medical records: In Arizona, there's a law allowing employers to inquire whether employee contraceptives are for medical reasons. While you do have some medical privacy at work, if you seek accommodations for a disability, ask for Family and Medical Leave, or make a worker's compensation claim, your employer may be entitled to your medical information. Employers can also demand doctor's notes under their sick policy, as long as they don't require the letter to include a diagnosis, disclose a medical condition, or apply the policy discriminatory.
10. Company devices: Almost every company device can be monitored. Copy machines, cell phones, vehicles, security entrances and computers can all tell the employer what you are up to. Copiers can store what you copied and tell the employer what time you made the copies. Text messages are not private. Your swipe card tells the employer when you came and went. Instant messages and chats can be recorded. If you're using a company device or are on company property, you can be monitored.

Some states allow employees who are the victims of employer snooping to bring claims for invasion of privacy, intrusion on seclusion, or other privacy rights. In general, your privacy rights at work are minimal. If you're at work, on the internet or out in public, it's best to assume your employer could be snooping. Beware. Big employer is watching you.

Why We Won't Need College in 15 Years

Some things just outlive their usefulness.

• By Brazen Life03

We all have that one thing in our lives we keep around without really knowing why. If you live and work in a big city, you may still have your car from the days when you used to live in the suburbs. At one time, the car had a purpose. But now? It just collects parking tickets and bird poop.

If you think hard enough, you can probably find something like this in your life. The same is true for society as a whole. Have you ever seen a pay phone and wondered why it's still there?

Some things outlive their usefulness. Is a traditional college education one of them?

Why we used to need college

Long before the Internet came along, in post-WWII America, information and knowledge were hard to come by. Knowledge was largely centralized in the universities, so if you wanted to gain the education necessary to obtain a middle-class job, you needed to go college. And the government paid you to go to college through programs like the GI bill.

Somewhere along the way, though, things changed. College tuition started rising more than the cost of living, and wages stopped increasing, making college a questionable financial investment. The quality of a college education began to decline, and employers started to realize that doing well in college didn't correlate with doing well in a real-world job. The old system started breaking down.

Today, the Internet has decentralized knowledge and government funding for college has dried up, but we still see college as the only viable option for an education. Why? Because most employers still require college degrees.

But what if we could find jobs that didn't require a traditional college degree? And what if we could find a way to acquire the knowledge required to be successful in those jobs without incurring $100K in student loans?

With the decentralization of knowledge, we can acquire the education to be successful without a traditional college education and, at the same time, find good jobs that don't require traditional college degrees. The infrastructure for this type of system is already being built, and the disruption of the traditional university system has begun.

Why we won't need college

Have you ever watched a how-to video on YouTube? Or searched Wikipedia for an article on a topic you didn't quite understand? These are simple examples of how the Internet has decentralized knowledge over the past 20 years. Imagine if we could extend these examples to replace an entire college education.

Massive open online courses ("MOOCs") like Udacity and Kahn Academy, which give you the tools to educate yourself for free, are building the infrastructure for this new system. If you question the quality of the education you can get from MOOCs, organizations like Dev Bootcamp provide apprentice-like experience for much less than a college degree.

If these non-traditional options are too risky for you, there are more traditional options available to you that avoid an expensive college degree and still give you access to a good middle-class job.

The main reason most of us don't take advantage of this type of education is because most employers don't accept it. Lucky for you, the employment infrastructure suited for this type of education is being created, too.

Are you a computer programmer? Apple gives you access to millions of customers through its App Store. Are you an author? Amazon has a platform for independent publishers. Are you a film buff who dreams of producing videos? YouTube lets you do that.

Many of these options are still unproven, and the path won't be easy for the early adopters. There's a lot of risk in self-employment, and there are questions about the quality of MOOCs. But, with rising college costs and stagnating wages, we're not being given much choice. Necessity is, after all, the mother of invention. The opportunity is there for you.

You just need to grab it.

Millennium Predictions That Were Hilariously Wrong

5 ridiculously wrong predictions that the experts made for the 2000s.

