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Is Your Job Busier During the Holidays?

SavvySugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Now that Thanksgiving is almost here, it’s official - the holidays have begun. Whether you plan to take advantage of Black Friday deals and start your shopping now or you tend to wait until the last minute, your post-work schedule is bound to ramp up for the next several weeks.

But, what about your work life? Some industries - retail, for one! - get exponentially busier during the holidays, while others tend to slow down until after the New Year. Which category does your job fall into?

Want to Work Less? Try Sharing Your Job

SavvySugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:27 -0700

We all know that it’s important to maintain a happy work-life balance, but sometimes that’s easier said than done. Over the past decade, more and more employees, most of them women, have turned to job sharing to strike that balance. Job sharing allows you to essentially split a job (and its title, responsibilities, and salary) with another person, meaning you both work part-time.

Aside from the obvious benefits for the job-sharing employee, a job share can actually work out pretty well for employers, too. It often results in happier, more productive employees who are extremely thorough in their work. It also means better job coverage, since one job-sharing partner simply fills in while the other is sick or on vacation.

Even if your company doesn’t currently offer any shared positions, it might be open to doing so. One friend worked herself into a job share by writing up a detailed proposal for her boss and getting a partner on board with her plan ahead of time; another friend did the same with her teaching job in order to spend more time with her young kids. Is job sharing something you’d ever consider?

Can You Guess the Least Stressful Job?

SavvySugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:45:09 -0700

Money magazine took a survey of 35,000 employees on their overall job satisfaction, and came up with some interesting results. In addition to the highest paid jobs in the country and the overall 10 best jobs, the survey yielded a list of the 10 least stressful jobs, based on what percentage of employees rated their position as low stress. The results may surprise you; see if you can guess which jobs rated lowest on the stress meter.

Take the quiz

10 Resources For a Complete Job Search

SavvySugar — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:30:24 -0700

When job hunting is your full-time job, you've got to do everything in your power to get an interview. That means using your open-ended days to exhaust all of your resources. Get out of your job-hunting rut and find more opportunities by tapping into these 10 places.

View Slideshow ›

Ask Savvy: How Do I Follow Up on a Job I Want?

SavvySugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:00:31 -0700

Dear Savvy,

I have a question about a job I applied for earlier this month (Oct. 4). I got a reply the following morning because my resume didn't download, and I replied with an apology and another attachment a few hours later. I didn't hear back and wasn't sure what to do.

On Oct. 14 I got an email saying that they still had some part-time positions available if I was still looking for employment, to which I answered, yes, I was available and still interested. I asked for a phone number and if I could call, and offered to come in to discuss details or interview. I ended by saying that I looked forward to meeting with her and thanked her. I haven't gotten a reply since.

I really need a job and this one is in my hometown. How do I proceed? Should I look up the business phone number, call the career center, or follow up with another email? What would I say in an email? I'm not sure what to do - do you have any advice?

Savvy says: Job searching etiquette can be such a guessing game. To see my advice, read more.

You got lucky when the employer reached out and asked for your resume when it didn't work the first time. Many would move on to the next one without blinking. You lucked out again when they followed up with you to see if you had interest in part-time opportunities, and you did the right thing by responding promptly. The two week gap after they reached out to you makes me think things have changed on their end, but you'll never know unless you ask.

Because they contacted you via email and you haven't spoken before, use email to get in touch with them now. When you do email your contact, say that you'd been alerted of job opportunities a couple weeks ago and are following up to see if that's still the case. Be friendly, say something kind regarding the company, and keep it short.

If this job doesn't work out in your favor, keep chugging with your job search and learn from your mistakes next time around. Triple check any attachments you send to a hiring manger, making sure they are the proper attachments and they open correctly. Good luck!

Have a question for me? Ask away by posting your questions in my Ask Savvy group.

Study Measures Health Risks of Stress From Potential Job Loss

SavvySugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:30:06 -0700

Stress is the cause of so many illnesses, and new research shows you're more likely to have health issues because of worrying about losing your job than someone who's unemployed and stressing about finding a job. Sociologist Sarah Burgard commented, "It may seem surprising that chronically high job insecurity is more strongly linked with health declines than actual job loss or unemployment."

