10 Job-Search Mistakes

Although this year's college graduates are facing a tough job market (and the smart ones are facing it now, rather than waiting until after graduation), they have an advantage over other job seekers, according to Andy Chan, vice president of career development at Wake Forest University: they are among the age group most likely to be hired in coming months.

"Organizations are very interested in hiring young people because they have a lot of energy and are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done," Chan says.

But no matter how well-positioned these young people are, they--and all job seekers--will have a better chance of success if they avoid these common job-hunting mistakes of new college grads:

1. Not being proactive enough
Emily Bennington, the author of "Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job," says, "This isn't the time to sit back and be casual in your approach. Create a hit
list of five to ten target companies, and really utilize your network to locate an 'in' at each."

2. Relying solely on the Internet
In a recent Yahoo! HotJobs poll, 57% of respondents said networking was a factor in landing their current or most recent job. Brad Karsh, president of JobBound, says, "When thousands of candidates are applying to the same jobs online and posting their resume to the same job boards, candidates need to stand out by making connections and networking their way into a company." Job boards are an important tool, but Karsh says new grads also need to focus energy on networking.

3. Not creating wide networks
Career expert Liz Ryan agrees: "Use your parents', grandparents', and friends' networks to help you in your post-graduation job search," she says. "Don't be shy--reach out to any long-ago Scoutmaster, choir director, or babysitting or leaf-raking boss. ... There's no statute of limitations on networking."

4. Not creating customized resumes
Ryan says, "Don't send out any resumes that simply list your courses, the degree you've earned, and your part-time and summer jobs--use this opportunity to make a stronger statement about what you want to do with your adult life." And according to Jay Block, the author of "101 Best Ways to Land a Job in Troubled Times," younger job seekers often haven't thought about what they have to offer an employer (as opposed to what they want to get from one). With this mindset, they create resumes that are "boring biographies" instead of effective marketing tools.

5. Misusing the Internet
Tory Johnson, CEO of Women For Hire and the author of "Fired to Hired," says, "New grads don't use LinkedIn--it's not sexy like Facebook or Twitter. But it's the best resource for getting names and building a professional identity. Don't overlook it."

6. Failing to follow up
Johnson says, "It's not enough to send resumes and pray the phone rings." She cautions that job seekers can't expect a resume to be discovered in that "big black online hole." "Hustle to follow up," she says.

7. Setting expectations too high
Johnson says new graduates too often focus on looking for the perfect job, instead of a first job: "Especially in this economy, the first job should be about finding a position where you'll learn a great deal, you'll be super busy, and you'll be surrounded by lots of people."

8. Appearing unprofessional
Make sure you're ready for employers' scrutiny, says Tim McIntyre, president and CEO of The Executive Search Group. That means you should "sanitize your MySpace page--right now. It will be checked," he says. He notes that many college students will need to change off-color voicemail greetings. Ryan adds, "Don't assume that Facebook's privacy settings will keep your youthful antics away from curious eyes. Rid your profile page of any photos of the 'three Bs' (beer, bongs, and bikinis)."

9. Not taking the job interview seriously
Even when you're applying for an unpaid internship, you need to adhere to common standards of professionalism. McIntyre says those standards include demonstrating you've done your research on the company and dressing appropriately. Block adds that new grads are often unprepared for tough (but standard) interview questions, such as "Where do you see yourself in three years?" and "What are your weaknesses?"

10. Not using the college's career office
"A career office can help [students] identify networking contacts, learn important job-search skills, and significantly improve their resume and cover letter," says Wake Forest University's Chan. Ryan agrees, but adds that this is just a first step. The career office's job is to "to prepare you for your job search, not to conduct it for you," she says. "Use LinkedIn, reach out to everyone you can, and begin researching employers who'd be likely targets for your job-search."

10 Strategies for managing job stress

Dr Kamran:  Stress is something we all face as workers -- and we all handle it differently. There is no getting around it. But, not all stress is bad, and learning how to deal with and manage stress is critical to our maximizing our job performance, staying safe on the job, and maintaining our physical and mental health. For workers like Melissa, infrequent doses of job stress pose little threat and may be effective in increasing motivation and productivity, but too much -- and too prolonged -- can lead to a downward spiral -- both professionally and personally.