• By Erik Sherman  

Getty Images

No matter how hard work seems today, it used to be tougher. After all, it's not as though minimum wages, safety regulations, anti-discrimination laws, and the many other things that make the office or factory or sales floor far more manageable than had been back in the 19th century are of ancient origin.

But it's also not as easy and delightful as pundits in decades past thought it would be. Whether it was the amount of time people would be logging at work or the conditions they'd face there, the "futurists" made some hilariously-wrong predictions for the 2000s. Here are some of the prognostications that were wildly off (and perhaps might give you reason to question the predictions for 2030).

People would work only two days a week.
There was a time when a 40-hour full-time work week seemed like a dream. People in the U.S. routinely worked 6 days a week. But the Ford Motor Company pioneered the 5-day week in 1922, as the History Channel Reports. The 40-hour week became law in 1938, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Ah, but back in the 1930s, noted economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that eventually people would work a 15-hour week, as CNNMoney notes. People would work roughly two days each and then face the problem of what to do with their leisure time.

Clearly that didn't happen, and what to do with leisure time became clear: mow the lawn, get the kids to soccer, or even work another job because of the lack of middle class economic growth, as former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich told CBSNews.com.

However, the work week has grown shorter over time, probably because of an increasing trend to part-time employment. Statistics from the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development show that in 2000, the average number of annual working hours in the U.S. was 1836, or about 36.72 hours a week, if you take out two weeks of vacation. Last year, the number dropped to 1790, or 35.8 hours a week.

American workers would enjoy 7 weeks of vacation a year
Speaking of two weeks of vacation, to some, that's still the standard. Many people, though, either don't get that much or can't take it all together. What did experts in the past think? Try 7 weeks, according to CNNMoney. In this case, the prognostication came from a Senate subcommittee in 1965, which thought that by the year 2000, we'd all have that much time off a year.

Greater productivity from technology got channeled back into businesses, rather than passed on to workers, at least domestically. The same isn't true everywhere. The European Union, for instance, requires that workers get at least 20 days a year of paid leave, according to Time. But that's the bottom end. The average is 25 to 30 days, or 5 to 6 weeks, according to the Christian Science Monitor.

Virtually no one would need sick days.
Paid sick days are one of those great benefits when you are heavily under the weather. However, what if you didn't need any sick days? That's what the situation should have been, had medical experts been right in their day. Nearly all diseases would have been cured by 2000, according to Dr. James Bryant Conant, the president of Harvard University, as Smithsonian.org reported. Most people would be well and at work.

The letters 'c,' 'x' and 'q' would disappear
Typing, writing, and spelling would be easier because there would be fewer letters to keep track of. According to an article in a 1900 issue of The Ladies Home Journal, as reported by the BBC, the letters c, x, and q would be "abandoned because unnecessary." What a capital and exemplary quest.

Women would stay in the home
As you rack up the bloopers, though, the biggest had to belong to David Riesman, a sociologist who taught at Harvard. According to the Los Angeles Times, Riesman said in a Time article in 1967 that "if anything remains more or less unchanged, it will be the role of women." Uh, yeah, which actually means no in this case. And he managed to say this right at the time that the women's movement was expanding.

But all sorts of people got the status of women wrong at that time. After all, there was the person who in a 1973 television interview said, "I don't think there will be a woman Prime Minister in my lifetime." That was Margaret Thatcher, according to the Margaret Thatcher Foundation.

Questions You Should Always - and Never - Ask On An Interview

It's possible to save a bad interview with good questions

• By Miriam Salpeter  

Flickr

Remember, the interview is an opportunity for you to ask your own questions of the employer. Don't miss this opportunity to find out information that may help you make your case for being hired and impress the interviewer simultaneously. Here's a list of topics you should – and should not – ask at an interview if you want to be remembered for the right reasons and win over the interviewer.

Interview Questions You SHOULD Ask

1. A question that proves you've done your homework. Employers are so relieved when candidates come to interviews well prepared and informed. Ask questions that make it clear you're informed about the organization, its goals and its culture. It's even possible to save a bad interview with good questions.

