Best Way to Improve Issues in the Workplace

A Few Ways to deal with a difficult coworker.

Start out by examining yourself. Always start with self-examination, make sure you are not the instigator.

Discuss your experience with a friend or colleague. Brainstorm ways to address the situation.

Ask the difficult coworker for a private discussion. Pleasantly explain how the issue is impacting you. Try to agree on positive actions going forward.

Follow up after the initial discussion. Become a peacemaker.

You may choose to confront the difficult coworker’s behavior publicly. Deal with the person with gentle humor or slight sarcasm. This method is best used with humor.

Marketing and Promoting You

Four stages to marketing and promotion

1. Sign up, observe, and educate yourself ~ soaking up good information.
2. Participate ~ Make yourself known by making status updates, posting photos or sample writing.
3. Share something and grow relationships ~ Focus on what you give or share that's of value.
4. Ask for help ~ Put your connections to work as a means of soft or hard marketing.

People who know you and trust you will be more likely to help you. That's why it's important to establish relationships far before you market and promote a product/service.

Making things happen for you

Don’t allow obstacles to stand in your way. Remain focused on what will keep you moving forward. As you give effort and attention to the things you value, the better you will feel about the goals you achieve.

How Stressed are you

While office stress is common, it can also have dangerous consequences. Are you experiencing the warning signs of workplace stress? Take this quiz to find out. Select all that apply: Here are the score indicators.

0-5 -- Low Stress:  No work environment is entirely stress-free, but you appear to be managing your tension well.

6-10 -- Low-to-Moderate Stress:  The stress is beginning to catch up with you, but there is still hope. Try relieving some of your tension by taking a relaxing vacation, talking to friends & family or taking some time to yourself each day.

11-15 -- Moderate-to-High Stress:  You're experiencing significant stress levels, and it might be time for a change.

16-20 -- High Stress:  High stress levels are harmful both physically and psychologically, so it's important for you to take steps to reduce your workplace tension: vacations, lifestyle changes or seek a new position.

Your job no longer challenges you.
You have little or no autonomy in your day-to-day tasks.
Apathy has replaced enthusiasm.
You feel overwhelmed by deadline pressure, workload or other expectations.
You frequently arrive late to work and leave early as often as possible.
You consistently put off projects until the last minute.
You're unhappy with your work/life balance.
You have a toxic relationship with your boss.
You're worried about your job security and/or performance.
Your co-workers are walking on eggshells around you.
Your work schedule is interfering with your marriage or other personal relationships.
You're beginning to withdraw from friends and family members.
You're having trouble sleeping.
You're smoking, drinking or relying on caffeine more than ever before.
You're feeling paranoid.
You've been overreacting to minor problems.
You're getting headaches or colds more often.
You're physically exhausted most of the time.
You've developed an ulcer.
You've been diagnosed with a heart condition

Develop Your Personal Brand

      Personal branding is an ongoing process it should continue throughout your job search process and entire career.

• Increase Your Visibility. Get your name out there by attending industry meetings and conferences, participating in panel discussions or volunteering for committees.
• Stay Connected. It is important to stay in touch with old contacts as well as continue to build new ones.
• Create an Online Presence. Join online social networking sites. Consider starting a blog on your area of expertise or creating a website that showcases samples of your work.
• Establish Key Differentiators. Identify what makes you distinctive from other candidates and make sure to communicate it to potential employers.
• Be Consistent. Ensure that you have a consistent message when speaking with potential employers, colleagues and other professionals.
• Seek Feedback and Evaluate Progress. Continue to gauge how others perceive you.    Market Yourself. Promote you.

3 Things every worker should know if they’re thinking of a career move

If you're thinking of making a career move, now is the time. Many of today's workers, especially those with in-demand skills, have an advantage when seeking new jobs or promotions. If you are planning to take advantage of the positive market today or at some point down the road, keep these three things in mind:
1. Your interests.
Give careful consideration to what you love most about your job before you pursue any changes. Also reflect on what you do in your free time. If you find fulfillment serving in leadership roles in community and charity groups, for instance, why not seek a promotion to a management-level position with your current employer?

2. Your strengths and weaknesses.
Conduct an honest assessment of your professional assets and liabilities. Past performance reviews and ongoing comments from supervisors and others in the workplace can give you valuable clues. Also ask colleagues and mentors for their candid feedback.

     3. Your options.
     Before handing in your resignation, be sure you have considered all of your options. For instance, you  
     may be in line for a promotion, or a position under development could be an ideal match for your  
     interests. It's worth talking to your supervisor about your professional goals and how your company  
     might be able to support them.

Five Steps to Shaping Your Resume

It requires initiative, energy and dedication.  Engage in an exercise routine that will improve your career prospects: Here’s a five-step résumé-writing that may work for you.

1. Step 1: Establish an objective. It should spell out your career goals and it should be tailored to the job opening.
2. Step 2: Work Experience. Starting with your most recent job: use action words to describe your accomplishments.
3. Step 3: Eliminate extraneous activities. Weed out information that does not relate to the job at hand.
4. Step 4: Don't forget the final stretch. Review the resume for grammar & punctuation errors, misspelled words and typos. Format the document so it's easy to read and appealing to the eye.
5. Step 5: Request a quick once-over. Before submitting your résumé: show it to a few friends or professionals in the field.