Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom

4 Ways Current Labor Trends Will Impact Your Career

I have been reading Laurence Shatkin since I was in college.  In the process of releasing the tenth edition of Top 100 Careers without a Four-Year Degree, he shared some insights regarding how current labor trends might affect people’s careers – now and in the future.

Education Pays

It’s no secret that people who have more education and training generally earn more than those with less, but the advantages don’t stop there. According to Shatkin: “Jobs that require education and training beyond high school are projected to grow significantly faster than jobs that do not. People with higher levels of education and training are less likely to be unemployed, and when they are, they remain unemployed for shorter periods of time. There are always exceptions, but it is clear that more education results in higher earnings and lower rates of unemployment.”

Tech Knowledge is Increasingly Important

Shatkin explains that in all fields, people without job-related technical skills tend to have a more difficult time finding good opportunities because they are competing with others who do have these skills. “Employers hire people who have the skills they need, and people without these abilities won’t get the best jobs. So, whatever your age, consider upgrading your job-related computer and technology skills if they are not up to date and plan to keep them current on your present and future jobs,” he adds.

Ongoing Training is Essential

According to Shatkin, rapid changes in technology have prompted the requirement for people to continue learning throughout their work life. He says: “Jobs are constantly upgraded, and today’s jobs often cannot be handled by people who have only the knowledge and skills that were adequate for workers a few years ago. To remain competitive, you will need to constantly upgrade your technology and other job-related skills. This may include taking formal courses, reading work-related magazines at home, signing up for on-the-job training, or participating in other forms of education.”

Career Planning is the Name of the Game

“Most people spend more time watching TV in a week than they spend on career planning during an entire year. Yet most people will change their jobs many times and make major career changes five to seven times. For this reason, it is important for you to spend time considering your career options and preparing to advance,” he explains.

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

 

Why You Might Make Less Money Than Your Colleague

You might be equal to the colleague in the next office over and still make less money.   Here’s one reason – your gender.

One of my readers just shared a horrible story.  She works in a major accounting firm, and found out – definitively – that she’s making 20 percent less than her colleagues of the male persuasion.  “Women are relatively new to the accounting world, and there is a perception that management shouldn’t invest in people who are just going to have babies and leave,” she told me.  “The thing is, I don’t think my situation is that unusual – it’s still an old boys’ club.”

In a 2010 article for Harvard Business Review, Investigating the Pay Gap, Sarah Green says that the median salary of a woman is still only 78 percent of a man’s. This means that women have to work 16 months to earn what men make in a year.

Woe to New College Grads

According to the American Association of University Women, the gap between men’s and women’s salaries starts immediately after entering the workforce.  Just one year out of school, a woman earns 80 percent of what a man earns.  After controlling for industry, type of job, prior experience, and other characteristics, this gap closes to 95 percent.  The unexplained five percent gap is viewed as evidence of bias.  After 10 years, the average woman earns only 69 percent of what the average man earns, and the unexplained gap has widened from five percent to 12 percent.

Level and Age Don't Help

Also as reported in the HBR article, The Center for American Progress went a step further and tracked wage gaps by age and occupation.  The organization found that by the end of their careers, male managers have made $635K more than their female peers.  Apparently, wage discrimination doesn’t get better as you get older, more seasoned, or better educated – it gets worse.  If you’re female, no matter how well you perform, your raise simply might not be as high as your male colleague’s.

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

Preparing for Turnover

At the Intuit Small Business blog, Brett Snyder talks about how to prepare for turnover.  He says:

I’ve known that my concierge would be leaving from almost the day she started. She’s been working hard during grad school, but she’s moving on to a full time job. She’s done a great job, and I’ll miss having her, but I couldn’t have asked for an easier transition.

I’ve been slowly looking for new concierges to come in and fill the void. One is just about finished with training and will be ready to go in a few weeks. I’ve also been building a list of interested concierges who passed the first couple rounds of interviews.  So now, if there’s a sudden opening, I’ll be in a better position to get someone new up and running.

Create Training Materials in Advance

Brett also says:

I’ve also done a fair amount of work on our training document, beefing it up to provide more information to newcomers. In addition, I’ve better defined roles to make sure that the job is not as nebulous as it was originally. The end result is that things are running much better than before when it comes to replacing a departed concierge. Turnover sucks, but at least now it’s easier to combat than it was just a couple months ago.

My Babysitter Plan

Brett recommends an excellent approach, and I’ve recently tried something similar.  Although I don’t have anyone working for me right now, I do have babysitters for my kids.  Babysitters are always turning over because they will go away to school or secure full-time employment.  But I don’t want to spend years of my life searching for new sitters, so I just spent a good chunk of time screening and interviewing sitters who can serve as backups when my current sitters are unavailable or decide to move on permanently.

