Workplace Stress: Why Do You Have It?

Ask anybody if they were stressed about work and most likely they would say they are. Although it isn’t surprising, it can sometimes be confusing to think that in any company and in any position, stress is a mountain that needs to be climbed.
The thing is, you might be the very person who is imposing stress upon yourself. Here are some telltale signs that you are stressed about work, and that your stress is not from anybody else but you.

• Nobody likes you. And by nobody, we mean one person. The perception of a person about you and the way he or she treats you should be the least of your problems. After all, you cannot please everybody. Heck, even Tom Cruise cannot please everybody, and he rappelled off the Burj Khalifa.
• The boss prefers your co-worker to you. Of course he would prefer somebody to somebody else. Your parents had a favorite child, albeit they never admitted it, so it should be natural for your boss to have a preference over somebody else. As long as the treatment is fair, you should not mind the verbal praises showered on your workmate.

• You’re not getting enough money. Actually, nobody does. Even the rich would agree that they’re not making enough money. So instead of getting stressed about it, do something. Know how to ask for a raise, and work hard.
• You have the worst boss. That’s bad news, but the worse news is that employment rates are lower than ever. Also, moving to another company will not guarantee you a better boss. In fact, you might even end up with someone worse.
• Your group gets the least recognition ever. Well, the IT department feels the same, the sales department feels that they are worse off. In other words, everybody feels the same and you should stop whining about it.
• The big bosses never care. Well, when was the last time that you talked with them? Big bosses are bosses, sure, but they are people too, and they might even have the biggest stress anyone can ever handle. So cut them some slack. And if you think that you know better than them, and then apply for their position. Seriously, these guys know what they’re doing more than you do. And if you seriously think that you can do a great job at leading, then work on your resume and go for the manager job or even the director job!

How to Survive a Business Trip with Your Boss

Going on a trip can be fun, but going on a trip with your boss is another story. If in the office you cannot wait for the day to be over so you can stay away form your boss, during trips you would most likely have just each other. Instead of feeling stuck and sad over the situation, take advantage of it and find ways to shine. How? Here are some tips:

• Have a checklist of everything you need to bring. On your way to the airport, make sure that all your presentations, files and required papers are packed. In the hotel before you leave for a conference or a meeting, double check your stuff and make sure that you don’t leave anything behind. You don’t want to embarrass your boss in international shores. Moreover, you don’t want to be corrected in international shores.
• Before the trip, talk with your boss about your responsibilities. It is best to be clear about who is responsible for hotel and flight bookings, as well as for other official tasks such as creating presentations and getting in touch with the contacts in the country you are visiting.

• Have meaningful conversations with your boss. You will most likely be spending a lot of quiet times beside each other. Humor your boss by asking for his advice. You might be surprised at how much he is wiling to share to you. Just take all the information and wisdom in, and by the time that you get back to the office, you’d have a whole list of wise snippets you can apply to your career, care of your boss.
• Show off. Your boss will have his attention on you and only on you. Better make the most out of it by giving your best in all the things that you do. Up the ante by doing something more than what he asks for, such as following up on a client or researching answers to some questions that the both of you might have.
• Minimize your time in social networking sites. As much as possible, your mind should be on your goal – impressing your boss and helping him create a good impression on your clients and other contacts you will meet.
• Watch what you eat. Although it’s tough to pass up on trying out authentic international cuisine, you have to mind your digestion. You don’t want to be stuck in the hotel room while everybody else makes up for the things that you cannot do. If you are responsible for the accounting jobs while you’re on trip, make sure that you can fulfill your obligations no matter what.
• Pack safe clothes. Especially if you are going to a country that is relatively more conservative. You do not want to be distracting, worse, offending to anybody. Do it for yourself more than for your company.

How to Make an Effective Recommendation Letter

You might have been asked by somebody, a colleague from your previous work or a student in the college class that you handled, to create a recommendation letter that would help them get the job that they are eyeing. If you were in their shoes, wouldn’t you want a letter that so effectively vouches for the person that it can be the reason for your getting hired? Here are some tips that can help you write the best recommendation letter.

1. It should be short yet packed with information.
You do not have to be all flowery and flattering with your words. You are not a salesman, but an executive who is vetting on somebody with your name. As a benchmark, the letter should not exceed a page, with three or four paragraphs that effectively separates the thoughts and ideas.
What to include:

• How are you related with the person? Include the length of time you spent with them, and describe the nature of your relationship.
• A couple of qualities that the person possesses, and that will prove to be helpful to the company that they want to work in.
• An explanation about how the person is the perfect fit for the company.

