Science says Complaining about your bad boss makes it worse

Science says Complaining about your bad anfhrer makes it worseScience says Complaining about your bad boss makes it worseTheres nothing more cathartic than a proper bitch session when your boss is being unreasonable, but the coworker you confide in has the power to hurt your career - and not in the way youd think.According to a recent study in the Academy of Management Journal, slamming your boss to a colleague, particularly a passive listener, can make you angrier, more pessimistic, and a worse employee.When people are upset, their natural inclination is to vent to someone who validates their feelings by saying things like, Wow, you were really wronged, says study author Michael Baer, a professor at Arizona State University. But that type of feedback isnt best if you want to get over a negative situation.In the two-part study, Baer and his team asked 170 bus drivers how fairly theyre treated by their supervisors, how they express frustration to coworkers, and the type of feedback t hey receive from their vent sessions.They found that drivers who vented to passive listeners - those who said things like, Youre totally right and Yeah, you got screwed - felt angrier and more unforgiving of their bosses, less optimistic that the situation would improve, and started slacking on the job.Their supervisors noticed. When researchers followed up with the bosses after a period of time, the above employees almost uniformly received poor reviews. These employees were less willing to go the extra mile at work, says Baer. Their lack of effort wasnt conscious, but because they were angry, they were less motivated to impress their bosses.Things looked a lot different for the drivers who vented to colleagues who reframed their problems by saying things like, Maybe there was a reason for that, Things arent so bad, or What was your part in it?They did not get angrier, feel less hopeful or unforgiving, and their job wertmiger zuwachs didnt suffer after the conversation, says Baer .Similar results were proved in the lab - researchers assigned a group of students an anagram project to complete independently for five minutes, then asked the proctor to annoy the subjects by announcing that time was up after only three minutes. The proctor then said, The way I grade these is well, never mind. You dont need to know. Its not like undergraduates get or care about these things anyway and incorrectly graded the tests, giving only partial credit for peoples work.Once subjects were sufficiently pissed off, they were paired with people with either reframing or passive listening skills. While the former group mucksmuschenstill felt angry, they were more hopeful and forgiving the latter seethed, even refusing the proctors request to help clean the classroom before they left.Its absolutely true that venting feels good- sharing a painful experience can minimize sadness and anger, help sort through complicated feelings, and in cases where people share your pain (like collea gues who suffer under the same boss) complaining serves as a social glue.However, both parties are responsible for any negative outcomes and should try for a positive one. If a coworker is upset, do your best to have their back and ask objective questions that help diffuse their anger. It can be tough to strike the right balance between reframing and supporting the person, says Baer. But we still need to try.If youre the one complaining, ask yourself, Do I want to stay mad or move on? Research published in the Journal of Social Psychology found that complaining, but with the hope of problem-solving, can actually make people happier. Its also important to confide in the right person, says Baer. Or have a mix of people to talk to - one for venting and another whos good at helping you see things differently.Thispostoriginally appeared onShondaland.com.

Stop stressing over asking dumb questions at work

Stop stressing over asking dumb questions at workStop stressing over asking dumb questions at workIts easy to feel insecure when you have a whole lot of trouble asking questions at work, but you dont have to. Heres what to do instead.Just be yourselfPatrick Allan, a Lifehacker staff writer, video host, film producer and more, gives specific, casual examples on the site about how were often far too concerned with what other people think we know, and how we try to bridge the gap by learning more, or lying about knowledge we actually dont have.After explaining the pitfalls of this approach, he writes that you should just be upfront about how unfamiliar you are with the topic and start asking away.You retain your genuineness because youre being honest, you dont look like a fool thats bogging down the conversation with your lack of knowledge, and lastly, you actually open yourself up to learning something, Allan writes. But fruchtwein importantly, people like you more when you ask questio ns. We love to feel knowledgeable on a subject, and what we love even more is to be the ones to share that knowledge. It makes us feel useful and heard.Give yourself something to work with firstThis can really help take the edge off.Katie Douthwaite Wolf, now a content strategist at Right Source Marketing, writes in The Muse about how you should start with what you know after doing some learning first.Assuming you do some prior research or clarify at least part the answer on your own, you should now have a vague idea of the specific information youre looking for. Maybe youre not sure how an entire website is coded, but you at least know that your company uses PHP - so use that to frame your question. Instead of asking a programmer Uh, whats all this gibberish? you can ask Im vaguely familiar with PHP, but could you explain the elements of the new site feature in laymans terms? she writes.Dont just ask blindlyThis is never, ever a good idea - especially at work.Margie Warrell, aut hor of Stop Playing Safe, told The Washington Post about why this is important.You wouldnt want to ask why your colleague was promoted over you at a team meeting. Also be aware of timing. The day after youre told your project is over budget and behind deadline probably isnt the time to ask about that pay raise, she told the site.