There are never enough hours in the day.  By expending some more effort upfront on your recruiting and onboarding efforts, you’ll save yourself a lot of last minute rushing around and unnecessary stress later on.

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

 

How to Be Diplomatic

Diplomacy is not just for world leaders and college-level debate teams.  If you work with other human beings, you need this skill today.  The hallmark of the diplomatic person is assertiveness, or readily expressing your views while respecting the opinions and dignity of others.  Diplomatic people recognize that they are most likely to get their own needs met if they can communicate their goals without evoking hostility in the other party.  These are the individuals who can come out of necessary and frank conversations with their reputation intact.   Let’s look at how they do it:

They approach negotiations from a win/win perspective

In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey says that if you want another person to cooperate with you, first analyze what he wants and then communicate how working with you can help him get it (i.e. you win, and they win).

They problem-solve rather than spar

Diplomatic individuals lay out the scenario calmly and solicit the other person’s help in finding the best solution.  They listen carefully to the other person’s feedback without interrupting and ask questions for clarification.

They are tolerant of opposing points of view

 Diplomatic people respect that they may not always see eye-to-eye with other people, so they don’t waste time and energy forming judgments about their co-workers.  In conversations in which a fundamental difference of opinion is at play, they use facts to support their ideas and use non-accusatory language such as “I think that…” or “it seems that...” rather than “you think that…” or “you always…”

They use positive body language

  Diplomatic people maintain an even, audible tone when they speak.  They relax their body and keep an appropriate distance away from the people with whom they’re conversing.  They always make eye contact.

Of course, you can control your own behavior, but you can’t control other people’s, so you must be prepared to react professionally when someone attacks you.  The key is not to let yourself get angry or upset, because goading you into a shouting match is exactly what the other person wants.  Instead, stay calm, hear the person out, and be empathetic to her point of view.  If she says hurtful things you know she doesn’t mean, try not to take them personally, for you may not understand where these comments are truly coming from.

Can’t keep from losing your cool?

Pay attention to the signs that you’re about to blow (hands shaking, tears pricking at your eyes, etc.).  Then, politely excuse yourself and say you’ll talk to the person another time.  If you’re on the phone, it’s even easier.  Just say that you need to take an urgent call and request a follow up conversation later that day. Your efforts at diplomacy will be much more effective after you’ve both had a chance to cool down.

Be proactive

If you know there is a particular situation that gets to you, practice how you will respond the next time it rears its ugly head.  And if you find a specific person difficult to deal with on a regular basis, schedule a lunch or a meeting and ask him frankly how the two of you can work better together.   A compromise or a sacrifice might be necessary, but being perceived as the bigger person can only help your reputation in the office at large.

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

How To Make Money Off Your Social Media Skills

Who better to learn from than someone who has been successful at what you're trying to do?  That's the case with Alexis Grant, a former writer and editor at US News and World Report who has just launched a thriving social media consultancy.  Alexis has written a book, How to Build a Part-Time Social Media Business, and was kind enough to share some of its highlights with us:

1. Recognize the opportunity. Yes, most people make money through a full-time job. But if you can’t find one, or you want to make some money on the side, putting your social media skills to use can be a great way to do that. The challenge: finding someone who will pay for those skills.

The good news is, there are lots of individuals, organizations and companies that will pay to tap into your knowledge and ease using social media. While it’s second nature for you to use Facebook and YouTube, business people often don’t have the time or desire to learn how to use those networks strategically. That’s where you come in!

2. Think about what services you want to provide. Do you want to coach individuals one-on-one to use social media? Or draw up strategies for companies that want to create communities online? Or maybe you want to run social-media campaigns for organizations – an approach I recommend in my e-guide, partly because clients often pay for those services on a monthly retainer rather than with a one-time check.

3. Beef up your experience. If you took advantage of summer internships during college, you might have enough experience – both to know what you’re doing and to convince clients that you know what you’re doing – to jump right in.

If you don’t, look for ways to practice these skills. Can you create a social media strategy for a parents’ friend’s business? Sit down with a neighbor for a social-media coaching session? Volunteer to spread the word online about a campaign or cause?  Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need a full-time job to gain this experience. Look outside the box for other opportunities.

4. Use your network to land clients. You’ve built up awesome followings on Facebook and hopefully Twitter and LinkedIn – now use them.

Tell your network about the services you’ve decided to offer, so they’ll think of you when an opportunity arises. Don’t be shy about asking your friends (nicely) to spread the word; if they like and trust you, they’ll want to help you succeed. And make sure to take advantage of an often-overlooked networking gem: your parents, and even your friends’ parents. Let them know about your new consulting biz, so they can refer you to their friends when the timing’s right.