2. Have the person provide you with all the information needed.
All the information that you will write in the recommendation letter should come from the person asking you for it. You should be given a copy of their resume, and of the list of any skills or competency that they might want to highlight.

Also ask them of the points that they wish to be emphasized in the letter. The qualifications needed to be emphasized for applying for a finance job are different fro those required for banking jobs. Their input will definitely set the direction for the letter that you will create. In a sense, it will come out as collaboration between the two of you.

3. Include your contact details in the letter.
This way, the company can easily get in touch with you in case they want to verify your identity. Who knows, you might even be able to strengthen your network just by writing someone else’s recommendation letter.

4. Be as specific as possible.
General sounding letters can easily tossed to the trash bin, along with the resume of the person who asked for you to do it. For instance, instead of simply saying “Pat is very hardworking,” you can say something like “Pat was the most efficient among all the employees in my team.”

Tips for the Workaholic

All you think about is work, and all you do is work. You’re a workaholic. Executive jobs can be addicting; accounting jobs can be consuming; even the littlest job can turn you into a workaholic. As soon as you acknowledge and admit that you are one, then you can start using the following tips so that you can get back your life without hurting your work:

• Come to work, early. The earlier you tackle work, the better you will feel about it. Arrive at work a little bit earlier than usual; say 30 minutes ahead of everybody else, so that you can have some peace and quiet alone. By the time that your workmates start, you would have already warmed up and built momentum for the rest of the day. This will give you a sense of fulfillment that will hopefully convince you to go home on time.
• Learn how to prioritize your tasks. Tackle the big tasks first, tasks that make you feel proud and fulfilled after accomplishing them, regardless of the amount of work that still waits to be done. It is much better to leave work with your big tasks finished. Tomorrow is a new day, and it can be more relaxed since all you have to do is finish minor tasks.

• Find something else to do. If you have a hobby to come home to and to leave work for, you would more likely leave work on time and let go of tasks that can wait till tomorrow.
• Take breaks. Breaks help you be more focused on work, instead of being so consumed about it the whole day, yet still remain unproductive.
• Disconnect. During weekends, after business hours, during breaks. Work hours should be treated as such, and free time should be given the same amount of respect. If you’re constantly online checking work related things, you will never finish working.
• Talk with other people. Be inspired with their exciting lives that do not revolve around work alone. You might feel a tinge of jealousy and a pound of inspiration, enough to spur you to give yourself some time for non-work stuff.
• Take long vacations. This type of activity will help you see that there is more to life than work. A vacation will make you realize that making the most out of the time that you spend in the office is more worth it than beating yourself up for not finishing tasks that are not yet due until next month.
• Give yourself some credit. If you acknowledge that you are doing a great job, then you will feel a bit more fulfilled and so loosen your grip on work. List all your accomplishments, in the same way that you list your tasks, and you will see how productive you actually are.

How to Deal with Office Bullies

Bullying doesn’t end in high school. It continues on forever. Thankfully, there are but a few bullies in the world. However, we still see and encounter them in banking jobs, finance jobs, to even the highest positions in the company. How do you handle the situation if you are at the bullying end? Here are some useful tips:

Keep track of all the bullying cases.
If you notice that the bullying happens more than once, you need to document everything. List the time and date of when the bullying occurred, and what exactly did Mr. Bully do to you. If there are any eyewitnesses, also jot down their names. Also keep all evidences, such as correspondences.

Confront your workmate.
Don’t come running to your boss just yet. First let the bully know how you feel about the things that he do. Inform him about how you are being negatively affected by the things that he say or do to you. Maybe he does not know that his actions are actually offensive, and you might even be the very person to help him improve.

If the bullying continues, then that is the time when you can talk with your supervisor, mentioning that you had already tried to talk with your workmate.

File a complaint.
You should not bypass your immediate supervisor when filing a complaint. First talk with him and see what you can do at your level. If he thinks that you should escalate the bullying case, then that is the only time when you can talk with senior management.

Explain the situation well. Get your message across, that you want to continue performing well at work, but you are hindered by the behavior of your colleague.

If, on the other hand, the one bullying you is your supervisor, first talk to an HR representative so that you can get advice on how to approach the situation. Make sure that you have all the records and documents intact, in case the situation leads to a legal case.