Some jobs, by definition, tend to be higher stress -- such as ones that are in dangerous settings (fire, police), that deal with demanding customers (service providers), that have demanding time pressures (healthcare), and that have repetitive detailed work (manufacturing) -- but stress is not limited to any one particular job or industry.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, states that job stress, now more than ever, poses a threat to the health of workers –- and the health of organizations. NIOSH defines job stress as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Stress also occurs when the situation has high demands and the worker has little or no control over it. Job stress can lead to poor health and injury.

 

Job Stress Statistics

Numerous studies examining job stress sound an alarming bell about the mental and physical health of American workers:

• A Northwestern National Life study found that 40 percent of workers report their job is “very or extremely stressful.” And that one-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives.
• A Families and Work Institute study found 26 percent of workers report they are "often or very often burned out or stressed by their work."
• A Yale University study found 29 percent of workers feel "quite a bit or extremely stressed at work."
• A Princeton Survey Research Associates study reports that three-fourths of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago.
• A Gallup Poll found that 80 percent of workers feel stress on the job, and nearly half reported that they needed help in learning how to manage it.
• According to an article in Shape Magazine, women are 60 percent more likely to suffer from job stress than men.

Symptoms & Warning Signs of Job Stress

While the causes can be something other than job stress, here are the most common symptoms and early warning signs of job stress and burnout:

1. Apathy
2. Negativism/cynicism
3. Low morale
4. Boredom
5. Anxiety
6. Frustration
7. Fatigue
8. Depression
9. Alienation
10. Anger/irritability
11. Physical problems (headaches, stomach problems)
12. Absenteeism

Causes of Job Stress

 

There are two schools of thought on the causes of job stress.

According to one theory, differences in individual characteristics, such as personality and coping style, are best at predicting what will stress one person but not another. The focus then becomes on developing prevention strategies that help workers find ways to cope with demanding job conditions.

The other theory proposes that certain working conditions are inherently stress-inducing, such as fear of job loss, excessive workload demands, lack of control or clear direction, poor or dangerous physical working conditions, inflexible work hours, and conflicting job expectations. The focus then becomes on eliminating or reducing those work environments as the way to reducing job stress.

Strategies for Managing Job Stress

While many of the methods of preventing job stress need to be developed and supported by the organization, there are things that workers can do to help you better manage job stress.

 

Here are 10 tips for dealing with the stress from your job:

1. Put it in perspective. Jobs are disposable. Your friends, families, and health are not. If your employer expects too much of you, and it's starting to take its toll on you, start looking for a new job/new employer.
2. Modify your job situation. If you really like your employer, but the job has become too stressful (or too boring), ask about tailoring your job to your skills. And if you got promoted into a more stressful position that you just are not able to handle, ask about a lateral transfer -- or even a transfer back to your old job (if that's what you want).
3. Get time away. If you feel the stress building, take a break. Walk away from the situation, perhaps walking around the block, sitting on a park bench, taking in a little meditative time. Exercise does wonders for the psyche. But even just finding a quiet place and listening to your iPod can reduce stress.
4. Fight through the clutter. Taking the time to organization your desk or workspace can help ease the sense of losing control that comes from too much clutter. Keeping a to-do list -- and then crossing things off it -- also helps.
5. Talk it out. Sometimes the best stress-reducer is simply sharing your stress with someone close to you. The act of talking it out -– and getting support and empathy from someone else -- is often an excellent way of blowing of steam and reducing stress. Have a support system of trusted people.
6. Cultivate allies at work. Just knowing you have one or more co-workers who are willing to assist you in times of stress will reduce your stress level. Just remember to reciprocate and help them when they are in need.
7. Find humor in the situation. When you –- or the people around you -- start taking things too seriously, find a way to break through with laughter. Share a joke or funny story.
8. Have realistic expectations. While Americans are working longer hours, we can still only fit so much work into one day. Having unrealistic expectations for what you can accomplish sets you up for failure -- and increased stress.
9. Nobody is perfect. If you are one of those types that obsess over every detail and micromanage to make sure "everything is perfect," you need to stop. Change your motto to performing your best, and leave perfection to the God.
10. Maintain a positive attitude (and avoid those without one). Negativism sucks the energy and motivation out of any situation, so avoid it whenever possible. Instead, develop a positive attitude -- and learn to reward yourself for little accomplishments (even if no one else does).

