Career Tips

Career Tip #37:  If you have difficulty getting along with your coworkers, before venting to your boss and getting frustrated with the company, look at yourself and make sure it isn’t YOU that is causing the problems. Do you treat your coworkers with respect? Are you friendly and helpful, do you reach out as a mentor? Make sure your own attitudes and actions are not the cause of friction in the office before determining that the cultural fit of the company is not a proper fit for.

Career Tip #38: Resume’s should always include dates of employment for each position held, in chronological order, listed with most recent position first. Leaving the dates off is a huge red flag to a hiring authority signaling that you make frequent employment changes, or that you have large gaps in employment that you do not want to disclose. Upfront, honest disclosure is always respected more than obfuscation.

Career Tip #39: Have you mentally “checked out” of your career? If your heart is no longer in your job, if you find yourself dreading going in to work each day or doing your work half-heartedly, it may be time for a personal self-assessment. Before you are forcibly terminated, uncover the source of your discontent. Consider approaching your manager to create new challenges or goals for yourself. Or maybe it’s time for a change.

Career Tip #41: The cost of some forms of higher education can be prohibitive and not necessarily pay off in a career sense. Will $50k in student loans really open up a career path that would be closed without it? Before enrolling in that MBA or PHD program, consider if it truly will advance your career or pay off in the long run toward your future goals. If the answer is yes, investigate if your company offers tuition reimbursement or assistance plans. If they don’t, present a case for it to the heads of the company.