10 Ways to Irritate Your Boss, Or Worse Yet, Find Yourself Back in the Job Market

1. Let your boss know you are interviewing for other jobs. Why would you even consider it? Some people think it makes them more valuable when another company is interested in them, resulting in more respect and more pay from the current employer. WRONG. This only demonstrates that you are not trustworthy and unreliable, making you less valuable and less respected then before.
2. Tell, not ask for things. As an example, “I am taking a longer lunch today, but I’ll stay late and make it up” will be met more graciously if coined, “I have a lunch that will run late today, but I’m prepared to make up that time. Is that OK by you?” What is your boss going to say, “No?” Very doubtful, if handled properly.
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Motivation from Nike

This image is dedicated to callers on a recent CareerMoxie radio show who vented frustrations with their respective fiancé and husband who were both  unemployed and not putting forth the effort the callers were expecting of them in a job search. Listen to the show, you can certainly hear their frustration and feel their pain.  So Ladies, perhaps you should don this Nike t- shirt or clip the ad to remind the fellas that job search responsibilities need to be done every day, no question about it. When you are unemployed, that’s your full-time job. Get into the “office” and work a full day. Tasks should include networking, updating resumes, sending out applications, social networking, phone calls, interviews, writing thank you notes and the like. Bottom line - when you are unemployed, you still need to work “every damn day” to find a job. Just Do IT!

Look, Listen, Learn, and Love Your Way to a Successful Career

Individuals who are happy and successful in their careers have similar qualities. They look for opportunity, listen to others, thirst to learn and love what they do. Here’s how you, too, can look, listen, learn and love your way to a successful career.

LOOK for opportunity in everything, including triumphs and setbacks. If you give a presentation at work and receive rave reviews, why not explore other speaking opportunities within and outside of your company? If you are the go-to person in your office for technology problems, is there a position for you within your company’s IT department? Or perhaps with a software company specific to your industry? If your company is selling off or dissolving your division, is there an opportunity to start your own business to meet the needs of customers who will be impacted? Don’t let opportunities pass by you unnoticed–identify what opportunities are in your path, consider how you can approach them, and then take action.  One of my favorite mantras is “The greatest risk you will ever take is the risk of regret.” How many opportunities have you let slip by because you didn’t notice them, didn’t know what to do with them, or were afraid to act on them?

Get Involved!

If you don’t get out of your comfort zone or your every day routine it’s difficult to achieve greater things. How can you tell how truly remarkable (or unremarkable) you are if you don’t get out and benchmark yourself with like professionals?

We don’t want to be the experts for your profession. However, we know too well how some of you like to pick apart industry establishments for their uninspired trade organizations, lack luster conferences, and training venues that re-circulate the same content and speakers over and over again. Instead, we would encourage you to seek out and get involved in at least one association that is one of the more forward thinking in your industry. Find the one that pushes the envelope by delivering innovative ideas to inspire, to challenge, to educate, and bring together your professional community.

Recession 101: Self Worth Beats Net Worth

There is a billboard that reads, “Recession 101: Self Worth Beats Net Worth.” Think about that for a minute. Self worth beats net worth.

Without a doubt one side effect of a recession is the personal stigma individuals feel when their personal wealth is impacted by income loss, business failure, salary cuts, real estate devaluation, or investment drops.

Blows to your self worth will certainly manifest itself into your job search and not in positive way. When you have no self worth, you are less motivated and less confident – which are both huge deterrents in the job search. The motivated ones get the jobs first. The confident ones simply interview better. Where does a compromised self worth leave you?