Consult a lawyer.
If your company fails to deal with the situation, then you need to seek legal action. First talk with a lawyer and ask about the proceedings that can be done, most especially if you belong to a protected class. Taking the case to court means that you are serious about bullying and that you will not tolerate it. It will help your co-worker be aware of the reality of his actions, and will also prevent further damage on his other colleagues who might be victims of his bullying schemes too.

Tech Etiquettes for Today

Facebook, Twitter, email, phone calls, texting – these are the norms in communicating today, so much that we sometimes end up abusing them. You only need common sense to know the following tech etiquettes, but a little reminding won’t do harm. Whether you hold one of the most sought after accounting jobs, or you hold one of the higher executive jobs in the company, you are not exempt from minding your manners when communicating using technology. Here are some tips on how you can make the most out of technology without disrespecting other people.

• If your Twitter conversations get longer and too personal, take them to DM. You don’t want your Twitter timeline to be flooded by tweets to a single person that are all irrelevant and boring to read.
• If all you want to reply to an email is “Thanks!” just skip it. Your message will clog your inbox.
• If you are talking with somebody in person, avoid glancing at your cell phone for messages. If your phone suddenly rings, excuse yourself and quickly check if you need to answer it.

• Don’t take calls in the checkout line, in a restaurant or in a waiting room. That can be disrespectful to the other people, and you might not be able to clearly hear the person you’re talking to.
• If you are able to use the WiFi of your neighbor, make sure that you use it well. Don’t hog it (no heavy streaming and downloading), and know that it isn’t as secure as you want it to be.
• Always ask somebody if they are free for a chat before you get to an extensive instant messaging chat.
• Skip all the old school email stuff – emoticons, colored fonts, gif images and shouting in all caps.
• Send your response to meeting invitations promptly. You don’t want to be the last person to send a “No.”
• Facebook is a place for sharing. If all you do there is brag, then that would not serve its purpose well. Make sure that you also like and comment on your friends’ posts.
• Know when a written note is more appropriate than sending a Thank You email. For wedding gifts or those received by mail, a written note is always more appropriate.
• If you are one of the very few people who still have an answering machine, make sure that your greeting is professional and not lengthy.

New Hire Tips

Fitting in and adjusting to a new environment is both an art and a science. Remember your high school freshman year when you had to muster all your courage just to pass through the halls filled with senior year students? You might feel the same way, but the workplace demands a different approach. Aside from mastering skills required for financial jobs, banking jobs and other positions, you also need to learn how to blend in and start building relationships. Here are some tips:

• Try to talk with your new officemates. Your new co-workers will definitely show some warm welcome to you. Make sure you do your part as well by reaching out to them through conversations about the latest episode of everyone’s favorite comedy, among other things.
• Skip the personal stuff. Nothing is more of a turn-off than a new co-worker asking someone about topics that are too personal. If you want to make your co-worker feel that you want to be friends, let it happen naturally.

• Act friendly at all times. As the new guy, you are prone to first impressions that may or may not turn co-workers off. Even if you’re having a hard time learning all the new stuff you need for work, you still need to keep a smiling face that invites everybody to chat with you and treat you nicely.
• Ask them about where you can have lunch. This is a great conversation starter, plus you might even get an invitation from your new co-workers so you can have new lunch buddies.
• Or, bring lunch from home. Huddle everybody by bringing some tasty goodness from home. It can be as simple as cookies or as deliberate as cooking lunch for everyone.
• Don’t worry about not knowing about the office language. You will hear references from events in the past, such as the holiday party last 2009 or the boss who resigned because of a hurtful exchange with a co-worker. Simply ask them what it’s about and soon enough, you will hear more familiar stories.
• Don’t be too clingy. There’s a thin line between wanting to build a good working relationship and being just plain clingy. Make sure that you blend in naturally lest you be dismissed as plain invasive.
• Avoid inviting them to your personal events. Not yet. It might be awkward for them to say “no” and more awkward for them to stick out like a sore thumb in your mom’s birthday party.
• Also avoid talking about your former workplace. If you say something negative about your workplace, you might be perceived as someone who’s too negative and bitter. On the other hand, if you talk about your former company as having better benefits or being a better workplace, it will easily come off as an arrogant comment.