5. Figure out how – and how much – to charge. It sounds like it should be simple, but charging for consulting can be daunting, especially at the beginning. In most cases, you’ll want to charge an hourly rate or a project rate (which is loosely based on the hourly rate), so think ahead of time about which fee structure works best for any given client.

If you want to get a sense of what other consultants charge, ask that question in LinkedIn Answers or look for other inquiries that revolve around the same issue. Beware though, that prices for social-media consulting run the gamut. Base your rates on what you think each individual client will pay and how much you want to make off the work rather than what other people are charging.

 

Obama’s American Jobs Act: Job Seekers Should Target Small Businesses

On Thursday, September 8, President Barack Obama asked Congress to approve a nearly half-trillion-dollar plan called the American Jobs Act, which seeks to bolster the economy by cutting payroll taxes for employers and employees, aiding the long-term unemployed, and improving the country’s physical infrastructure.

Most notable, in my opinion, is the $65 billion designated to encourage small businesses to hire more workers.  This will be done by cutting employer payroll taxes to 3.1 percent for the first $5 million of a company’s wage bill, which Obama claimed will reach 98 percent of small businesses.  And those companies that increase their payroll over last year by hiring new employees or increasing existing employees’ salaries will receive a total payroll tax holiday. 

Stay Local to Find Employment

As a founding member of the Career Advisory Board, presented by DeVry University, I’ve often advised people out of work they should go local, and this is a critical piece of advice now more than ever.  Businesses with fewer than 500 employees make up half of the workforce in the United States, and over the last decade or so, have created about 70 percent of all jobs.  Even at the height of the recession, many small businesses were still hiring. Case in point: executive coaching firm Visage recently found that 54 percent of small business CEOs planned to add employees over the next 12 months.

If you’re a teacher, police officer, firefighter, or construction worker, you may find additional job opportunities opening up as a result of Obama’s plan. But everyone else on the market should at least consider making small businesses a search target.

Marketing Yourself to Small Businesses

When it comes to marketing yourself to small businesses, you must rely even less on the Internet, because many hire through word of mouth.  They want to bring in candidates referred personally by someone they trust, or candidates they have already seen in action.  Perhaps they have worked with these candidates in some capacity before, or have met them through third-party professional associations, chambers of commerce, or local volunteer events.  So if you want to be hired by a small business, you have to go out of your way to be visible in your community and leverage any opportunity to network in person. 

In an interview with a small business CEO or owner, you need to demonstrate a solid knowledge of the company and its mission.  Remember that many people start their own businesses because they have a particular vision, so make sure you understand what that is and can speak about it with passion.  Explain why you want to work with a small company as opposed to a large one to assuage fears that you’ll jump ship when a multi-national conglomerate comes calling.

Finally, it’s imperative that small business employees wear many hats, so emphasize your wide range of skills and your enthusiasm for picking up new ones.  For example, maybe you’re in finance but would like to learn more about sales.  Any way you can underscore your ability to work hard, impress customers, and mobilize a small team to get results quickly will earn you points.    

Should I Go to That Conference?

Well, that, of course, depends.  You should make a thoughtful decision by identifying the best events through relevant professional associations and through following your industry’s thought leaders online.  Shortly after you sign up, the real work begins.  Write down 2-3 goals you have for your attendance, including specific skills or information you want to acquire and people with whom you want to network.

Set Up Advance Meetups

Keeping in mind that one-on-one, in person discussions are often more valuable than official sessions, review the attendee list and, in advance, set up meetings with the people you want to talk to.  Don’t rely on chance encounters because they may not happen and you don’t want to leave the event with a major goal unachieved.

You should also be prepared for the question of what you do (or are trying to do) – since at a conference you will be asked at least 100 times.  Be able to communicate this clearly in 30 seconds, and don’t forget to include why people should care about your work.  When you meet a person of interest, get his contact information and follow up with him no later than three days after the event.

Participate As Appropriate

Don’t just be a passive observer.  Jot down questions as they come into your mind, and raise them at a relevant time.  Share your experiences and welcome commentary from others.  In a public setting, provide input selectively.  There is such a thing as too much participation, and you don’t want to be seen as taking over the event.

Write Notes and Action Items

Not only will this assist you in soaking up all that the conference has to offer, but it will keep information fresh in your mind when you return home so that you can follow up with the right people.  If you don’t have as much time as you’d like during the conference, use waiting time in the airport to crystallize your thoughts.

Pace Yourself

Finally, take care of your body.  Wear shoes that are appropriate for walking a few miles and layers so that you can withstand the infamous temperature variations in conference rooms.  Eat regular meals, stay hydrated, and schedule a nap in the afternoon if it means that you’ll be fresh for important after-hours networking events.

