thecareerbeat.com Blog

Job stress is higher this year

Workers are more stressed on the job this year compared to last, according to this week’s poll on Yahoo! HotJobs. (see table below)

An interesting follow-up question might be about sources of the stress. Is it more about job security in this shaky economy, or maybe about bigger workloads?

Q	Are you more stressed at work this year than last year?
Yes	77%
No	19%
Not sure	5%
11152 Votes to date

Who deserves more pay: Stewart or Colbert?

Web users believe that Jon Stewart deserves a higher salary than his fellow Comedy Central host, Stephen Colbert.

That’s according to a vote set up as a way to promote a survey that is part of National Payroll Week (Sept. 1-5). Great attention-getter. I hope it’s working!

Speaking of attention-getters and salary, here’s another one: “Job Hunters: Price Yourself Like a House.” This interesting article by Liz Ryan looks at real-estate tricks and applies them to the job-seekers’ task of figuring out what salary to request.

She makes a good point: If you do the research and know your “market value,” you should have confidence in asking for it — even if you have to bring up the subject after your second interview (or some other appropriate point).

Checking personal email at work

Despite the possible risk for being fired, most people check their personal email every day while they are at work, according to results of this week’s Yahoo! HotJobs poll:

Q	Do you check personal email from your work computer while on the job?
Yes, daily	45%
Yes, a few times a week	9%
Occasionally	12%
No	34%
7987 Votes to date

To moonlight or not to moonlight?

The “moonlighting” question is gaining ground, as the troubled economy has many workers thinking about taking a second job to help with financial strains.

Adding a weekend gig could give you the economic boost you’ve been longing for. But it could also add more stress and exhaustion to your schedule.  Is the extra income worth it?

“Moonlighting: Pros and Cons of a Second Job” can help with the decision-making.  The article offers some good considerations, like: Could your second job be perceived by your employer to be a conflict of interest?

The conflict-of-interest issue is especially important for freelancers to consider before taking any assignments.  Selling your stuff on eBay, however, likely wouldn’t have that issue.  In my case that would be a recipe for too much stress.

Sometimes you gotta ditch a goal

I am so enjoying watching the Olympics. The athletes are so inspiring, not only with their achievements but also their dedication to their goals of winning.

I’m definitely a goal-oriented person, and I see in the Olympians much that I can learn from. But sometimes you have to let go of goals to get ahead, which is underscored in this thought-provoking column in yesterdays’ NYT, “Winner Never Quit? Well, Yes, They Do.”

The author makes a good case that goals — in your professional life, for example — are great, but one’s attitude toward them shouldn’t always be “Quitters never win.”

I think all professionals should read the piece, which ends with a great quote from W.C. Fields: “If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Then quit. There’s no point in being a damn fool about it.”

Social networking sites as a career benefit

I know plenty of people my age who poo-poo social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook, and they may be doing so at their peril.

They would do well to read “The Social Network as a Career Safety Net” in today’s New York Times. The piece makes an especially good case for LinkedIn, whose average user is a 41-year-old college-educated professional. The site is not just for the youngsters!

The hard part about that site is getting recommendations. They help complete your profile and make it more useful for possible hiring agents, but it can feel like an imposition to ask that of your associates. Maybe that’s why I’ve never asked for a recommendation!

Using these sites while at work can be a tricky issue. I’ve often heard people talk about playing games or leaving comments on Facebook during work. That could be a no-no in the eyes of your employer!

More than half of companies don’t have a policy about using social network sites at work, but that may change soon. For more, read “Mixing Online Networking with Work.”

Are bosses getting meaner?

The economic downturn is stressing bosses more, and making them meaner, according to a recent Newsweek.com article.

“I’ve been hearing lots of hair-raising stories lately about bosses who may have had a tendency to be mean but are now acting like full-blown Darth Vaders,” writes Eve Tahmincioglu. “Many workplace experts believe tough economic times and the constant drumbeat to do more with fewer people may be driving managers over to the dark side.”

Having a mean or even bad boss is a fairly common — if unfortunate — event in most careers. But there are definitely things you can do to help minimize the damage to your well-being and your future.

The article “Coping with a Bad Boss” includes some great tips, like giving frequent updates (if your boss is a micromanager) or take more initiative (if your boss is passive or incompetent).

You would also do well to cultivate some of the “10 Habits that Bosses Love.”  My favorite: “Think one level up.”  It’s sort of like the idea of dressing for the job you wish you want, not necessarily for the one you have.