Getting a Law Job with Average Grades...and other Questions

Getting a Law Job with Average Grades...and other QuestionsGetting a Law Job with Average Grades...and other QuestionsHave questions about how to navigate the world of legal networking, interviewing and job searching? So did mora than 1200 law students, who tuned in to the lively and informative webcast Ask the Experts- Answers to Your Questions on Legal Job Search, Networking and Interviewing on Thursday, November 8. The event was hosted by LexisNexis and co-sponsored by Vault and the American Bar Association, and featured a panel of four experts Brynne Lehner, a legal recruiter at Manatt Phelps Phillips LLP Rich Williamson, a partner at Nevada firm Robertson, Johnson, Miller Williamson Sheila Nielsen, former lawyer and career counselor at Nielsen Career Consulting and Vaults own Law Editor, Rachel Marx Boufford. The panelists weighed in on students questions both during the panel and at an after-party on Facebook. Below, some of the takeawaysHow many firms should I apply to? Its tempting to fall into the trap of sending off a hundred generic applications in a panic-fueled spree, but Lehner advised against this. Instead, she urged students to thoroughly research potential employers and target a few that they are genuinely interested in working for. Lehner noted the importance of treating each application as if its the only one youre doing the time and effort you put in will be evident to the person reading your application.What if my grades arent good? A less-than-stellar GPA isnt necessarily the end of the world. Grades will always matter, but so do other things the types of classes you took, the work experience you gained through clinics and clerkships, the activities you pursued outside of class like mock trial, law review and moot court, as well as your individual background and perspective. While there are certainly firms out there that might not consider anyone with a GPA under a specific cutoff, most firms will consider your background more holistical ly. Focus on what you can offer the firm, rather than on what youre lacking.Make your classes count. When asked if there was anything they wished theyd done differently in law school, both Williamson and Boufford said they wished they had taken more substantive skills courses outside of the required curriculum. Tax Law may not seem fun, but its often essential knowledge for a practicing attorney. While nonacademic pursuits are important, be aya to take advantage of the group of legal experts at your disposal (your professors). Take classes that are likely to come in handy later on.How do you network? Networking is one of the most intimidating tasks a law student- or any job seeker- can face, but its also one of the most important. Your classmates are valuable resources with connections of their own, who may be working for your target employers in a few short years. Williamson suggested talking to professors and reaching out to associates at firms that youre interested in on LinkedIn , while Nielsen encouraged going to panels or events which employees of your target firms are attending and introducing yourself. Boufford also suggested using your schools career services to look up alumni who are now working at firms that interest you.What should I wear? A good rule of thumb to follow for interview attire, said Boufford, is if you have to ask whether you can wear it, dont wear it. Save the bright colors and funky patterns for after youve gotten the job. The answer to the skirt suit vs. pantsuit debate for women, unfortunately, is a bit less clear it depends on the geographic region and culture of the firm youre applying to. If you dont want to work in a conservative place that would view your pantsuit unfavorably, its probably best to just not apply there. Going solo. Got more of an independent streak? Williamson identified several resources for students who want to pursue solo practice, such as the ABA Solo and Small Firm General Practice Divisions online SOLOSEZ listserv and state Solo and Small Firm Resource Centers. Some states like Washington and Texas even offer startup kits with everything you need to know about starting your own practice. Finding a mentor- perhaps someone who started their own solo practice- is also key. Got a J.D.- now what? The legal field is diverse and dynamic, and there are plenty of alternative career options for professionals with legal training. A few of the alternative career paths Nielsen mentioned were journalism (e.g., writing for legal publications), sales (e.g., selling products to law firms), marketing or public relations (perhaps within a law firm), financial services and planning, teaching and training, consulting, compliance and mediation.Find the right fit. All the panelists agreed on the importance of framing your job search strategy around a central theme of finding a good fit for you. The job search is a two-way street its not just about how you can present yourself as the best candidate for fir ms- you, as the candidate, also need to consider whats right for you. Take some time to assess your values, what type of work you want to be doing, the work/life balance you want, where youd like to live and what type of culture and people youd most like to be around, then target the firms that share your values and have ansicht desired qualities. In case you missed it, you can listen to the full webcast here.

