coaching – Page 2

So nasty and so rude!

December 21, 2016

I hope my readers don’t mind if I pause on the jobs and beauty talks, to discuss a topic that’s so prevalent in Corporate America today…BULLIES! Most people have experienced a bully a time or two in school, but unfortunately it happens in offices everyday. What is a bully, exactly? In most cases, a bully is someone that uses their power or appearance of power to intimidate or coerce someone to do what they want. This behavior is completely unacceptable! One of my biggest pet peeves is watching an insecure and unprofessional person bully a subordinate or peer. Honestly, for me that would be a reason I would strongly consider making some changes. People go to work to pursue their passions and grow as a professional, not to relive high school hallway disrespect.

When you are dealing with a bully in the workplace there must definitely be a strategy to work through the relationship. I don’t recommend having an altercation at work but I know people have limits, so here are a few tips on how to handle an office bully effectively:

Try to speak with the person in a calm, constructive manner (in-person if possible)
Let someone (Supervisor, HR) know, for possible mediation
Document occurrences
Create boundaries of interaction with the person (See 5 & 6 if your leader is the bully)
File a formal complaint
Find another great opportunity!

Have you encountered an office bully in your career? How did you handle the situation? Discuss in the comments.

Coats, Color, and Character

December 1, 2016

Our resident style contributor, R. Rene is visiting the salon and spicing up your Friday Eve with her take on Coats, Color, and Character in the workplace!

Topshop

Greetings Career Enthusiasts!

Fall/Winter Season has arrived and it’s time to embrace such in style both during and after work hours. Many may differ due to the uncertainty and unpredictable nature of the fall weather but this by far is one of my favorite seasons! Like many careers, the fall season forces you to adopt new habits, wear more layers and embrace change daily. So let’s talk style!

You are a walking brand, that’s my motto and my daily mental reminder for everything I do. Because of such, what I wear becomes very important to me and it’s no different when the season changes. People tend to judge the book of style by its cover rather they are true to admit it or not and as a result I would like to ensure that if they must judge they do so well when our style character is in question. To embrace this season change and style critics around the office, airport and in the field, I have to challenge the likes of all of you career enthusiasts and future ladder climbers to begin to debunk a few work fashion myths!

“Coats/Jackets are boring”—- says no wo/man ever! Its fall and all-weather coats are totally in. A nice jacket can set the stage for the clean, crisp look that comes along with being VICE PRESIDENT or CEO. The Midwest and Northeast regions can contest that coats can make or break an outfit when the wind blows. Grab yourself a good lined Trench ladies and gents, thinly lined to maintain a sleek look on the go. For those of you in the sunshine states of the world you really don’t get to embrace the coat season like others but this does NOT me you are exempt from owing a good coat or jacket. I would ask that you even evaluate the jackets and blazers you wear into meetings with clients and around the office. If you are going to wear it, make it count and wear it well!!

Alexander Wang

“Color goes out with summer”: No! Color tells a story of character, boldness and confidence like no other, so with the rapid color changes of the leaves around you change the color in that wardrobe. While the classic white shirt never gets old and the blues, blacks and greys will remain staple pieces. There is absolutely nothing wrong with adding a pop of color to that dress or suit with a sprinkle of fall goodness like Wines and Reds, Autumn Orange, Tans and dark greens it will make for much conversation and tell a story all by itself about your career style!

What does your current coat say about you? Any color? —– Scared to try it!? Be a trendsetter, black is your canvas and color makes the picture! GO FOR IT! Find character in both your coat and your colors this fall as you prepare to dive into new areas of your career! Character is key!

A few of my favorite places to get great coats, jackets and plenty of color for both men and women at any price level. Happy Shopping and be sure to look for those FALL SPECIALS!

You will thank me later!

www.asos.com

www.bluefly.com

www.bananarepublic.com

www.hm.com

R. Rene,

www.lifebrandfactory.com

Horrible Bosses!

November 16, 2016

With all that’s been going on, it’s made me think about leadership and how much it impacts one’s career. Leadership is a HUGE responsibility and many don’t understand how that influence or lack there of, can follow you along your career. I can’t even describe to you my experience with horrible bosses (I’ve had my share, unfortunately). You can have an amazing job and equally awesome co-workers but if your boss is horrible, it can make for a bumpy ride. Being in recruiting for so long, I’ve experience and read numerous studies and articles about people not leaving the company but leaving that “horrible” boss, a subject we can unpack for weeks.