2. What's the most important initiative for the person you hire in the first month? Not only do you want to know this because it will be your job if you get this position, you'll be able to assess if the organization has any clue about what they expect this person to handle. If the reply seems too vague, overreaching or unrealistic, you'll have the heads up that if you take the job, you could be in for a difficult start.

3. Who will be my boss and who is on the team? Don't assume that you'll automatically meet your potential supervisor or colleagues at an interview. Make sure you have a clear understanding of who is in charge and whom you'll be relying on if you take on this position.

4. When will you be making a decision? It's such an obvious question, but many nervous job seekers forget to find out when they can expect to hear back. This is especially important if you are the first of 30 interviews over the next three weeks, and the employer doesn't plan to be in touch before then. Instead of cooling your heels and fuming that no one is getting back to you, you can relax when you ask, "When do you expect to make an offer?" or "When will you be letting people know about the next steps in the process?"

5. What's the best way to follow up? You don't want to annoy the interviewer with follow-up phone calls if she doesn't check voice mail more than once a week. Ask how to follow up and at least you'll be assured that you're getting in touch with the employer using their preferred methods.

Questions You Should FORGET

1. It's a mistake to ask anything you can easily find online. It makes you look like you're unprepared and just grasping for a question to ask. It's almost better to ask nothing than to ask something like, "So, what are your most popular products?

2. Any question that suggests you would want or need special favors. This actually starts when you schedule your interview. If you start asking for special favors from the get-go, it's a red flag for employers. At the interview, don't ask about working from home, flexibility, vacation or other benefits. Table questions about salary until it is time to negotiate.

3. Anything that makes it look like you want this job to be a stepping stone to something else. If you ask, "When could I apply for a promotion?" you're giving a clear message that you're already moving on from this job they are focused on filling. No one wants to hire someone who has their eyes on the next thing. Keep your aspirations to yourself for the time being.

3 Worst Mistakes To Make When Changing Careers

Test your ideas by talking to people and get out of your head

• By Brazen Life  

Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

You're miserable in your job, you were fed up with your previous job and you're slowly coming to the conclusion that the industry you chose for yourself as an undergraduate isn't working out the way you'd hoped.

You've decided it's time to make a career change.

Many people grapple with how to make a successful career change and make a few common, avoidable mistakes. If you're considering a career change, here are three errors you should watch out for:

1. Keeping your struggles in your head

This is the most common mistake I see as a career coach. It's made so often I've coined a name for it: early dismissal.

Here's how early dismissal works. You come up with an appealing career idea, like being an architect. You initially feel optimistic and hopeful about your future life designing buildings. You happily imagine all the wonderful aspects of the job.

And then, just as quickly, doubts begin to creep in. You start to wonder if you're cut out for all that schooling. You recall that your uncle, who worked as an architect, often complained about his job. And you never were great at drawing. With a sigh, you mentally cross off the possibility of going down this career path.

The following week you run through the whole process again with a new profession.

The symptoms of early dismissal are frustration and confusion about your career direction. There's also a distinct lack of any action in the real world. Everything occurs in your head.

The solution to early dismissal is to get out of your head, talk to people and test out your ideas in the real world. (Click to Tweet!) Give yourself the opportunity to get as clear as possible about what your day-to-day life would be like in the profession you're considering.

By doing this, you'll get a more accurate understanding of whether or not you're on the right track. Plus, by connecting with people in your desired field, you'll naturally set yourself up for being able to network into a job.

2. Confusing short- and long-term goals

What do you do when you want to leave your job right away and make a bigger career change?

People frequently get confused in this situation. They know they want to make a big career change, but they also know they can't immediately make the jump to a new field. After all, making a career change can take some time. You might need to go back to school, work at an entry-level position to gain experience or learn the ropes of running your dream business.

When you're faced with a lengthy timeframe for making a change, you might wonder if you should ditch your bigger dream entirely since it won't happen right away.

No!

It means you should approach leaving your job and building your new career path as two separate tasks. First, handle the short-term goal of finding a new job you're qualified for. Then tackle the long-term goal of building toward your career change.