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

Be a Better Person by Becoming More Generous

Being generous simply means giving freely of yourself – your knowledge, your expertise, your time, or your possessions – without expecting anything in return.  It can range from helping a disabled person with her groceries to serving on the board of a nonprofit organization.  It’s good for you – numerous research studies have shown that generous people are healthier and happier and have higher levels of life satisfaction.

Generosity doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but you can incorporate it into your life by making a commitment to perform one selfless act every day.  Doing something like a thirty minute informational interview about your field may seem small to you, but it can mean a great deal to a person who looks up to you, or is going through a difficult period.  Start very small, and increase your commitment as you get more comfortable.

Make it Automatic

You can also get involved in an activity that requires you to exercise your generosity on an ongoing basis.  Mentoring a colleague – either younger or older – is a terrific way to share the fruits of a successful career, and helping to better society through volunteer work with a community-based organization will allow you to give back while building lasting ties and a repertoire of new skills.  And because giving is contagious, you’ll find your own sense of generosity increasing if you hang out with similarly-minded people.

Work on Your Perspective

Some people find their efforts at generosity hindered by the fear that there aren’t enough resources to go around.  “But my group is downsizing.  How can I take the time to help others when my own livelihood is on the line?” you might ask.  Remember that no matter how precarious your situation is, there are a lot of people out there who have it much worse.  Act according to the laws of karma and assume that what you put into the world will eventually come back.

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

How to Deal with an Unresponsive Colleague

A reader writes:   What do you do when an executive tells you to work with one of his/her subordinates to make something happen, and that person is unresponsive or unreliable?  How do you move forward when it's so difficult to get this person to collaborate?

I think this person was reading my mind, because I was recently in this exact situation.  I met a C-suite executive at a conference who was very eager for her team to incorporate me into a training program for new hires.  Trouble was, I had to coordinate with this executive’s direct report in HR, who wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic.  I was stuck.

For a real-world answer from a real-world pro, I turned to one of my favorite online HR pundits, Alison Green of the Ask a Manager blog, and here was her advice:

I think you have to be straightforward with the person and tell her: "Hey, I'm having trouble getting responses from you (or getting your materials in a timely way, or whatever the issue is), and it's keeping me from being able to move forward on this project. Is there something I could do differently that would help?"

This way, you put her on notice that there's a problem.  You could also potentially find that there's something going on that you didn't know about – she’s swamped with something she has been told is a higher priority, or she just didn't realize it was a high priority, etc..  After that, if the problem continues, I think I'd alert her one more time:  "Hey, I know we talked about this before but I'm still not getting the ___ that I need. What can we do differently so that we can move forward on this?"

At that point, you've alerted her twice that it's a problem.  If the unresponsiveness continues, you don't have much choice but to go back to the exec and talk to them about it.  I realize this feels like tattling to a lot of people, but I tend to believe that the entire concept of tattling doesn't really fit in in the workplace. You could even just say something like, "Could you nudge Julie for me? I'm sure she has other things on her plate, but I haven't been able to get ___ from her."

This is great advice, and I just have one thought to add.  Perhaps try to find out more from the subordinate what her goals are, and communicate a way that your project will help her more easily meet or exceed those goals.  She’ll be more likely to cooperate if she sees how she can directly benefit from your proposal.

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

 

How to End a Business Relationship

It’s easy enough to find advice on firing an employee or managing your bad boss, but information on letting go of a professional relationship with a person who does not fall into these two categories is a little harder to come by.   Assuming you don’t both work in the same company and are therefore required to interact, here are some ideas on the best way to extricate yourself gracefully:

Meet in Person and Be Direct

This is easier said than done.  My fear of confrontation has led me to avoid toxic people rather than communicate my feelings, and sometimes, I’ll sit down with the person but will skirt the issue completely.  Although this is a common approach, it’s not a mature one.  The best case scenario is that you will sit down with the person in a restaurant where things can’t get too heated and he won’t be able to misunderstand your tone, and tell him succinctly that you feel you should both move on.  You can explain why, but don’t allow the person to manipulate you into agreeing to something that’s not in your best interest.

Prepare in Advance

Creating a script for your conversation can help you come across kind, assertive, and professional.  Write down your ideas for tying up loose ends so that you don’t forget them in the stress of the moment.

Be Reflective

Some people aren’t meant to be in our lives, but no relationship should be ended without some consideration of your own role in things.  Could your behavior have somehow led to this scenario and should you be accepting some responsibility? Also, have you found yourself in the situation of having to cut ties time and time again?  If so, you might want to examine how you conduct relationships so that you can improve your business outcomes.

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