Stifling jobs in a scary economy?

When you think about your career, your job, and job security, does the word victim come to mind? Is every day a bad day at the office?

Interesting. Because you're certainly not alone. A recent Experience poll suggested that more than 70 percent of young professionals (that would be you) have failed to hit the career goals they had when they graduated.


And yes, some of you blame your bosses, and some of you blame your companies, and some are just plain burnt out.

On this blog, we recently heard comments about the way some companies treat employees. One suggested that for all the appreciation he sees at work, he might as well be working as a contractor (preferably for a staffing firm that offers benefits).

This is a problem for you, the employee, and an even greater problem for them (the employers). According to one research report, turnover can cost a company nearly three times an employee's salary to replace them, including recruitment, training, severance, and lost productivity. And companies are finally starting to recognize this, and pay attention. In many cases, they're listening to the clear messages that employees are sending, and responding positively to them.

What's it like at your company? Is the economy so scary that you're trying to hold on, or are you right on the edge? Do you and your colleagues talk about this much? And is your company hearing what you're saying?

How to Handle Being the Youngest Person in the Room

By Allison Jones

In the past year I have had the privilege of attending a variety of conferences and sitting in on some pretty important meetings ranging from nonprofit fundraising and marketing to curriculum development and student recruitment. While the topics may vary one aspect stays the same: I’m always the youngest person in the room.

To a certain extent this is to be expected. After all, I’m 22, fresh out of college, and am intent on making a name for myself. However, walking into a room full of people who have decades on you in terms of both age and experience can leave you feeling tongue tied and anxious. Over time, I have been able to get a grip and become more comfortable in this scenario.

1. Be clear on the shared purpose: Who is hosting? Why are you all there? What issues are being addressed? In other words, do some homework before you attend a meeting/conference so that you able to stay on point. Don’t be clueless—it shows.

2. Understand what you can offer: Once you have a handle on what will be discussed, reflect on why you are there and what ideas/perspective you can bring. For example, I notice that more and more people are interested in getting our generation involved in programs and organizations yet aren’t sure on how to grab our attention. This is great for me since Im always reading and writing about how our generation approaches life and work. This perspective is what I offer.

3. Be confident: Never ever preface a comment with “well I’m only one year out of college but…” Horrible. You’ve basically just said that you’re too young to have a full understanding of what the meeting/conference is about. Instead, say something like, “From my experiences as a recent college graduate…” that way you being insightful and sharing a unique perspective.

4. Make suggestions: Honestly, I hate comments like this “I just want to say that I completely agree with you” and the person proceeds to rehash what has already been said. What a waste. The assumption is that if there are no objections then everyone agrees. Besides, you sound like a suck up. And stay away from being overly critical in an effort to sound like an authority–you’ll seem like a jerk. Instead, make specific suggestions or offer to take the lead on something.

5. Introduce yourself to at least one person: Don’t get stuck in the corner, wide eyed and confused. If you are shy or nervous go up to one person and have a genuine conversation with them. My favorite question to ask is “How did you get into this kind of work?” It allows people to share details about themselves.

6. Make sure to do a follow up: If you’ve been asked to take the lead on something, keep people abreast of your progress. If you have learned something new, put what you have learned into practice as soon as possible and thank the person who shared. At the end of the day it shows that you not only pay attention but also that you are eager to excel.

Allison Jones graduated from Haverford College in 2007. She chronicles her life as a newbie in the professional world at Entry Level Living.

Handling Workplace Battles

Sometimes it's a differing of opinions or personalities. Other times it's a complete imbalance of work. When personal conflicts are impairing your work environment, use these practical steps to handle the situation.