3. Trapping yourself with a negative outlook

Nobody's positive all the time, but if you find yourself getting Eeyore-ish about your future prospects, it's time to take note. Your negative thoughts influence your actions. If you're constantly thinking, "No one will ever hire me," you might not bother to apply for jobs.

There are two main warning signs that your thoughts are impeding your progress. One, you feel discouraged, stuck or hopeless. Two, you aren't taking action toward your goals.

Step back and notice what you're thinking. Write down these thoughts and look at how they're impacting the way you're feeling and acting. Doing this will decrease your attachment to unhelpful thought patterns.

Next, try to find a perspective that feels more empowering and motivating. You can change your mindset from "I'm not experienced enough for this job" to "I am capable of learning how to do this job." Choose a thought that feels better and that you actually believe, and look for evidence of why this new thought is true.

It's possible to make a career change, but it does take a willingness to try new things, patience and a positive outlook. This may sound like a tall order, but remember that the reward of a new, better-fitting career will be worth it.

How To Tell If Your Employer Is Spying On You

11 signs that your employer is snooping.

• By Donna Ballman  

By Donna Fuscaldo

You may know that your employer can legally spy on you at work (and outside of work) in several ways. But how do you actually know if your employer is snooping? Here are some signs that your employer may be spying on you:

Your Handbook: Your employee handbook may well have some policies where your employer tells you they're spying. For instance, there may be a policy saying that your work on your computer belongs to the company, that they monitor emails sent and received on company devices, that they record calls for customer service purposes, or even that they monitor your social media. If it says so in your handbook, that's a good indication that big employer is watching.

Contract: This is an easy one. If you have a contract with clauses saying your computer and company-owned devices aren't private, they probably aren't. If your contract says your phone calls are being monitored, they probably are.

Other policies: Sometimes, the policies indicating the company is watching you are separate from the handbook. Read those new policies your employer sends out. You might be surprised what they say. If you have to sign policies saying you've received them, you'd better read and understand them. You might sign something saying you agree that your conversations can be taped, allowing your photos to be used in company advertising, or acknowledging that you have no expectation of privacy at work (which you probably don't).

Cameras: If you see cameras around the workplace, someone is either behind them or there's a device recording your actions. While there are restrictions on recording audio, most employers are allowed to videotape you at work. Cameras are easy to hide, so just because you can't see them doesn't mean they aren't there.

The computer camera is on: If you see your computer's camera light on, someone may be watching you up close and personal. I've heard of bosses who were able to turn on employee computer cameras and spy on them at their desks. Before you adjust those pantyhose or unzip to tuck in a shirt, best make sure nobody is watching. If the camera turns on unexpectedly, either turn it off or put a post-it over it.

Discipline: If you're written up for a conversation you thought was private, your employer may have an audio recording device in the workplace. On the other hand, the co-worker whom you thought you could trust might just have blabbed. Be careful what you say at work, and to whom you say it. Sometimes even people whom you thought were friends will rat you out.

Counter-spying: There are lots of articles written about how to counter-spy on your employer to figure out if they've snooped your computer. I can't vouch for any of these techniques, but here are some. Ctrl-Alt-Delete on a PC brings up a menu called Task Manager. If you go to the Processes tab, it will show you everything that is running in the background. When I did this, it brought up a list of a zillion things that looked like gibberish. I'd hesitate to delete anything because I don't know what I'm doing. You might want to get a computer guru to check yours if you're in doubt. If you look at your Start menu and see anything called VNC, RealVNC, TightVNC, UltraVNC, LogMeIn, Shadow, Web Sleuth, Silent Watch, or GoToMyPC, then you might have a spy. On the other hand, my computer guy sometimes uses LogMeIn to remotely repair my computer. I make sure it's turned off unless I expect him to be working on it. There are also some tracking beacons you can supposedly install in your emails to see if they're opened, such as emailprivacytester.com or ReadNotify. I wouldn't recommend any of this unless you feel comfortable that you won't crash your computer. Imagine explaining what you were doing to the IT guy.