 

Final Thoughts

 

Okay, so it's a cliche, but your health is everything. You need to take care of yourself, and no job, customer, or boss is worth putting yourself at risk. Find a way out through one or more of our 10 strategies. Take control of your situation -- and fix it -- and you will have better mental and physical health, as well as better relationships with the people around you.

10 Tips To Find Happiness At Work

Happiness is in vogue, and everyone-from psychologists to academics and career coaches--has advice on how to find it and how to keep it. Juxtapose that with a workforce that is more stressed out and cynical than ever. After a recession where millions of jobs were lost, remaining workers are doing more work with fewer resources and a heavy helping of distrust in management. Is it possible to find happiness at work these days? These experts say: Yes. Start now.

Throw Out Labels

 

We spend most of our lives instantly judging things that happen to us. It's raining: Bad. No bonus this year: Very bad. The boss is out of town: Very good. Author of Happiness At Work Srikumar Rao, Ph.D., says you can boost your sense of calm by turning off the mental labels. If you decide something is bad, it most likely will be, he says.

Let It Go

When something throws you off, being able to let it go quickly will exponentially increase your happiness at work. The ability to move on--resilience--enables you to handle work challenges with composure and strength. Instead of focusing on how bad a situation is, focus on how to fix it or the next step.

Write A To-Do List

It's hard to feel resilient when you also feel like you have no power over your work day. You can take some of that control back by writing a to-do list and completing tasks in that order. Also, limiting distractions by scheduling times to check e-mail or social networking sites will help keep you on task and feeling productive.

Focus And Engage

"The current workforce is like the cast of the Night of The Living Dead, says Rao. Disengaged worker-zombies do nothing for the company or for individual morale. If you are able to get excited about your work and focus on it with full attention, time will go by faster and the experience will be
much more pleasant.

Quiet Mental Chatter

A constant stream of negative thoughts sends many workers into a downward spiral of unhappiness. Quiet the chaos by redirecting your thoughts. Think of a positive memory and create a mental image of it. The next time you have an idle moment, instead of surfing the Web, draw up this mental screensaver. Replay this in order to reset your mind and scale back the negative.

Find Restorative Time

Workplaces are stressful and you need to cope. But "alcohol and TV won't help," says happiness
author Jessica Pryce-Jones. Instead, set aside some time each day to recharge. Taking a peaceful walk at lunch rather than mindlessly eating at your desk will restore calm. Maybe a warm bath in the evening or fun book for the commute are your fix-its. Experiment and find what works for you.

Connect To Your Values

People who feel more connected to the company's mission and feel like their work is valuable or meaningful are more likely to be happy on the job. If you begin to feel like your work is meaningless, look at the big picture: Work for a pharmaceuticals company? Think of the lives being saved. Or, consider how showing up each day aligns with your personal values. The money you earn supports your life outside of work, and whether that's your family or a hobby, it's a good reason to keep coming in with a smile.

We're The Same

It's easy to put people--colleagues, bosses, clients--into categories. People I don't like; people I do like. Me vs. them. A simple way to make work relationships more pleasant is by finding common
ground. Consider what makes you similar to your co-workers rather than different and the dynamics of the relationship will change. Social interaction play a huge part in your happiness on the job, so it should prove a good investment of your time and energy.

Feel Compassion For A Toxic Boss

The No. 1 reason employees leave a company is because of a bad boss, says Rao. They're everywhere, and you're likely working with one. See a boss for who he or she really is, he advises, and feel compassion for them: "You have to put up with her a couple hours a week, and she has to put up with herself her whole life." Rao suggests picturing a toxic boss as a child having a temper tantrum. When you remember the negativity is all about them, not you, you'll be better able to shrug it off.

Know When To Leave

You can do everything right and still be dissatisfied with your job. If you've tried everything in your power to make a situation work and you're still unhappy, that's when it's time to leave. Situations can be salvageable, and it's in your best interest to admit it and move on. Workers spend an average of 90,000 hours at work in their lifetimes. You owe it to yourself--and your health--to discover happiness on and off the clock.

- Courtesy: Forbes.com