1. Keep an open mind. It’s not always about right and wrong. Try to understand both sides and find a common ground.
2. Consider what might have caused the conflict. Look objectively at the situation and think of ways it could’ve been handled differently.
3. Respect differences. Workplaces are more diverse than ever, and what one person considers acceptable might be offensive to another. Utilize your company’s diversity program (if you have one) or introduce one.
4. Express your willingness to talk about the situation. You can likely solve this collectively.
5. Listen. Don’t jump to conclusions. Instead, try to acknowledge the other person’s feelings.
6. Think before you talk. Try to communicate without placing blame. Use “I” statements to explain how you feel.
7. Know when to ask for help. Recruit someone (manager, HR, etc.) to help if the conflict escalates.
8. Resolve the problem. The problem still exists until both parties feel better about the situation. Before moving on, offer suggestions for how to handle a similar situation in the future.

“By understanding the issue and taking positive action, you can help solve the problem and make your office a place where you really want to be,” explains Susan Lankton-Rivas, a practice leader at human resources consulting firm Insight Performance Inc.

Do you have other tips or advice? Let's hear it!

Improving workplace diversity in Massachusetts

According to an article in the Boston Globe, workplaces in Massachusetts may see a shift in terms of diversity. In an attempt to improve the diversity of the state's workforce, Massachusetts civic leaders and business executives are going to closely monitor the numbers of minority and female employees.

Nearly a year ago, a statewide survey showed that the state's largest businesses and nonprofit institutions are led almost exclusively by white men. The new push to improve diversity stems from the shocking survey results of a year ago and two more recent surveys yielding similar results.

Seventy-six institutions have already signed on to the program - called the Commonwealth Compact - in advance of a public appeal set for Friday.

In joining the program, employers will make several commitments, including supplying demographic information on their workforce, executive team, and applicant pool. The information will give the public insight into the diversity issues in workplaces across the state.

What do you think? Is this a good idea? Have other states implemented similar programs or initiatives?

Can a pay cut ever pay off?

Don't ever talk about your salary, they say. But this is true confessions time.

I once, willingly, took a pay cut to get a new job.

Every bit of conventional wisdom (and every one of my Trusted Board of Advisers) warned against it. You don't change jobs for less money (and, in this case, a lesser title as well), they all said.

Problem was, I was in the job I wanted, but not at the right company. The only way to get there was to move down, then up. So I went the route -- moving from big fish/little pond to littler fish, medium-sized lake.

A CNN Money article suggests a number of reasons that might make a pay cut the right choice. Among them -- changing careers, revitalizing your career, moving from a dead-end job to one with potential, or fulfilling a dream or a passion. And in some industries, such as technology, it's not as uncommon as you might think.

My TBAs still said no. I said yes. I'm glad I did, and would do it again. Here's why:

I was fortunate -- I landed in the right place at the right time, and never had to look back with regret. A little over a year later, I was ahead of the game.

Yet this was breaking one of the cardinal rules of salary success. (Another rule: you should make more than your age, ideally $10K more -- that type of thing). It could have ended differently.

Was I crazy? Have you ever been crazy like this, taking salary cuts to get ahead?

And what are some of the other "unofficial rules" of salaries that you've heard?


photo by Capt. Mouffette

When HR does too little, or too much

In a previous life, I worked at a company with a limited amount of parking available for a lot of people who drove into work. One colleague, with less rank, privilege or seniority than others, did have a space assigned to him.

Unfair? Favoritism? Well, you decide. His car had been vandalized multiple times in the unguarded public area. The theory was that he was being victimized for being gay.

No one ever knew for sure if that was the reason for the vandalism, and even if it were true, nobody could imagine that fellow employees would do such a thing.

I guess I could imagine such a thing, but that's really not important (since I won't name any names here). But what is important is the way our HR department handled it.

First, they thought about his privacy and didn't put out any warnings or wanted posters. Second, they came up with a solution that resolved the immediate problem quickly without subjecting the employee to a protracted investigative process.

What they did not do was to take the opportunity to develop and present a program on respect and safety -- issues that would be meaningful to everybody. What they did not do was raise awareness that some people within the company might have respect or safety issues, which eventually affects a company's persona.

What else could they have done? What should they have done?

photo by meckleychina

The hot career that won't cool down

Good news, bad news.

