Consequences of Stress – A Different Perspective

Did you know that April 16 is National Stress Awareness Day?  Ironically, you and I are probably too stressed to notice.  Well, in honor of April 16, I am dedicating all of the blog posts this month to the consequences of stress, and how to reduce stress.

We are so used to having stress in our work that I think we often forget the price we actually pay in the long run. This is because the consequences of stress (illness, early death) do not show until many years later. By contrast, the rewards of putting ourselves in stressful situations are more apparent and immediate – praise for a successfully completed project, a raise as a result of our stellar work, or a quicker path to promotion. ...  read more

How to Convert Salary to Hourly Rate

In today’s tough job market, many companies are reducing their full time employment job openings which are paid by annual salary in order to save headcount cost and be able to adapt more quickly to changing market conditions.    Instead companies are hiring more contractors who are paid by hourly rate and has a defined contract period (e.g. 6 – 18 months).   As a result, many job seekers are also seeking contractor positions in addition to full time employment in order to increase their chances. ...  read more

How to Sell Your Skills Into a New Industry or Role

In any job search, it is your job to sell your skills and convince prospective employers that you are the best fit for a job opening.   Being able to sell you skills in any job search situation is important.  It is even more critical to master this skills if you are trying to do a career change – move into a new industry or functional role. ...  read more

How to Say No at Work

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 Say No At Work – 5 Tips

Last week, we talked about Saying No at Work – When and Why to Do it.  This week, I want to discuss how to say no at work.  Being able to say no at work tactfully is an art form. You cannot just be blunt — how you say something is as important as what you want to say if you want to achieve the desired results.  In this case, the desired result is for the requester to accept your no and feel okay with it.  Here are 5 tips on how to say no at work gracefully: ...  read more

Saying No at Work – When and Why to Do it

Knowing why, when, and how to say no at work is essential to your career success and work life balance.    We may not want to say no at work for fear of not being liked or worse – being fired.  This is simply NOT TRUE especially when you learn how to say no tactfully.  Before we can talk about how to say no, let’s get on the same page about why and when you should be saying no at work and how this can benefit both you and your employer. ...  read more

What Makes a Good Manager – 7 Qualities

What makes a good manager?  This is an excellent question to ask as you are getting promoted to manage others or have already been managing for awhile.  There are many managers out there but few are good ones.   The goal of a good manager is to achieve stellar results (results you cannot achieve alone) through inspiring, leading, and developing your team. ...  read more