Managing Your Boss

Managing somebody higher than you in the executive ladder is something that seems to be tougher than a burnt cookie. But every person in any position, from accounting jobs to higher executive jobs, should know how to manage his boss, especially if he’s prone to showing unpleasant behavior towards you and your workmates. Here are some tips that can help you improve the way you work with your boss.

• Cut your boss some slack. There must be a valid reason why he acted negatively towards you the other day. Don’t think automatically that he is out to make your life miserable. Imagine him as a reasonable person who has just had a rough day.
• Talk with somebody who isn’t from the office. If you must vent out, vent out to somebody who doesn’t know your boss. Confiding in a workmate may cause gossip and unnecessary tension between you and your boss.
• Resist the urge to act negatively. You will only end up damaging your reputation and making it difficult for you to finish your work. After all, doing that will not benefit you or damage your boss in any way.

• Discuss the problem/s with your boss. Do not lash out on your boss. Instead, have a conversation about your needs and your concerns, treating it as a problem-solving meeting.
• Be open to feedback. Let your guards down and take the opportunity to talk with your boss as a time for you to hear feedback from him. Every story has two sides. The way you feel about your boss may be influenced by some negativity on your side too.
• Treat everything as business. If you will not be able to separate your personal feelings from business matters, you might end up getting hurt and bitter towards your boss and work.
• Don’t think of yourself as the victim. If you will keep on having this mindset, you will always have prejudices towards your boss. Imagine yourself as a partner and not as a victim of power tripping. This will help you see the situation as an opportunity for you and your boss to improve your working relationship.
• Ask for feedback regularly. Whenever you feel something is not quite right between you and your boss, maybe it is time to ask for feedback. Your being proactive in asking for it will make a good impression, and your boss will provide you with constructive criticism. This lets you be in check and focused on work. If your boss tells you that you’re doing great, then take his work for it and let them help you deal with any negative emotions you feel about him.

Things Failure Teach You

Experience is the best teacher. You experience great things; you learn from them. You experience defeat; you learn from them too. Failure is one of those experiences that will make a mark on you and on how you go about things. It is inevitable, and living without failure is basically living a life that’s without any risk. Live life to the full and don’t be afraid to fail. You won’t fall far down anyway, just a few steps down. Here are some valuable lessons that you will only learn when you fail.

You need to build your team well.
The kind of failure that will jolt you up to this reality is the kind that drags the whole team down the drain just because of one or two people’s mistakes. In finance jobs, you might be talking about losing millions of dollars because of one person’s failure.With a strong team that works well together, everyone will be accountable to each other, and no decision will be released without great consideration from everybody.

You need to confront failure.
Problems have work-arounds, failures don’t. A failure is a failure; there’s not much you can do about them but to accept your new reality. If you wallow in self-pity, if you simply deny the fact that you in fact have already failed, you will most likely fall into the same trap and commit the same failure again. You need to learn how to do damage control so that one failure will not escalate to another, and so that your reputation will remain positive. You might have compromised a large sum of money in your banking job, but people will cut you some slack if you know how to face and deal with failure.

Develop instincts you can trust.
Failure is an experience that no one else can experience for you. Through it, you will be wiser and stronger, giving you a tougher armor against the same mistakes in the future. You’d think that failure will teach you to be more careful, but there’s another end of the spectrum, and that is developing a wiser mind that can react well to any situation. Think of soldiers who need to act and react quickly. Because of their rigorous training, they have developed a strength level that they can trust with their life.

Learn from the mistakes of others.
As an executive, you should practice all care and caution in handling your team. Research and read up on leadership styles that help build up a team instead of destroy it. Spend time innovating new ways to lead, learning new skills and strengthening yourself so your team can lean on you.

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Online Job Hunting Tips

The job search pool is bigger and better, thanks to the Internet. However, it has also become quite messier and more scattered. To a lot of professionals looking for executive jobs, online job search has a bad reputation and had already been dismissed as ineffective. However, the reality is that the Internet remains as the biggest place where you can find a job. You simply need to know how to maximize it. Here are some tips:

• Google yourself. You are not the only one in front of the computer looking for jobs. The jobs are also looking into the different applicants interested in them. If your resume gets picked, expect the employer to do a quick search of your name online. Try it yourself and see if you need to do some cleanup.
• Create an online profile. LinkedIn is a great start. There you can create a complete profile which is easily navigable and more dynamic than a resume. If you want to take it further, set up a blog or a website which can serve as your portfolio that employers can easily check out.