For the health care industry, it's very good news. For the economy, not so much. According to the Wall Street Journal, the slowdown (OK, near-recession) is causing a shakeout in a lot of industries. But in health care, nurses have become a reverse economic indicator, according to the article, and nurses are very much returning to the workplace.

For several years, flexibility has been the watchword in nursing care. Because of the demands of the job, hospital administrators and nursing staff members have built in a lot of creative solutions to the problem of stretch a part-time workforce across a full-time need.

With the economy changing, however, more nurses are returning to work full-time, a trend we've seen before.

It's a great short-term shift in health care, and doesn't in the least obviate the need for more help in that industry. Health care staff shortages continue to be acute, and as Baby Boomers age, and require more care (even as Baby Boomer nurses begin to retire), the job opportunities will only expand from there.

The real question remains, however, whether hospitals are willing to make this profession more attractive (financially and otherwise) to fill all those needed positions. This is not something that can be outsourced, you know.

What changes have you seen in health care as a career? And what about its future?


Photo by supercapacity

Dream On!

One of the best things about my job is that I have the opportunity to interview young entrepreneurs. While it's certainly fun and exciting (and gets me out of the office), the biggest reason I love doing it is because it's inspiring. It's amazing to hear a story of a young person who had a dream and made it a reality, all the while knowing it was possible.

But what about those people who are too scared (or realistic) to follow their dreams?

Curt Rosengren, author of 101 Ways to Get Wild About Work, wrote an article in U.S. News & World Report titled "Dare to Be Dreamy in Your Career Search." In it he asserts that when it comes time for the job search, young people are prematurely realistic.

"They let their perceived 'reality' define their dreams, restricting their vision to what seems reasonably within reach," Rosengren said.

Talking with entrepreneurs it is obvious that they do the complete opposite. They give their dreams free rein and once they form a vision and plan only then do they start asking reality-based questions.

So why is it that when we look for jobs we immediately make judgments as to whether they're feasible or practical? What do you think? Why can't we let our dreams run free when it comes to career choices?

Photo by Pamela McHenry

Last Lecture at our office

At our office, departmental meetings can be strange, varied -- and sometimes wonderful -- things. We've had how-to demonstrations of improvements to the our email newsletter tool, and we've talked through all kinds of organizational issues. Today, we listened to a dying man.

Many of us had already heard of Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor who delivered the traditional Last Lecture with a non-traditional twist -- he wasn't retiring, he was dying of pancreatic cancer.



It's rolled across the Web, Oprah and other network TV shows have had emotional features on this lecture, but you should listen to the real thing, (and preferably listen to the whole thing -- it's about an hour and a quarter long) for yourself. Our little band had a lot of teary eyes by the end -- not because it was sad, but because it was grand. We tried to talk about what we each got out of it, but for a pretty talkative group, we couldn't get much of a conversation going at all.

So we all took away something (I particularly was moved by the messages of the brick walls, but you need to find your own takeaway). It wasn't a classic, by-the-book organizational meeting, although it was all about work, and was all about organizations, but sometimes it's better to learn things in that different way.

Do your departmental meetings ever move you to this "good kind" of tears? Is it appropriate for a workplace? What do you think?

Communicating with your boss: It's not so scary!

I think regardless of your generation, as a worker you want a healthy relationship with your boss. Acquiring and maintaining that relationship is no easy task. The basic component is good communication. Here are some tips on how to effectively communicate with your boss.

Express ideas. Speak up if you have an idea of how things could be done. Develop your idea fully and then suggest it to your boss.

Voice concerns. This does not mean complaining. Instead, if something is not going the way you had anticipated, let your boss know what’s not working.

Propose solutions. Going hand-in-hand with voicing concerns is proposing solutions. It’s great to be able to identify that something is not working, but better still is being able to offer better ways of doing it.

Ask for feedback. If you feel like you’re not being recognized for your work, ask for feedback and suggestions. There’s nothing wrong with checking on your performance and wanting to improve.

Get clarification. It’s ok to be confused. Ask for clarification when things are unclear.

Share information. Your boss may be smart and have lots of experience, but that doesn’t mean he/she knows everything. Share information, knowledge, insights, etc.

