In most human interactions, people think about each activity as it affects them, rather than how it affects the other person. Interviewing for jobs is just like that.

The interviewee is trying to convince the interviewer that they are perfect for the job, even if they are not.

The interviewer is looking to quickly find a person who will be able to do all of the aspects of the open position, without any training.

Neither of these goals is attainable. In reality, both sides should simply be checking to see if their personalities are compatible, so that they will be able to work together. (more…)

You probably spend as many hours at work as you do awake at home. Thus, you spend as much time with your co-workers as with your family.

It is nice to be able to tell people at work important things that are going on at home. Sometimes it is nice to gain the insight of a co-worker about a personal problem. As a result, it is hard to determine where to draw the line with business friendships. Should you be sharing all kinds of intimate details about your home life, or should you keep totally quiet about what goes on away from work?

Sharing too much can make others think less of you

One of my first supervisors had problems with her husband. She began to come in to work late. Then she would sit and tell her assistant all of her problems. As time went on, she did no work, and neither did her assistant. When she decided to move out on her husband, her assistant took the day off and helped. From that point on, her assistant no longer respected her, and no longer worked very hard.

When you are at work, you would like to be judged by the quality of work that you do. If you are a wonderful worker, but share with everyone that you cannot control your home life, they will include that in their estimation of you. (more…)

The work climate today is much different from what it was 50 years ago. A person who was born in the early 1900s could expect to get a job and keep that same job until retirement. A person born in the mid-1900s could expect to have at least two different careers during their prime work years. It is projected that those born in the later 1900s will have three to four different careers during their prime work years.

This difference is caused by the rapid changes in workforce requirements that our current economy demands. Often the job that a person starts their work career with will not even exist after 20 years.

Life is a Chess Game

Many people faced with the loss of a job lament, “I had planned to work here until I retired!” They are caught by surprise when the employer decides to shut down a factory, or move it to another area.

These days, workers cannot look at their employers as their guaranteed protectors. It is better if workers look at their careers as a chess game. Workers must always be planning what their moves will be, when changes in their current jobs come. (more…)