If your boss is condescending, unethical, unaware of your regular contributions, or just unwilling to collaborate with you on a career path within the organization than you should definitely consider some changes. Bosses can encourage you forward or hold you back. If you are a person with ambition and big goals for yourself that is definitely cause for you to have a collaborative boss who can provide support. Here are a few things to consider if you don’t have the greatest boss:

1. Be honest with your boss in regular one-to-one conversations (Ask questions and document)
2. Make sure you are exceptional in your work so those conversations will be positive and productive
3. Practice patience to see if changes occur
4. Seek another environment where your manager/employee relationship can be agreeable

Have you ever had a horrible boss? How did you handle it? Let’s chat in the comments below.

If you asked me to…

October 26, 2016

I just love having my own website to express myself the way I want. You’ll notice that my blog titles often relate to music, movies, or pop culture and this week is no different. I’ve had conversations over the years and just this week, which have prompted me to talk to you all about asking for what you want in your career transactions. Patti LaBelle said it best, “If you asked me to, I just might change my mind and let you in my heart forever!” Sometimes all it takes is an ASK, to a future employer or a client even. A question that is posed to me more often than not is, “They offered me this amount, can I ask for more?” Are you kidding me!? Why yes you can ask for more. At the table with a client and prefer something in the contract that they haven’t offered? Just ask!

When you’ve taken steps to build your education, experience, and a track record of amazing work, you can literally ask for what you want. I’ve experienced so many times in my career, extending an offer to a candidate and they come back to negotiate (money, vacation, relocation, etc). Sometimes companies may not have the resources to accommodate, but in a lot of cases employers will exceed their initial offer to acquire a candidate with a ‘hot’ skill set or knowledge to get them to the next level. Now this is definitely not to say this happens for everyone, you need have something going for you that employers can’t live without. Whatever that is in your specific field, figure it out. If you’re stuck in the same technology and haven’t gone to get training or gain experience in the new stuff, do that now! Make yourself irresistible so that when you put the ASK on the table the employer just might consider. Here are some tips to prepare for the ASK:

Educate yourself
1. Research the market and gather facts
2. Make sure you’ve prepared yourself throughout your career to build a case for attaining the things you want
Have confidence
1. Know your worth in the marketplace
2. Build your confidence by improving and gaining new skills that separate you from others
Be tactful
1. Chose a proper time to ask for what you want
2. Be courteous
Possess finesse
1. Have some subtly about yourself
2. Be strategic

I’ll leave you with a little Patti to end your day!

Iyanla, come fix this resume!

September 21, 2016

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In the opinion of some of my friends, the jury is still out on whether Iyanla fixes anyone’s life but for the purposes of this post I needed the comedy, energy, and facial expressions of Iyanla Vanzant to get my points across. The .gif above is exactly how myself and many of my colleagues feel about the atrocities, known as resumes, that come across our desks everyday. I guarantee you this will not be the only post about resumes, but in the words of Iyanla Vanzant today we are going to “Call a thing, a thing BELOVED!” I’m compelled to go over a few (not all) parts of frequent resume infractions so that the foolery will stop, if only for a small group.

OBJECTIVE: Just stop (period)
EDUCATION: After about 2-3 years this goes to the bottom of the resume. I don’t need to know you graduated with a 3.0 in 1986.
- Let’s add to that. If you are going to list your GPA please note if it’s below 3.0 leave it off…(we’re giving you the serious side-eye)
SKILLS (TYPING/WPM): Unless you’re an administrative assistant or a data entry operator we don’t need to know how many words you type per minute. Include skills that are relevant to the role.
EXPERIENCE: I find it hard to believe that the job description bullets you copied and pasted were all of your day- to-day responsibilities. Be detailed and show how you were an asset to the company, list accomplishments/results, and provide depth.
HOBBIES: Stop again.
- Instead of hobbies include organizations and/or civic activities you are involved in
PERSONAL INFORMATION: Can’t say it enough, STOP. A social security number and number of kids is not necessary on a resume.
THE BOOK OF ELI: Literally I should not have to put extra paper in the printer to print a resume. Enough of the resume booklets.
FUNCTIONAL RESUMES: I’m going to speak for my colleagues when I say this is an offense that has no coming back. I literally just want to see your resume in chronological order with the things you’ve done for the position I’m recruiting for.
EMAIL ADDRESS: Shouldn’t have to explain this but if your email address is strawberry69@xxx.com or fuzzynavel@xxx.com it’s probably not appropriate. Trust me, this happens all the time.
RESUME GHOSTWRITER: If you’re going to get someone to write your resume, get someone good. I can tell within seconds of reviewing a resume if it was written by a resume writer. The best person to communicate your experience is YOU. If a resume writer is not going to get to know you and write your resume with intention you don’t need them.

This post really stresses me out because there are so many resume writing self-help books and career coaches out there and yet for over 11 years I’ve seen madness more often than not. I could write a book on resume writing but until that time I’ll just leave you with continuous reminders of things to STOP, BELOVED (In my Iyanla Vanzant voice).

What steps are you taking to make sure your resume is solid? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.