Stuff you said privately gets repeated: Even if something you said doesn't end up in a written warning, if your boss makes a snarky comment like, "Some people think I'm tough on them. You haven't seen tough yet," right after you told a co-worker that you thought the boss was tough on you, then there's either a technological or human spy. You might try a test, such as saying something completely false but innocuous to a person whom you suspect of being a spy. Maybe share that you've decided to take up quilting or karaoke and see if it comes back to you.

Weird stuff starts when the new guy starts: I knew someone years ago who had been a hired company spy. She would be hired as a regular rank-and-file employee and get to know her co-workers to root out an evildoer. If a company suspects wrongdoing such as theft or corporate espionage, they sometimes hire a private detective or a company that will send in undercover snoops to spy on employees. If a new person is hired and private conversations are suddenly known to management, or your personal papers start to disappear or get moved around, you may have a hired spy in your midst.

Your boss comments about your personal life: Companies like to monitor social media. If you find your boss commenting about things you posted on Facebook or Twitter, you can assume that you're being watched outside the office as well.

A co-worker was snooped on: If a co-worker is disciplined for an inappropriate email, a social media post, or something they said about the workplace, you can be darned sure the company is also watching you.

All in all, the best advice I can give is to assume that everything you say, do or write at work is being monitored. Many courts say that you have little or no expectation of privacy at work. That means you shouldn't check personal emails on company devices, shouldn't open personal emails that might be inappropriate, and shouldn't do or say anything at work that you don't want to appear on the front page of the company newsletter. If you need to check personal email at work, then bring your own device to do it, and don't hook up to the company's wi-fi or server. If you're on social media, don't post anything that could get you in trouble at work.

If you assume you're being watched, you probably can't go wrong.

Why Everyone Should Freelance

6 good reasons to start freelancing.

• By Miriam Salpeter
  

Shutterstock / auremar

In today's economy, it isn't always possible to land a traditional, 9-to-5 position in your target field. Many employers are hiring part-time or contract workers to handle the projects and work that full-time employees once did. As a result, competition is fierce, and, in some industries, it may be futile to search for typical jobs. The silver lining is that this situation has pushed the door wide open for professionals interested in working for themselves. If you know how to be productive and have an entrepreneurial bent, you should evaluate your full-time options and business prospects and consider these six reasons to freelance:

You're in good company. Surveys indicate that the freelance workforce will continue to grow in the next decade; it may be the perfect job for you. According to Intuit, by 2020 more than 40 percent of the workforce will be freelancing. Temporary placement service provider, Adecco, predicts temporary workers will eventually comprise 25 percent of the global workforce as employers replace many jobs with contract workers. Mavenlink says that the number of self-employed, independent service firms, "solopreneurs" and temporary workers will grow to approximately 65 million American workers by 2020.

There's no time like the present. If you get started by creating a business now, you will be ahead of the curve and therefore more competitive for opportunities now and in the future. Companies prefer to hire contractors who are set up as official businesses with websites and processes in place that help them function as independent businesses. Even if you are not sure that you want to start your own business and be your own boss, if you begin to create a digital footprint, including your website and social media content demonstrating your expertise, you will be ready to attract interest and attention online when and if you do need to rely on freelancing for your income.

Multiple income streams are all the rage. You can't assume one employer will be there for the long haul. If you work for one company, organization or person and you lose your job for any reason, all of your financial eggs are in one basket. When you cultivate a variety of bosses and projects, you don't lose everything when one company or industry goes sour.

Stretch your geographical limits. In many cases, freelancers work remotely and do not have to worry about location concerns or traffic. As an independent worker, you may be doing work one day for a client in Los Angeles and the next day for someone in Boston -– all from your home base in the Midwest.

Tap your creative juices. When you freelance, you have more opportunities to follow different professional paths. By necessity, you'll probably need to take on a lot of roles yourself: chief marketer, IT expert, financial officer. You name it, when you freelance, at first, it's probably your job. This is great for people who felt trapped in one role in a traditional job and for anyone who loves learning new things.