Researchers analyzed data on 1,700 adults and studies conducted between 1986 and 1989 and from 1995 and 2005. In one exceptional finding, the study suggested "chronic job insecurity was a stronger predictor of poor health than either smoking or high blood pressure." If it's true the stress of job uncertainty is just as bad for us as picking up a health vice, like cigarettes or fatty foods, that's pretty amazing news. Burgard explained, "Persistent stress is a strain on people. It is the unrelenting nature of the uncertainty that really gets you."

If you're someone who's constantly stressed about your uncertain future at your job, it's important to try your best to contain it and make stress-relieving exercise a regular part of your life. Most of all focus on staying in the moment, instead of worrying about what's to come. The future is going to happen no matter how much you worry about it.

You're Fired! Are You Prepared?

SavvySugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:35:07 -0700

We're taught to keep a first-aid kit in our car's glove box and jugs of water in our cabinets in case of emergencies, but preparing for a job loss isn't something that's a given when thinking about disaster prevention. Unlike buying canned items in bulk, there isn't anything that we can pick up at the store when we're setting ourselves up for success after potential job loss.

Even the most realistic person may find themselves uncharacteristically optimistic when reviewing their work situation because getting fired is just not something any of us like to think about. Learn some job-loss preparation tips when you read more.

Here's a quick list of things you should do while you're still employed. Job loss can be overwhelming, so do yourself a favor by taking some steps to get a few necessary things in order before the ax drops.

Keep an up-to-date résumé. If you lose your job, you'll be ready to start applying for new ones immediately without skipping a beat.
Consider creating a LinkedIn profile or joining another professional networking site that caters to your field.
Reconnect with old colleagues. If you had great working relationships with colleagues from a past job but haven't had contact in a while, don't lose touch! Send an email, pick up the phone, meet for coffee, but don't let these valuable connections slip through your fingers just because you don't see them every day.
Hold on to the business cards given to you at your friend's Friday night cocktail party. Networking is the best way to build a collection of valuable contacts.
Build your emergency fund so you're not panicking when you realize that next paycheck won't be coming, after all.

Photo courtesy of NBC

Use JobCompass Mobile to Find a Job On the Go

GeekSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:02:09 -0800

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but the unemployment rate in the US is still rising. So if you are among those unfortunate masses that will have to take to the classifieds, start multitasking - there's a new way to search jobs and pound the pavement at the same time.

JobCompass is a mobile web service that lets you search for jobs in your area, so you can look for that perfect job even while on the go.

You can specify your job description and search area (so you can stay close to home and not spend a lot of dough on commuting costs), and the best part is, JobCompass is available for your smartphones as well as your iPhone, for free. Which is great, cause if you are jobless, you don't want to spend any more cash looking for work than you already have to.

Experienced MIT Alumni Goes to Job Hunting Extremes

SavvySugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:36:59 -0700

It's a numbing employment situation when each week a different investment bank reduces their workforce by 10 percent. While some workers who have made their names and fortunes in finance are having trouble keeping their heads up in the down market, experienced banker and MIT degree holder Joshua Persky hasn't let a discouraging reality get under his skin.

An unproductive six-month job search triggered a more creative mindset that led to Persky standing on Wall Street wearing a sandwich board while handing out résumés. His board advertised he's an "Experience MIT Grad For Hire," and although he's caught the attention of the press worldwide he's still jobless. If he doesn't find a job within a month, he'll go start a new life in his wife's hometown of Omaha, where she and their children went last week.

Source

Would You Interview For a Job on Skype?

GeekSugar — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:13:50 -0700

If you ask me, using Skype for dating is one thing, but using it for a job interview is something entirely different. But now, employers are turning to Skype as a cost-cutting interview tool. Instead of flying prospective candidates for in-person meetings, some companies are using the video-chatting software to narrow the list to a few finalists.

Even though I'd get to interview at home - in slippers and sweat pants if I wanted to, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable using Skype to meet a potential employer. I think you can learn more about a new job and work environment from inside the office, not from behind a computer screen. What do you think?