Finding Help for Major Career Issues

I can only recall one job that had no inherent stress: I worked in a small card shop while in grad school. I read funny cards, rang up a few sales and had plenty of time to study. The majority of people experience some level of stress or difficult issue at work and it helps to have a supportive, sympathetic ear when you need to talk it through. But sometimes it’s hard to know who would be the best fit when discussing major career issues. Do you talk to your co-workers, boss, a psychotherapist, friends, family or parents, etc.? When does it make more sense to consult a career coach?

First, let’s look at the pros and cons of getting emotional support from the people in your personal life. (Co-workers fall in both personal and professional areas as they can also be good friends.)

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When it comes to work, many of us have the same resolutions.  We figured we'd save you the time and type them up for you. If you truly want to get your career on the right track or just have a better attitude towards work, we recommend you start off slow, picking one or two of the items below and building from there.  These were my resolutions in 2008, and they're pretty much the same this year!

Set a Deadline on "Perfecting" Your Resume

The longer you wait to send it out, the longer it will take you to land a new job. You need to get it error-free but not at the expense of never finishing it. Resumes are fluid. Do not be afraid to hit the send button.

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You Might be a Lay-off Away from their Job

Here’s my axiom that I doubt you will find in any MBA or biz school curriculum: Everyone should be required to work at least 6 months in either retail or food service. I’ve worked in both industries and it’s some of the hardest work there is. (To this day I hate talking on the phone after working as a receptionist in a hair salon.)

First of all, you are just out there on the selling or restaurant floor and subject to any and all personality types and their accompanying moods. Secondly, there are always those folks who enjoy treating you like “the help,” in a condescending, dismissive manner. And lastly, you are often being paid at minimum wage or only slightly above.

And, yes, I realize that there are people in these jobs who don’t take the work seriously, do the job poorly, goof off or are rude. There are things you shouldn’t tolerate as a consumer - being ignored or treated badly. Sometimes that is management’s fault for hiring them and/or not addressing the bad behavior. But try a little patience and kindness and you might be surprised by the response. I just came from one of the dollar stores where I wanted to buy a gift card. When I asked the clerk if they had the kind that you could load on the dollar amount, she responded, “Ya know, I don’t remember.” Then she just looked at me. So I said, “Should we ask someone?” Things went smoothly after she asked her manager and she learned how to do it with my transaction.

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Don’t Forget to Put Your Name on the Resume

I recently visited a friend in Chicago who is at the point in growing her one-woman business that she needs help. Her biz is in a creative field and she’s fortunate to be in a city with multiple art/creative schools. Hiring an intern from one of these places seemed like an ideal solution; she gets a creative, enthusiastic “employee” and the student gets to learn the biz. Win, win, right? Well…until she placed the ad.

The ad stated very clear parameters - the experience preferred, general duties, hours/days, send a resume, etc. In a very short time, she had sixty responses. While she was able to cull some very favorable prospects from the group, there were some surprising clunkers. One person even forgot to put their name on the resume. Duh-oh.

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Just Step Away from the Netbook, Ma’am

Last weekend I took a three-day vacation from connectivity. Not even a peek at my email. It helped that I was in the middle of 180 acres of wilderness with nary a Wi-Fi in the breeze. Admittedly, I was a little twitchy at first. After all, I had made it to Level 130 in “Babylonia” - the procrastinating writer’s friend.

There’s been much written lately on the emotional/mental and even physical effects of being in constant contact with everyone electronically. As a psychotherapist, I constantly stress the need for downtime. I wrote an article about it in 2007 (which sounds almost quaint now and predates Twitter); Disconnect Doesn’t Have to Be a Bad Thing. But as someone who also makes a living writing and glued to a computer, I realize that disconnecting is not easy. So maybe baby steps are indicated. Here are a few to try...

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Choosing to be self-employed for the past 13 years, I don’t get to partake in much corporate-world fun anymore. But I’m fascinated by it - in an anthropologic sort of way.

Recently, I became interested in conference call protocol when my husband began working from home one day a week. (a whole other post topic…) He often participates in calls with up to 50 people. Firsthand I learned that building a fort for the cat and yelling from my office to tell him about it while he’s on a call is verboten. Additional do’s and don’ts he shared with me are below.

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Direct Download

What's your favorite "silent" work perk? I'm talking about that quiet little extra that you most likely are taking for granted. For example, at my office, we always have milk.

Every kind. Ice cold. Always fresh.

For years I have enjoyed this privilege without ever thanking the cow...my employer...or the maintenance worker who neatly restocks the fridge on a daily basis.

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