Win flexibility. When you freelance, you decide what jobs and projects to take on and you set your own schedule in many cases. For example, unless you need a lot of interaction with clients, you may be able to work late at night and have flexibility to do other things during the day. While you may initially accept any work to generate income, eventually, your goal will be to control your own schedule and work stream. When you are successful, you will spend more time doing work you enjoy.

5 things you should never say to your employees

• By Mary Lorenz 

Goonies never say die, Jon Bon Jovi never says goodbye and great bosses never say the following five things to their employees:

1. “You’re lucky to work here.” A statement like this is dictatorial, threatening and clearly meant to incite fear, which isn’t good for anyone. “Fear-based management does not create the best results — that’s all there is to it,” says Katherine Crowley, co-author of “Working for You Isn’t Working for Me: The Ultimate Guide to Managing Your Boss.” “If someone is afraid all the time of losing their job, they’re not going to give you their best work.”

2. “It is what it is.” A statement like this implies that there’s no room for change or flexibility in an organization — even when the organization is badly in need of it. Not only is it frustrating for employees to hear this, but it can also hinder your organization from moving forward. As demonstrated by the growing popularity of “hack days,” being open to new ideas and empowering your employees to explore new business solutions not only increases morale, it’s also good for business.

3. “That’s not my fault.” Unless you’re the pope, you’re not infallible, so if you make a mistake, own up to it. While you may think admitting a mistake reveals a weakness, it’s actually a sign of strength, argues leadership expert Doug Guthrie in a recent article for Forbes. “What is more powerful than an individual who can stand in front of his or her employees and admit that the failure was his or hers?” Guthrie writes. “What better way to gain the respect and admiration of your team than to take the blame and responsibility on yourself rather than calling out someone on your team? By admitting you are wrong, by taking blame, you will have a group of more committed followers.”

4. “That’s none of your business.” Whether you’re trying to protect your employees or yourself, more often than not, keeping employees completely in the dark can do more harm than good. Great leaders need to be candid with their employees, and as transparent as possible. “If you fail to practice total candor, you will lose the trust of your team, your leadership and your customers,” says Jim Welch, author of “Grow Now: 8 Essential Steps to Flex Your Leadership Muscles.”

5. “Did you get my email?” It’s cool if you want to work 24/7, but you can’t expect the same of your employees. Putting pressure on your employees to constantly be connected to the office can infringe on their work/life balance, ultimately stirring up feelings of resentment and leading to burnout.

Quitting Your Job? 10 Things To Do Before You Leave

Now's not the time to burn your bridges.

• By Miriam Salpeter  

 

A new job offer is on the table, and with it, new opportunities, a fresh start and an opportunity to be happier at work. When you plan for your transition, don't forget to put the following on your "to do" list.

Before You Give Notice

1. Get your new job offer in writing. This should be a given, but sometimes people who are anxious to leave their job give notice a little early. Even though a company can still renege on a written offer, having things in writing means that you know exactly what terms you should expect in the new job.

2. Finalize any pre-employment testing. Some companies require drug tests or have other types of requirements before onboarding employees. Ideally, you'll be able to pass these with flying colors before giving notice at your current employer.

3. Think things through and make sure you make the right choice. Ask yourself: "Is the new job offer worth it?" Don't leave a job for bad reasons. Make a list of pros and cons. Identify if you'll have new challenges that you are not prepared to handle. For example, a much longer commute could affect your life in ways you haven't considered. If the new job involves a lot more travel, you may tire of it quickly. Conduct some due diligence to help decide on the risks and rewards. No job is perfect, but you'll want to make sure you're not jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

4. Prepare for negative reactions when you say you're leaving. Don't expect everyone to be happy for you. If you're a good employee, your departure will cause more work and possibly longer hours for those left behind. Maintain a positive outlook even if your colleagues don't seem happy for you.

5. Understand your organization's culture regarding "notice." In some organizations and fields, when you give notice, you're escorted by security to the door and you receive your personal items in the mail. If that's the norm, be prepared in advance. You may want to remove your important personal items before handing in your resignation.

