Toughest Job in the World

by

What do you think is the toughest job in the world?  I am sure there are many including the one in this picture.  All joking aside, for me, I can think of the toughest job that is often overlooked.  Here are some clues as to what this job is.  Can you guess?

  1. You don’t discover how tough this job is until you are on the job.
  2. Your boss is pretty demanding but does not communicate well.  You have to often guess what he/she wants you to do and whether he or she is happy with your work.
  3. Your boss requires you to be on call almost 24/7 in the first few months on the job.
  4. Many people are qualified to do this job but to be really good at it requires a lot of dedication and personal sacrifice.
  5. You are usually thrown into the job without much formal training. No matter how many books you read about it, you will be still scrambling from time to time, especially during the first year.
  6. While you most likely work in a team with at least one other person on this job, nobody else can help you do some parts of this job.
  7. This job usually requires a long term commitment.
  8. While job security is high, you can be fired from this job if you are really bad at it.
  9. You can make a profound difference in someone else’s life in this job.
  10. This job is often under paid and under appreciated by many.  Some people may even look down upon you if you have been at this job full time for awhile.
  11. If you let it, this job can also be one of the most rewarding job you will have .

Your comment: Is it obvious what this job is?  Share your guess and comments below. ...  read more

Top 10 Most Popular Posts of 2011

by

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a great holiday.  It’s amazing how time flies when you are enjoying yourself with family and friends.   To start this year off, I want to share the top 10 most popular posts for on the job and job search advice from this blog based on # of readers.  The most read post was read by over 19K people in 2011.   Thank you for your continuing support and interest. ...  read more

Time to Relax and Celebrate

by

It’s the season to be thankful.   Whatever kind of year you may have had, it’s time to take a breather.  I hope you are finding time to relax and celebrate the year with family and friends.

Job seekers: Xmas is usually the slowest season for recruiting as many hiring managers are taking vacations and budget for hiring are not set until January.   So give yourself permission to enjoy the holidays and start your effort anew in the new year.  The only thing you can work on is your resume during the holiday.  If you want help, start with this free resume template. ...  read more

How to Say No at Work

by

It may be hard to think about saying no at work, but sometimes it’s necessary to do so to protect your reputation as well as manage your stress level.  This 20 minutes podcast is a live coaching discussion with me regarding why, when, and how to say no at work.   There are definitely legitimate reasons and appropriate times to say no.  As you will learn, it is beneficial to you and the company to practice how to say no at work. ...  read more

How to Find Your Passion – Answer 3 Questions

by
how-to-find-your-passion

How to find your passion is a great question to ask throughout your career.  If you are anything like me and about 90% of the work force, then finding your passion is not an easy journey.

When I was a senior in college, I asked myself this question and couldn’t come up with an answer.  So I applied to 5 different type of jobs and chose the one that gave me the most skills to do whatever I want afterwards – a McKinsey Analyst.  I have since asked myself this question every 2 years and only now, 15 years later, do I have a clearer picture of one of my passion – helping people with work smart and live more through this website. ...  read more

Can Facebook Help Your Job Search?

by

Can Facebook and other social media sites like Linkedin and Twitter help your job search?  Absolutely!  See the Infographic below on how Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin are helping people’s job search efforts today.  Key statistics from the infographics include

  • 1 in 6 workers use social media to get hired
  • 9 in 10 job seekers has at least one profile on a social media site and 54% of job seekers use Facebook,  Twitter, or Linkedin to find jobs
  • over 18 million Americans say their got their current job using Facebook
  • 50% of job seekers last year says they use Facebook to do job search and 15% says they used Facebook to get a job referral
  • The more social you are the more likely to find a job on a social media site. “Super social” is defined as having more than 150 contacts on a social media site.   1 in 4 “super social” job seekers find their job using social media (Facebook being the most popular)
3 Tips from the infographics – how to do better job search using social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin
  • On Facebook – post “notes”:  notes stay longer in friends’ feeds.  Use them to describe your situation and job interest
  • On Twitter- follow company and job feeds: follow companies you would like to work for as well as their employees.  Contact them directly to inquire about jobs
  • On Linkedin – add a profile picture – use the same one that you use on multiple sites.   This will help you be consistent and memorable.

Here is the infographics from OnlineMBA.com ...  read more

Happiness at Work – 10 Tips from Professor Rao

by

A friend shared a great book with me by Professor Rao – Happiness at Work.  I completely agree with the 10 tips Prof. Rao proposes in his book on how to achieve happiness at work.  Let’s face it – there is no perfect job out there.  So the key to happiness at work is NOT external circumstance or outcomes in a job.  Instead it’s about realizing that in any job, we need to know that we have the power to create our own experience no matter what happens at work. ...  read more