• Target your job applications. Although job search sites are great places to find employment, there’s nothing more efficient than looking at different company websites and checking for job openings. Some companies even indicate responsibilities, salary ranges, and little details that you won’t normally see in other job postings.
• Know how to use job search sites well. Narrow your options by using knobs and buttons seen in good job search sites. Choose your category, your preferred location, and other factors that contribute to your preferences. Oftentimes these sites have drop down menus that let you see jobs sorted out. For instance, you can select “accounting jobs” to display positions that are related to accounting. This will help you save time and will also give you an idea of whether or not you should adjust a bit to suit the demands of the time, instead of focusing only on your preferences.
• Go to online recruitment websites. Just make sure that you connect with legit recruiters, as there may be scammers around the Web. Online recruiters will help you find your match; they have access to a wide range of jobs that will suit your skills as well as your preferences.
• Just Google it. Instead of going straight to job search sites, just type the job that you are looking for on Google, and browse through the results. Some job posts are interestingly outside of job search sites, so try your luck with the Internet god called Google.

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Hustle While You Wait: Things to Do during a Job Search

Being “in between jobs” does not mean that you just have to send out applications all day and wait for a call for an interview. In fact, the time that you are waiting for a new job is the best time for you to do other things that you might not normally be able to do when you are employed. Jobs will not come faster or slower if you take your time doing things that are unrelated to your career; but your life will definitely see an improvement. Here are some suggestions:

• Do volunteer work. You always say that you don’t have time. Well now you have more time to finally do something that will contribute to your community, and to the society as a whole. The great thing about volunteering is that it does not only contribute to the betterment of a certain group of people, but it also serves as a learning experience for the volunteers. If you are looking for a sales job, spending time with people you might not know personally will help you gain more confidence and craft a higher skill in conversing with people.
• Give your friends and family the time that they deserve. After some volunteer work, go home and share a cup of coffee with your wife, a tub of ice cream with your kids, and some bottles of beer with your college friends. Who knows, you might get a piece of knowledge or inspiration from your toddler, or a new job opportunity to target from one of your old colleagues.

• Consciously do one random act of kindness a day. Help a grandma cross the street, chat with somebody you see on the street. It will help you see the world with a new set of viewers and will make you appreciate life more. Doing that is always much better than being stuck in one of those IT jobs for the whole day.
• Evaluate yourself against your set of values and principles. People get too caught up with the realities of life, so much that they tend to drift away from their principles and values. Where are you now in your life in terms of the principles that you are supposed to use as your standards for living? Take the time to reflect on your life and on where you have gone in the years. Refocus and recommit to your values.

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Developing Rapport during an Interview

Rapport is critical in every interview, whether you are applying for a lower ranked accounting job or an executive jobs in the higher positions. It pertains to the ability to connect with whom you’re talking with, through the words that you use, as well as all the other factors that contribute to communication. Rapport can make or break your shot at a job that you’ve always wanted. It will make a huge impact on your chances. Needless to say, you need to develop it. Here are some tips.

• Choose your clothes well. Will your set of clothes impress the interviewer? Will it communicate that you are a reliable person who is excellent and professional, but still cool at the same time? You might need the help of a friend to style you, but first impressions are important, especially if you know that you might not have any chance for a second impression.
• Mind your posture and mannerisms. Think of yourself as a Hollywood celebrity who is always followed by paparazzi. Be conscious of the way you stand, sit, walk or talk, even if you think that nobody is watching. This will help you develop a habit of always being proper; soon, it will become natural to you. When you walk into the office where you will be interviewed, be more alert and conscious of the way you move. The person you rode the elevator with may be your interviewer.

• Give enough attention to the interviewer. Since rapport is all about connection, you need to establish a sort of relationship with the interviewer. This means that instead of approaching the interview as a job seeker, come as a person who is in for a wonderful conversation. While it goes without saying that you should come prepared with answers to commonly asked questions, you should not miss out on showing genuine interest in your interviewer.
• Smile. A pleasant smile can go a long way. If the interviewer seldom sees a smile on your face, you can easily be dismissed as someone the team won’t have fun with. Remember that you aren’t being evaluated just for your technical skills, but you are also being considered as a candidate who can fit well in a team.
• Listen. While the interview is a great opportunity for you to showcase your accomplishments and competence, it should also be treated as a chance to show that you are a team player, and that you have the ability to acknowledge other people. You can show this by listening attentively to what the interviewer tells you.

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