How to Handle Taking a Career Break

How to Handle Taking a Career BreakHow to Handle Taking a Career BreakThinking of taking a career break? Whether youre staying home to care for children or traveling around the world on a year-long sabbatical, the prospect of taking extended time off from work can be equal parts exciting and terrifying. How will you survive financially while youre away from the office? And how can you make sure that your career will still be there when you get back? The key is to do as much planning ahead of taking a career break, so that youll be able to devote your energies to other things plus, minimize stress when you return. Before You Take a Career Break Save Money If youre reading this article, chances are that youre already biting your nails about the financial aspect of taking a break. Dont let your fear and trepidation scare you away from making practical plans. The first step is to make a budget. How much money will you need while youre away? Think of your financial needs on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Most people wont be able to bank a year or more of salary ahead of time. How much money might you realistically save? What other methods do you have for filling in the shortfall? Depending on your situation, a spouse or family member might change jobs or take on more hours, for example. Or you might decide to do some part-time work to make ends meet. Refresh Your Network Making the leap from a fairly stable job that youve had for a long time? Chances are that youve let your network dwindle somewhat as you gained comfort in your position. Even if you change jobs fairly frequently, its easy to fall out of touch with former colleagues and friends. Before you head off into the unknown, reconnect with old contacts. Plan some networking coffee dates or just a fun outing with old friends. When was the belastung time you went to a concert or a movie or a play? Use this as an opportunity to get motivated to make some plans. Itll be fun, plus youll be refreshing you r connections. Have a Re-Entry Plan Unless youre independently wealthy, you probably have an idea of when your career break will come to an end. Dont wait until then to think about how youll get back into the swing of things professionally. For instance, lets say youre in an industry where freelancing is common. If youre on good terms with your current employer, you might ask them if you can get in touch to pick up some contract work once youre ready. Or perhaps youre volunteering a few hours a week during your time off. You might let it be known that youre going back to work on such-and-such a date and that youll be looking for opportunities. Regardless of your plans, you should keep your resume up-to-date and be ready to change your LinkedIn and other social media accounts to reflect your availability. When Youre Planning to Return to Work, Do These Things Take Stock of Your Situation Plans are one thing. Reality is often quite different. Perhaps you planned to be away for a y ear, but now five have gone by. Maybe you thought you wouldnt work at all during your time away, but you wound up taking on a part-time job. Or perhaps you left one industry only to find that for various reasons, youd prefer to do something else when you return. The goal now is to figure out where you are, so that you can make the transition back to work as smooth as possible. Cope With Resume Gaps Dealing with resume gaps can be as simple as changing resume formats or as complex as refocusing your entire CV to reflect new skills and interests. A functional resume, for example, puts the focus on your skills and achievements, rather than on your linear work history (as with chronological resume). You can also take exact dates off your CV this is especially helpful if youre heading back to work within a year or so of your last job ending. Theres no need to volunteer that you have an employment gap, especially if your resume does a good job of emphasizing your skills and not your chro nological work history. However, you should be prepared to talk about your employment gap in a job interview, just in case an intrepid hiring manager figures out that youve been out of work. Just remember that its always a mistake to lie on your resume. In the first place, youre likely to get caught and sooner, rather than later. Even if you get away with it, think of how stressful it would be to spend the rest of your career hoping that the truth doesnt come to light. Use Your Experience to Boost Your Professional Profile OK, so maybe you dont want to update your resume to say Lead Domestic Engineer (for stay-at-home parents) or Ski Bum (for sabbatical-takers who enjoy winter sports). But you can mine your experience outside of the workforce to improve your chances of getting a better job once youre back. How? First of all, by giving yourself credit. Sit down and think about everything you did for the past year. Write it down in the form of a bulleted list, for easy review. Now, t ease out any and all job-related skills you acquired or developed during your time away. Did you learn a new job role at a volunteer gig? Brush up on your language or coding skills? Gain experience managing a budget? Put it in a list and then add it to your resume. Finally, dont forget about the friends you made along the way. Networking doesnt have to mean attending conferences or going to tedious networking events. Every person who will write you a recommendation or refer you for a job is a contact who might help you find your next big career move. Youve just spent time doing something thats so important to you, it was worth pressing pause on your career. That passion is worth something, professionally as well as personally.

