Career and Life Management Archives

You can wait, and see what arrangements your organization announces for working from home or the office, flexibility (or not) in working hours and start times.

Or you can ask and negotiate. Think back to pre-pandemic days.

• Were you happy with your ability to work some days from home?
• Were you OK with your required start and end times?
• Did it work for you to be “on” 24-7?

No? Well the time is now to ask for what you’d prefer. [Read more…]

Way too many people — from store clerks to bus drivers — have no control over being let go.

Others have a good deal of control and choices to make. Hopefully, your organization or business will make it through this horrible pandemic, but not without terrific strain on profits, endowments or donations. The leader of your business or organization, as you read this, is probably sweating about how to reduce costs and stay viable.

Where does your employer look to cut costs? Many expenses are fixed: rent, utilities, debt service. But staffing is not. You see where I’m going. [Read more…]

Scary times. I find most people are living day-to-day, coping, caring about others and trying to stay positive. Kudos to all of us, and especially to frontline workers.

We are hanging on, not thinking much about improving our prospects.

Many — 4 of 5 — are still working. And cooking, cleaning, and caring for kids and elders. Up to your eyeballs. This blog may not work for you.

But: if you have even a little time, there are two big things you can do to:

1. enhance your chances of staying hired in your current job; or
2. improve your prospects for getting hired into another job

[Read more…]

Really?

Might I be able to increase my brain power, and presumably my effectiveness at work?

A new, powerful study shows that many people, even in their 20s and 30s, can increase brain power. It’s not just a static quantity that was built into your genes from day one.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that it’s not free: it takes precious time out of your week. [Read more…]

No. You aren’t obliged to keep learning. And you may be working a crazy number of hours, as most Americans now are, while trying to have a life too. Likely, what suffers is your sleep; perhaps you are already walking around sleep deprived and not at your best.

I get it. You have a job and obligations and don’t have the extra few hours. [Read more…]