Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom

Burned Out and Biding Your Time?

A burned-out reader recently got in touch with us at Fast Track:

I’ve been at my job for two years, and I’m getting bored. The things I’m working on are repetitive, and I’m starting to get increasingly annoyed with day-to-day nuisances. I’m essentially having to restrain myself from biting my coworkers. About a year ago, my direct manager left, and was never replaced– instead, they removed his position and shuffled his responsibilities to me and a coworker. In addition, over the last year, the product I work on has grown a lot: we’ve had some success, which is good, but it comes with a lot more work and responsibility. I’m the only one working on that project, and things keep getting dumped on me, from big tasks to administrative details that someone else really should handle, but which end up on my plate as “I’m the only one who knows this project.”

My boss meanwhile seems to want us to keep growing, and wants more results, faster, with tighter deadlines and more elements. I’m starting to feel a bit burned out. It’s gotten to the point where I can’t even really manage to take a sick day properly — there’s too much to do, and all the eggs are in my basket, and can’t be left unattended even for a minute. Most troubling, I’m bored with the work I’m doing: so more’s expected of me, but I’m feeling pressured and lethargic about producing the same stuff over and over again.



As I’ve felt the burnout approaching, I’ve tried to halt it: I’ve spoken to my boss about getting some help and she’s made sympathetic noises, but nothing has come of it, other than to actually add more work to my plate. I’ve tried to find ways to get excited about my tasks again, trying new things and new ideas, but they all tend to fizzle in this general funk of gloom. So, I think the time is coming for me to move on. . . only I can’t. I’m planning to go to grad school next year, to help get me to the next level of my career which will excite me again. In this economy, I can’t imagine finding another job that pays as well as my current position, and I wouldn’t want to take a job for the nine months between now and school, only to leave so quickly.



Any advice about not hating my job as much as getting through till May? I’d really like to get there without stabbing a coworker with a pen or crying in my shower on a daily basis.

For my take as well as terrific advice from three other career and workplace experts, check out the full post on the Fast Track blog.

 

The Mass Exodus Has Begun

Many people (myself included) predicted a mass exodus of workers from their jobs when the economy picked up.  According to a recent survey conducted by Robert Half International and OfficeTeam, a staffing service specializing in the placement of administrative professionals, it’s already happening.

According to Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam, the top reasons employees are quitting their jobs this year include:

• Many professionals hunkered down during the recent recession and felt like they were lucky to just have a job. Now, they feel more confident that companies are hiring again and they can find a better opportunity.
• Not getting along with the boss is a major reason employees leave.  A poor relationship with your manager can really take a toll on morale and prevent you from moving up in the firm.
• Many professionals leave for new opportunities with better pay, benefits or job titles.
• Lack of challenge on the job is another common reason people quit.  Nobody likes to be bored.

For more survey results, check out the full post on the Fast Track blog.

 

Protect Yourself from a Downsizing Profession

Many people don’t realize that industry downsizing will affect their jobs until it’s too late.  The answer?  Even if your position seems secure, be vigilant and proactive.

One key question to ask yourself is if there have been major layoffs or consolidations in companies similar to yours.

Even if you’re in a comparatively desirable area like IT, if you are working in a field that’s in trouble (e.g. manufacturing, retail), you may not be able to rely on cushy severance packages or the ability to quickly land a job with a competitor. Before you become a layoff victim, reorganize your finances so that your liabilities are as low as possible and set up an emergency fund.  Update your résumé and line up your references so they’re ready to go when you need them.

This may be the time to move to an industry in which jobs are more plentiful. Healthcare and private education continue to see employment gains, and if you can use your current skills in an area that received funding from the economic-stimulus plan, all the better.

Many professionals are daunted by the prospect of a mid-career industry switch, but as long as you have the core skills and enough basic knowledge to hold your own in an interview, you can feel confident.

Peruse publications related to your new field and learning the target industry’s recent history and developments. You will likely find more opportunities in smaller companies or nonprofits, since roles in these organizations tend to be less specialized.

Networking is obviously key here. If you can, use your old network to help launch a new career. Otherwise, reach out to professional associations and people in the kinds of jobs you’d like to do to begin to build a new network.

If you aren’t up for a total career makeover, you might also think about developing an adjacent career or another expertise that will help you stay afloat in your current industry.

This post was originally published on Intuit’s Quickbase blog.

 

What Do I Tell Them About My Layoff?

One of the most common job seeker dilemmas I hear about these days is how to position a layoff with prospective employers.

My advice – pure and simple – is to mention it directly.  Since the subject of how you left your last job will inevitably come up in the context of discussing your recent work experience, I don’t think you can really hide the true story without coming across as insincere or even dishonest.

Nor should you.  Consider how many people have been laid off nationwide in the last eighteen months.  It’s a lot – and there could be any number of reasons for your termination, including a company bankruptcy or merger or a widespread plan to cut expenditures.  Many of these situations have little or nothing to do with job performance, and there’s nothing you could have done to prevent or circumvent the outcome.  There’s not an employer out there that hasn’t been negatively impacted by the poor economy, so it’s unlikely that your interviewer will hold a layoff against you.

