Cell phone etiquette at work

This can be a touchy and subjective subject, as we become more dependent on cell phones for our social lives. Chances are that you will need your cell phone for a multitude of reasons while you’re at work:
   >calling customers, clients, coworkers
   >keeping up to date on your emails, calendar and important personal engagements
   >even for applications pertaining to your line of work!

So how do you keep from mixing your seemingly difficult spin of business and pleasure without indulging in your phone fetish too much? I will have to admit that it can be very difficult, especially if you’re a social butterfly or can text at the speed of light or IM any or all of 20 people available on Facebook right now. BALANCE is the key. When you are at work and you are on a break, there really isn’t anything wrong with texting or calling people. After that, some call it grey area, and I think it becomes clear; why should you be calling or texting friends on company time??? A couple of texts through the day are reasonable or acceptable, but many texts a day or even in an hour becomes a distraction to anyone.

What becomes even more difficult and complex is when you are using a company cell phone. They’ll expect you to use that cell phone. What you need to pay attention to is: did you make an agreement on what it can be used for. Counter-intuitively, some workplaces expect you to have a work cell phone and a personal cell phone, but that doesn’t make sense when one cell phone is all you can realistically manage without going overboard with technology after we factor in our other technology.

Some of us will have to use a cell phone to some extent; what is the best way to keep your personal life separate from work? Well, use a personal phone in addition to your company-provided phone if you have to. That means, carry two phones if you are concerned, and work out a deal with your employer to get some reimbursement for your personal phone to use it for business purposes. This way, everyone can be happy; well, mostly. This can be dangerous and beneficial in a personal sense, with a duality with business expectations.

This is why BALANCE is so key! Stop wasting time on texting your coworkers. Consider using Skype or other messaging services via computer that are more personal, professional, and widely accepted as a tool for interpersonal interaction, especially by companies working together between remote offices or with remote customers. It will take 10 seconds to say what 10 texts could say, and you get right to the point.

Do take care to watch yourself (and you back) and not leave yourself exposed to criticism of your personal life at work (i.e. watching us on Facebook), and keep business and pleasure separate by whatever means possible. We still live in a world in which business is still run by older generations, most of whom will not understand our texting addiction!

And perhaps one day we will be truly "paperless" and texting will be the main form of communication. Until then, keep it professional.

Handling Rejection - Sometimes things don't work out

Hey there! The main topic here applies to the situations where you get laid off, fired, or you are having a hard time finding anything because of repeated rejection... it happens! You aren't the only one, so keep reading.

Well, let's assume that you're looking for the next possible opportunity. In order to do that, you have to mourn your last job or last interview and LET IT GO. Find some closure by figuring out what caused it, and take some of the blame; nobody can do anything perfectly, so realize that this is a chance for you to improve! Just these past couple of weeks, I got turned down on two exceptional jobs that I interviewed for. I was a little disappointed to not get an offer, though there is a lot to learn from such "failures;" just remember that even the best people who were inventors like Thomas Edison, had more than his share of failures before he was a huge success.

Of course, moving on from rejection it is not always easy, but you have to focus on the goal: your next opportunity. If you stay cold, bitter, jaded, then every interview you go to, those interviewing you will be able to see it, or smell it. You will be cringing, and when they asked what happened in your last job, you might just say too much, which really throws up a red flag for companies looking at candidates.

So here are things to keep in mind when going hunting for interviews:

1. Refresh your resume: nobody has the perfect resume. Does your resume represent you fairly? Does it show the skills and benefits that you bring to the type of jobs that you're applying to? Have someone in a similar industry take a look at your resume or ask for a practice interview with someone so you can get more direct feedback. Give your resume a FACELIFT, change the template, and benchmark against resume examples online. This may seem counter-intuitive, though if you're not getting the attention you feel you deserve, you need to add some more juice to your resume or have it professionally written, for example.

2. Do what they are asking. If they ask for a cover letter, give them a cover letter. If they ask you to come in for an interview, BE ON TIME AND PROPERLY DRESSED! Follow up with them after an interview, you know, the list goes on (and I can cover this in the next blog).

3.a. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Ask what their concerns are about you taking the job so that you can address those concerns and spend more time talking about what you have to offer.

3.b. Don't be afraid to ask for criticism. As we are all looking to improve (right?) and get better, even if you get turned down for a job after an interview, go ahead and follow up with questions of how to improve. I have done this myself, with mixed results, but phrase it politely and ask for their honest opinion:
   "Hello Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your time last week. I am appealing to you to ask for your thoughts, suggestions, or criticism so that I may improve. Getting a job isn't hard, but finding a great job is very difficult. Realistically, the position I interviewed with you for is what I intend to do next in my career, so this reaction to me is disconcerting. Please share your findings/observations with me so I can figure out how to do my best for my next interview.

Thanks again for your consideration and time."

4. Be PROFESSIONAL, ALWAYS. Whether you're getting let go or they didn't even give you a chance at the interview, be polite, respectful, and professional. There is no reason to burn bridges or attack anyone; if the job is out of your hands, let it go. This will help you to move on, rather than being angry or hurt. If you take it professionally, rather than personally, then you'll end up winning in the end.

Overall, these basic steps can help you as you go for your next great opportunity. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to comment or get in touch. My next possible blog topics are 1. another followup to cover-letters; 2. best ways to prepare for an interview; 3. what it means to be a "professional." Have more topic ideas? Send them my way,