Listen. Most importantly: listen. Listening doesn’t necessarily mean taking and following direction. Listening simply means hearing and understanding the communication between you and your boss.

Can you think of any other ways to effectively communicate with your boss? Let's hear them!

Photo by CIO

Confessions of a grad student 3: Worth the price

(Part 3 in a series)

By Catlin Green

My acceptance to graduate school meant another year and a half of freedom. And it has been…sort of. I knew grad school would be different from college, but I didn’t know just how much of an adult I would be required to become.

One of the first things that came in the mail after my acceptance letter was my financial aid package. That was the moment I realized how much my year and a half of freedom was going to cost me. And that was just for tuition and student fees!

I knew Emerson didn’t provide graduate housing, as most schools don’t provide housing for graduate students, but I didn’t realize the headache that would follow trying to find a place to live. Boston is not cheap, and with six out of every 10 people being students, you can imagine how competitive the housing market is.

If you’re looking to find an apartment, roommates, or both, go onto your school’s websites. Especially if it’s located in a city, there will be a portion of the website devoted to roommate and vacant apartment listings.

My apartment was listed on the Emerson website and finding roommates wasn’t bad. Two of my best friends from college were moving to Boston, and we pulled in a fourth to help with the rent. But rent wasn’t the only monthly bill. Along with the apartment came utilities, groceries, cable, not to mention actually having to clean the apartment once a week.

As I sat trying to figure out just how much this endeavor was going to cost, I didn’t even realize what “living” in Boston would mean. With all the great restaurants, bars, and museums, Boston is a playground for young adults. But everything’s more expensive or costs something in the city, and I mean EVERYTHING! Without a car, I had to pay for an unlimited monthly subway pass. And how was I supposed to support this glamorous lifestyle I wanted? Loans? A full-time job? I didn’t want to be paying the government back until the day I died, but I also didn’t want to compromise my education by working 40+ hours a week. So I got an internship, and I got an internship that paid. Not only would it look good on my resume, but I had the flexibility to set my hours and get experience in a field I was interested in.

Going to graduate school in Boston isn’t so easy at times. School is school, simple as that. It’s just as demanding as undergrad was, but you’re surrounded by a diverse group of people which makes it challenging and worthwhile. The unexpected expenses, not having a car, and noise are just some of the frustrations that you learn to live with.

Sure, I could be going to school in-state for about half the price and living at home to save some cash, but I wouldn’t be getting the life experience that living in Boston is providing me. While it’s the kind of freedom I never expected to have a year ago, it’s the kind of freedom that has forced me to grow and learn in ways I never thought possible.

Confessions of a grad student 2: The grad school gamble

(Part 2 of a series)


By Caitlin Green

A master’s degree was always a goal for me, but I was unsure of when and where I would do it. Some people advocated for going right after college while others told me to work for a bit, get a better idea of what I wanted out of a career. But I wasn’t sure I was ready for the real world so I began the graduate school search in the fall.

I spent the fall semester attending graduate information sessions at various schools and diligently preparing my applications. All the schools required recommendation letters, GRE scores, and at least one essay.

I signed up and took the GREs, tracked down professors to get letters, and spent hours editing and re-writing my essays. If you’re even THINKING you might want to attend grad school, get the ball rolling early. You don’t want to be scrambling at the last minute to complete everything.

On top of all of this, many schools don’t send out acceptance/rejection letters until late April. This is getting very close to graduation, and many students feel they need a back-up plan in case they don’t get in. I chose to superficially engage in the job search, but basically put all my eggs into one basket. I don’t usually endorse having no back-up plan, but I already had a summer internship lined up at home which, if rejected from all schools, would give me some time to find a real job.

Fortunately, I was accepted to Emerson College in Boston. Graduate school isn’t for everyone, and if you feel you need to take a break from school then do so. This is was the best decision for me, but it’s the type of investment you shouldn’t make unless your heart’s really in it.

Next: Freedom isn’t cheap

Photo by Next Step