After You Give Notice

6. Don't burn bridges. Especially if you're leaving a bad situation, it's tempting to throw caution to the wind and run out the door without looking back. However, keep in mind, in our constantly evolving workplaces, it's as likely that you'll wind up working with or for the people in your current office at some point. Behave as if you'll be working with these colleagues again in the future and you won't be sorry later.

7. Manage financial and retirements accounts and make plans for your health insurance if necessary. Depending on your employer, you may be able to leave retirement or pension plans in place, or you may need to make plans to set up new accounts. If you'll need interim health insurance or COBRA, make sure you understand the administrative details you'll need to handle to make sure you don't leave yourself without coverage.

8. Communicate your news personally. Be mindful that your news probably affects a lot of other people. When possible, it's nice to communicate directly with everyone your departure impacts. While a mass email gets the job done, it's a thoughtful, personal touch to meet or have a phone conversation with people to let them know about your plans. This can help smooth over any negative feelings and it also allows people to wish you well.

9. Create mechanisms to keep in touch. Social media makes it very easy to keep connected with past colleagues. While you may have neglected to connect on LinkedIn with your colleagues, now is the time to forge those online links, before you forget and lose track of people. Be sure your LinkedIn profile and other online networks use your personal email address, not your work contact information.

10. Learn from the past and move on. This is important advice whether or not you've had a bad experience in your current job. A new position is an opportunity to do things differently. It's a fresh start and a chance to take any lessons from your past job and apply them to your next career move.

6 Things HR Won't Tell You

What you need to know about the job interview.

• By Miriam Salpeter

 

Is HR on your side or public enemy number one? In most cases, human resource professionals are doing the best they can to find and hire the best candidates. What should you know when you're looking for a job?

They hope you're the right candidate.
People in charge of hiring want to find the best candidate to fill the job in the most efficient way. If you are that candidate, HR is likely rooting for you. Face it, no one wants to have a long, protracted process to fill a role if it isn't necessary. This is the good news for candidates: if you've passed an initial screening, it's possible the job is yours to lose. Follow best practices for interviews and don't screw up and the job could be yours.

They prefer to hire via referrals.
This shouldn't be news to job seekers. Job search coaches have long described the "hidden job market," which refers to unadvertised positions filled by known candidates. CareerXRoads reported in their 2013 Source of Hire Report that for every 100,000 external hires, nearly 25,000 were filled in part through the company's Employee Referral Program. CareerXRoads says, "We estimate that a candidate who has acquired a referral is 3-4 times more likely to be hired."

These data should compel you to spend less time applying for random jobs and more time cultivating relationships with people who may potentially refer you to opportunities.

A large number of jobs are filled with internal candidates.
We've all heard this story: a job is posted for legal reasons, but everyone knows it's a formality, as a candidate is already identified and, for all practical purposes, already has the job. CareerXRoads' findings indicate that this scenario may happen more than we think. Their report notes that current employees fill 42% of all the openings.

Some companies have preferred pipelines for candidates.
If you meet people who work at your target company and everyone seems to have a similar work history – perhaps most employees worked at one or two other organizations before landing at this organization – it's not an accident. Some companies actively recruit and source from their competition or have other preferred companies where they like to find their hires. You may be best off identifying this early in your search and targeting opportunities at the preferred source.

They hate when you look desperate.
There's a fine line between appropriately persistent and desperate, and this threshold shifts based on individual personalities. Yes, hiring managers are making snap judgments about you. Should you follow up after sending an application if you have not heard? It can't hurt to send a friendly note, email or to leave a voice mail a week later. Should you call twice a day to ask about your status? No.

They're vetting your background.
We've all heard stories about companies who don't screen candidates or who wind up hiring people who faked their credentials. It's much more likely that HR is looking deeply into your background, and that includes tapping into information they've asked your permission to access, such as your credit history, as well as what is readily available online. Potential employers will Google your name and review your social media profiles, and they will make decisions based on what they find. For example, if your public Twitter stream suggests you have a volatile temper, expect employers will see it as a red flag and move to the next candidate.