Career tips and information

When The Job Kills, What Next?
by Laurie Sheppard

You say the job is killing you. Here are some questions to help you assess your situation clearly before you chuck it all.

What happened, you or them?
Somewhere along the line things changed. Your role shifted. Your work became redundant. Your boss became unbearable. Your co-workers don't respect you anymore. Something started looking different. How much of this is due to other people and what is your responsibility? Is the problem all work-related or have you experienced changes in your personal life? Determine the weak links, because wherever they are, if you don't identify them and correct them now, you'll bring those problems with you to your next job.

Do you know your strengths and weaknesses?
If the problem centers with you, then before you decide on a career change, go to counseling, hire a coach, or do what it takes for you to regain your confidence and be able to make a clear, reason-based decision. You can't afford to be one of the walking wounded at this job or in looking for new work. If you try to pass yourself off as passionate and ready for new opportunities, then you will likely show up as inauthentic. It's time to do an assessment of your strengths and weaknesses--behaviorally and in transferable skills. Sit down. Write them out. Undervaluing as well as over-inflating yourself and your capabilities does a disservice to your job search. Accurately assess the expertise you bring to this field or any new field you're considering.

What do you want?
If you don't clearly visualize your ideal work, you'll always be treating symptoms of a deeper pain of dissatisfaction. What excites you? Where do you shine? What are your high-priority values? What do you prefer but could live without? What do you absolutely want in your work type and work environment?

Your current gripes may have caused you to lose touch with
what benefits the job held in
the first place.

What would you be giving up?
Assess your pain quotient. No one else can do that for you. Your current gripes may have caused you to lose touch with what benefits the job held in the first place. Make a list of positives and negatives to rate your job experience. It's important to know what you'll be giving up or, if you stay, what you'll change to stop the pain. Weigh the positives against any risks in not being able to replace them in new work.

Will you jog or sprint to the exit door or avoid it altogether?
If you have decided it's worth staying where you are, what's possible to change? You might be able to offload or share undesired duties, such as extensive business travel, late night or weekend work. Set up talk time with your supervisor to make changes and lay out a recommended plan of how it can still work well without you doing it. If you can hire your own assistants, then do it. If you've decided to leave the job, be sure your resources are in place and you can cope with a temporary lack of security. Devote this time to reevaluating your needs and laying out a clear job search action plan. However, if you have a low threshold for uncertainty, or can't permit a break in income, line up a new job that meets all your criteria first.

With any of these choices to stay, go now or leave later, you'll need patience to accept the transition time. Yet, isn't it worth it to know youfre the one creating the opportunity for more fulfilling work?

About the Author
Thinking of leaving your job? Here are the important issues to weigh. Not sure you shouldn't stay and work out the problems? Measure the risks against the benefits. For complimentary coaching and free coaching tools: www.creatingatwill.com

Attitude In The Workplace:
How Your Work Attitude Can Define You
by Carl Mueller

Your attitude in the workplace can be one of the most - if not the most - telling aspect of how others in the company look at you and feel about you as a coworker.

A first impression can be a hard thing to shake especially if it's a bad one. In other words, once you have gotten a workplace reputation as being lazy, a slacker, a whiner or other negative tag, it can be hard to get rid of.

Think of someone you've worked with who perhaps didn't work as hard as you expected them to and then think about how you felt about every time you had to work with them.

Perception is often reality and once people get an idea in their head about someone or something, it can be difficult to get them to think differently.

In my experience, your attitude in the workplace can sometimes define you more than the work you actually produce if your coworkers come to see you as someone who is reliable, competent, intelligent and someone that they can rely on.

One of the worst feelings can be to work with people who don't seem to care and don't appear to pull their own weight.

When I think about people I've worked with who I've seen in a positive light, they tend to be people who outwardly display a positive attitude in the workplace.

They tend to take the initiative and are reliable. They are someone that you look forward to working with. They don't complain or bad mouth their company or coworkers and basically get on with the job at hand. They don't wander around bothering other people because they aren't doing their own job.

Basically, they are people who would be missed if they left the company.

Having formerly worked for a company that regularly laid off staff, I can tell you that the people who were let go first were often those who were generally regarded as being staff who didn't display these positive traits and therefore weren't seen as being employees who needed to remain employed.

About the Author
Carl Mueller is an Internet entrepreneur and professional recruiter who has written an ebook for career-minded individuals: www.RecruiterSecretsRevealed.com Recruiter Secrets Revealed sheds light on job search and career management "secrets" that you can use to supercharge your career and distinguish yourself from other job searchers.