Here’s the key, though.  When discussing your layoff in the interview, you must be careful of your tone.  Communicating that you feel sorry for yourself or that you’re experiencing a crisis of confidence will portray you in a bad light even if the layoff itself doesn’t.  If you sound certain that it worked out for the best and that you’ll land on your feet, prospective employers will be certain too.

Applying to Graduate School? Stop and Think.

This week in METRO:

Here’s a story I hear all the time.  A recent grad laments her difficult job search.  Apparently, when HR reps see the MBA on her resume, they put her in the pile of those seeking a management position.  Unfortunately, because this grad's prior positions were administrative and customer-service oriented, hiring managers don't think she has the practical experience to qualify for such a position.

There are lots of graduate school alumni in similar situations.  After spending a huge chunk of change on an advanced degree, they find that they are no more marketable in their chosen field than they were before they started school.  The only difference now is that their job search is more urgent because they are deeply in debt. 

To me, this phenomenon speaks to the danger of going back to school without a great deal of advance consideration.  So many people make this decision because the economy is bad and they’re scared to be on the job market right now.  Others choose a graduate program because they aren't sure where they want to go with their careers.  In reality, though, all of these folks should first be doing a cost/benefit analysis to determine what such a program is going to bring them in terms of increased job prospects and financial compensation.  

It also helps to do enough research to know that you actually like the field you’re going to school to pursue.  I've talked to lots of people who earn a Ph.D., JD, or MBA only to end doing something else entirely.

Graduate school is not something you should do just for the heck of it.  Rather, you should first determine in concrete terms why you need the advanced degree to move ahead in your career of choice, and then map out a plan for how you'll use the training and degree to facilitate the level of success you’d like to achieve.

Myth Busted: Recession Layoffs Aren’t About Performance

Veritude, a leading staffing services provider, recently conducted a primary research study that found that because of the abundance of candidates in the job market, 63% of responding organizations are using the recession as an opportunity to replace poor performing employees. Veritude’s findings verify that most companies’ first and most central cost-cutting response to the economic crisis has been layoffs; fewer have lowered wages, reduced benefits and implemented furloughs.  Veritude conducted its primary research among HR and procurement professionals from companies with at least 2,000 employees, nationwide and across many industries.  Other key findings include:

• 42% said they are using the recession to develop workforce plans in anticipation of the economic recovery
• 45% intend to use temporary workers as part of their current and future workforces
• HR leaders are taking advantage of the favorable labor market to reshape their workforces and proactively position their companies for post-crisis success.  Three out of five reported there are more qualified candidates available so hiring has become easier; nearly half found that candidates are more open to negotiating terms of employment (42%) and are more likely to accepted offers (40%).

What does this say to me?  If you were laid off, perhaps you should spend less time cursing your company and the recession, and more time thinking about your performance in your last job.  Regardless of how good we are, we can always improve, and maybe you can do something differently next time around to facilitate a better outcome. 

 

 

The Right Way to Think About Succession

Marshall Goldsmith is one of my favorite business authors.  What I like about him is that he often brings up issues that no one else is talking about.  Like succession.  Here’s what Marshall had to say on his Harvard Business Review blog:

“For many leaders, it is hard to make the announcement that they will soon be passing the baton of leadership to their successor. The common fear is that if they declare their intentions too soon, they will become lame ducks. No one wants that to happen.  Almost every leader goes through this inner dialogue as part of the challenge of slowing down.  This fear, which often results in postponing the announcement about succession until the last minute, inhibits what could have been a much smoother transition.

Face it: When you are nearing the time to exit, you will become a lame duck!  That is okay.  Eyes will immediately turn to your successor as their vision for the team, department or company will mean more than yours. Colleagues who have encountered your disapproval for their pet ideas will just "wait it out" and re-sell their ideas to your successor. People will start sucking up to him or her the way they used to suck up to you. So what's the solution?

·         Make peace with being a lame duck before it happens. Your life, your successor's life, and the lives of your coworkers will be a lot better.

·         Use this time to coach your successor behind the scenes.   Transfer authority before it is necessary. Support your successor in whatever way you can. Build his or her confidence.   Involve your successor in important decisions and ensure as best you can that he or she agrees with any long-term goals before they are announced. After all, this is the person who is going to have to live with these goals for the next few years and is going to have to make them work.

·         The key to being a really great lame duck is to make tough, unpopular decisions that you know will be good for the company in the long run.  Don't get caught up on finishing on a great note or making sure that you look good. Focus on putting your successor into a spot where he or she will succeed. This type of class and self-sacrifice is rare, but this is your last chance to do the right thing for the long-term benefit of the company, your successor, and even yourself.  Don't waste it!”