The Advantages of Functional Resumes

The Advantages of Functional Resumes Functional resumes make up one of the 3 major kinds of resumes. They can be useful in some situations. They are very tricky and may or may not go well with the recruiters. They do not contain a reverse chronological listing of past positions. Job binnenseekers deserve to locate decent content quickly. Also, in the event you frequently change jobs, you might also think about a functional resume. A chronological resume is the fruchtwein widely used version. Writing a strong application is a challenging procedure and we would like to make it simpler. Nontraditional resumes are perfect for men and women in creative fields, who would like to demonstrate their capacity to create visually engaging designs or to make web pages. Heres What I Know About Functional Resumes Keeping that in mind, here are a few basic tips that could provide you greater insight about ways to develop a functional resume which works for your special needs. A functio nal resume ought to be utilised in a variety of kinds of situations. Some are even especially good at downplaying less than positive capabilities. There are three major introduction styles, all of them excellent in various conditions. Ruthless Functional Resumes Strategies Exploited Functional resumes are primarily utilized to provide a strong effect on your abilities and abilities. You also ought to touch on the skills you possess, but you wish to speak about how you are going to use them. On the contrary, it highlights your abilities and abilities. Next, you will start to list your principal abilities and abilities. Functional Resumes - the Conspiracy Understanding how to tailor your resume will obviously provide you an advantage. Make sure that you have a summary at the start of your resume. The skills summary is easily the most important portion of writing a functional resume. Which format you select will depend, in part, on the sort of work youve performed and whet her you are likely to continue in the very same field. Not to mention that, if you choose to choose a functional format, you truly will need to possess some impressive abilities and competences. Then again, if you choose the chronological format, the reader will probably say, I simply dont find the fit here. New Ideas Into Functional Resumes Never Before Revealed Accounting and finance managers may wish to see your technical understanding. On the contrary, it focuses on the skills you have developed that fit the prerequisites of the job for which youre applying. Hard skills is your primary asset. As an example, skills like customer support, writing, communication, or organization are widely used in functional resume. Possessing a strong resume will enable you find quite a few great jobs. My candidates have to be the best of the very best and typically they need to be currently employed with a top quality restaurant brand they wish to recruit from. 1 advantage for employer s to internet resumes is the considerable cost saving in comparison to traditional hiring methods. There are some simple tweaks that may make a functional resume advantageous Just take the opportunity to come up with a strong functional resume. Some hiring manager can believe that youre hiding something which in most case is what youre doing. In addition, some firing managers want to find skill. Definitions of Functional Resumes Just have a look here if you need to learn more about it. A functional resume is invaluable for someone whos seeking to switch tracks, professionally speaking, who might want to enter a different niche or separate industry altogether. Making an educated decision in a timely manner is a skill that demands the ability to rate all feasible options and select the best possible approach with regard to functionality and feasibility. There are some common kinds of resumes, and were likely to evaluate when (or if) you ought to use every one of them. Life A fter Functional Resumes Due to some personal conditions, youre not prepared for a complete time position at the present time. Youll also list an overview of all your previous employers accordingly. Your choice to choose 1 format over another ought to be dependent on your career background and personal conditions. Functional resumes make it resemble the applicant is attempting to hide something from the recruiter. The functional resume is utilized to concentrate on skills that are particular to the sort of position being sought. In other instances, nobody even would love to call you. More experienced people who may rather not advertise what a lengthy job history they have had. Regardless of what, you will probably still will need to include employment history. Otherwise, your resume may get set aside straight away. Based on your work history, you can want to look at utilizing a functional resume. Youre in a position to include your work history to display your consistenc e and including the particular tasks youve handled before. If youve got a fairly good work history with just a few gaps, youre able to generally list education following your employment details.

The Honest to Goodness Truth on Main Points of Resume Writing

The Honest to Goodness Truth on Main Points of Resume Writing The Basics of Main Points of Resume Writing Resume is necessary for the roles in all fields. How to compose resumes is a skill youll be able to learn and there are lots of resources available to aid you. After you determine the skills you wish to concentrate on, do a bit of research and see whether they line up with job requirements listed for the positions youre seeking. Language skills are sometimes a good selling point on your resume. Even though it might look like a very straightforward and easy job to do, it involves a great deal of hard work. Possessing fresh eyes read through it is going to allow you to get another perspective, so you are able to make certain your letter is the best it can be. Resume Writing has a specific significance for every single age. Writing your first resume may seem to be daunting job. If your work involves social media, you might incorporate the links to other social networking accounts including Twitter, Instagram, and so on. Because resumes have limited space, your career objective has to be concise. If you discover that the chronological resume format is not functioning for you, it might be for any variety of reasons and you might be better suited to a combination resume layout to present your profile to prospective employers. Main Points of Resume Writing Features When you build a resume, you are going to supply a number of bullet points under each work title. Apply for jobs you know you are able to do, don apply for a job you believe you can do and figure if you receive the job they need to teach you anyway. How to compose resumes in the ideal way for you will ride on your private experience, circumstances and objectives. Even in the event you decide to change your work objective later, it is extremely vital that you choose a temporary objective for the time being. A career objective is a significant method to begin a resume for some indivi duals, but might not qualify as the best means for you. Generally, an objective on your resume can be useful if it concisely describes your immediate employment goal, but it isnt an important element of a successful resume. Utilizing a custom resume instead of a generic one is going to greatly increase your odds of an interview, as youll be a better match in the view of the reader. There is a very big collection of tips which may be useful when preparing a resume. There are plenty of websites with tips around the internet, but most bring just a small number of them. Skills-based resumes may also permit you to combine related work and other experience during the skills-based headings. How to Choose Main Points of Resume Writing When you build a resume, you have to be very detail-oriented. Make certain its a real job, call and ask a great deal of questions. There are two primary kinds of resumes. So first of anything plan to how youre going to do its completion.