Succession is a critical issue, not just for CEOs but for everyone in a position of authority. The current economic situation aside, the Boomers will exit the workforce eventually, and executive positions will need to be filled by much younger, much less experienced Gen X and Gen Y managers.  I do feel that people who follow Marshall’s advice aren't lame ducks at all.  Maybe he should change the term to "smart duck."

7 Tips for Negotiating a Better Severance Package

With companies such as Chrysler and GM announcing major closings nationwide and results from a recent survey showing that 45% of 228 of the largest employers are planning further layoffs in the next twelve months, hundreds of thousands of US workers can expect to receive pink slips in 2009.   Still, US workers are clearly not doing their best to take care of their self interests.  It turns out that in a global study about severance pay, US workers received the least amount of severance pay of 28 countries worldwide regardless of level or tenure.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Maury Hanigan, founder of Layoffcoach.com and severance negotiation expert, offers these 7 tips for negotiating a better severance package.   

1.  Assume you will be laid off and plan for it.  Regardless of how secure you believe your job is, think through the severance package that would feel fair and appropriate for you.  You never do your best thinking under duress.  Approach it like career insurance – have it ready just in case.
2. Signers remorse.  You need time to be sure you have your best deal.  Also, if you are over 40 years old, federal law requires employers to give you seven days to consider your package.  Don’t feel pressured. 
3. Approach the negotiation positively.  Tell your employer that the package offered is good, and you would just like to add a few more things.  If your demands seem overwhelming, or your attitude is contentious, your employer may not negotiate at all.
4. Don’t focus on the weeks of severance pay.  The formula for severance pay is often the least negotiable item in a severance package.  To increase your cash compensation, focus on pro-rated bonuses, extended termination date or contract work.
5. Finding a new job is top priority.  Identify the resources your employer has that will help you find a new job.  Information and contacts can be more valuable than cash if they help you find a new, steady paycheck.
6. Confirm every interaction in writing.  Within a few hours of each meeting or phone call, send an email confirming each agreement and listing the actions each side will complete prior to the next meeting.
7. When you have most of what you want, fold.  Employers are genuinely facing tough times and are not in a position to be overly generous.  That doesn’t mean you should walk away with a thin package, but this is not the environment to be greedy.

Laid Off NPR Reporter Uses Irony to Her Advantage

In September, Ketzel Levine, a senior correspondent for National Public Radio, came up with an idea for a series about how Americans were handling economic pressure.  Called “American Moxie: How We Get By,” it began in early December. The subjects were people like an Illinois farmer who loved tending to his cows, but was having to sell them. “My idea was to look at how we adjust, how we change, what we have to dig deep and find in order to do what it takes to get by, and that’s where moxie came in,” Ms. Levine told the New York Times in a piece that was recently written about her.

But there was an unexpected ending. Midway through her reporting, Ms. Levine found out that she had been laid off as part of a 64-employee cut at NPR. Ms. Levine, who has worked at NPR since 1977, said she decided the final episode, and her final piece for NPR, should be about her own situation. In the short piece, which first ran last week just after a “Moxie” story about a Chicago landscaper, Ms. Levine took a personal approach. “It’s only today that I’m sane enough to tell you” about her having been laid off, she told listeners.

I love this story because it’s a great example of connecting directly with your audience and showing a modicum of vulnerability, which is something I’m trying to get better at. And publicizing her story was a smart way to get other high profile media outlets like the New York Times interested in her. In fact, I bet she has a new job by the publish date of this post. Levine got laid off after more than thirty years at her company, something that most people would find to be a devastating blow. But instead of wallowing in self-pity, she made the best of a bad situation and showed courage and creativity in the process. Good for her.

Should You Take a Voluntary Severance Package?

Way too many of my friends and acquaintances have been faced with this dilemma recently:  my company has given me the option of leaving the company voluntarily with a severance package that sounds pretty good.  Do I take it and run, or stick around and risk getting laid off later?

If this applies to you, I can’t really tell you exactly what to do.  I don’t know what’s going on at your company, or what your personal financial outlook looks like.  But I did think about what I would do if placed in this situation, and here are a few thoughts:

If the company is offering employees voluntary severance packages, that must mean that things aren’t going particularly well.  After all, the decision to downsize is a risky and expensive one, and management wouldn’t be doing it if it didn’t foresee serious trouble ahead.  I’d also be willing to bet that if involuntary layoffs do eventually occur, the deals for those people won’t be as sweet.  Taking a voluntary package will likely give you more control over your career and next steps since you will know exactly what’s going to happen and when.  All this means that you may be better off getting out while the going is good. 

On the other hand, there are advantages to staying put.  Right now, a ton of companies have laid people off and the job market is flooded.  The economy is bound to improve at some point in the next year and you will likely have more options at that time.  Also, if your organization has been in business for a long time, is generally pretty stable, and is continuing to hire in certain areas, you may be able to make lemonade out of the lemons of a re-organization.  If your career has been in a rut, once the storm has cleared you may have the opportunity to re-invent yourself for the company good.  These factors too are worth considering in making the decision to stay or go.