If you borrow something from someone, don’t forget to return it. You need to use proper etiquette in the lunch room as well. Cover your food when it is in the microwave and if you make a mess, make sure you clean it up! All of these things will make your boss and your co-workers value your courtesy and respect.

Accept Your Mistakes

It is important that you own up to your mistakes. Remember no one is perfect, when you make a mistake you should acknowledge it right away and do what you can to correct it. It is much easier to gain the respect of your peers and your co-workers if you are willing to admit when you are wrong.

Dress Appropriately

Whether you are a teacher or a mechanic it is important that you dress appropriately. If you are a women, than you should avoid clothes that are too reveling. It is important that you stay away from miniskirts and shirts with plunging necklines. If you have to wear a uniform to work then you should make sure that it is clean and pressed every day. Always keep in mind that you should dress for the job that you want, not the job that you have!

Avoid Calling in Sick

If you have ever spoken with a career counselor then you know that calling off sick can be detrimental to your career. Of course there are times when you really are too sick to work, but if you call off sick excessively then you may be looking at a career change sooner than you expected! Only call in sick when you are extremely ill. If you just have a little cough or a headache, then you should take some medicine and head into work. Your boss as well as your co-workers will appreciate your dedication.

Topics to Avoid Discussing

Whether you have made a recent career change or your have been working in your office for a number of years, there are some topics that should be avoided in the work place. These include things like sex drugs and politics. There is a time and a place for everything and work is definitely not the place to discuss these topics. You would also be wise to avoid talking about anything that would make your company look bad. Don’t gossip about your boss or your co-workers.

Manage Your Time Effectively

This is some of the best career advice out there. Companies love employees who are good at time management. Don’t spend too much time on a small project. You should also avoid making personal phone calls and checking personal e-mail on company time. Not only will these things make you look bad to your boss and your co-workers, but they can also get you fired!

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Employee empowerment sounds like a great concept when you first think about it. Of course, it’s good to give employees the ability to control their own work from day to day. Managers will have an easier time, and employees will be a lot happier. That’s why it’s such a surprise to many people when employee empowerment programs fail. In fact, they can actually make the situation worse!

This is all because of the way they’re handled. You see, in many cases, the managers don’t really understand what employee empowerment means. They don’t really want to give the employees the power to take care of their own work. Whether it’s because the manager doesn’t trust the employee to be truly empowered, or doesn’t know how to manage except for very closely, this kind of behavior is incredibly destructive. It leaves employees feeling as though they’ve been tricked, and they’re a lot more likely to head to the career counselor for some career advice, or start looking for a career change.

Managers who pay lip service to the effectiveness of their employees, but don’t believe in really letting go of the reins, are sabotaging their own efforts. You see, managers define the decision making authority of the staff, and they set the boundaries. There’s nothing wrong with this, as long as they stick to those boundaries. But when a staff member is told they have total control over the project (for good or for bad) they’re likely to feel resentful and undermined when their manager comes by and tries to micromanage.

Employees in empowered situations have the ability and responsibility to make their own decision. If the manager is going to truly allow the employee to be empowered, he or she has to let go of the accountability and responsibility for that decision. Looking over an employee’s shoulder is the most effective way to encourage them to make a career chance. If you don’t want to be sending your employees out for career advice, you need to avoid getting in their way.

Empowered employees can be a huge benefit to an organization. They have the authority and the ability to make their own decisions, and they usually do it right. This allows the company to avoid spending time and effort watching employee actions, and use that energy to improve operations. However, when managers aren’t willing to trust those employees with their power, empowerment programs are sure to fail. Don’t fall into the micromanaging trap. Let your employees have the authority to make their own decisions.

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When it comes to an organization that works well together, you will find that they have different teams that every employee can become a member of. While management may lead the teams, the most effective organizations are those that divide it into teams, which are able to lead, motivate, communicate and ensure or protect the health, safety and work environment of all employees. The best career advice you will ever get about teamwork involves having teams in place to take care of each one of these tasks, if you are the CEO or owner of the company.

If you aren’t in upper management, then a career counselor will advise you that the way to get there can be through discovering which team you are interested in and becoming an active member. Many people decide a career change is in order when they have looked at the ultimate goals of the teams that every organization needs. You can see the difference in the goals and tasks of each individual team and finding the one that suits your personality and gives you the most satisfaction.

Leadership Team:
Takes care of work projects and looks at the ultimate goal of the company, while thinking of the needs of employees. This is the team that might include those responsible for the financial success of the company, which provides job security for the employees. Those in upper management, accounting, collections and product development are included in this team and they are responsible to lead by example and implement new ideas to meet the goals. Career Advice would be that leaders need followers, in order to be successful.

Motivation Team:
Takes care that employees are motivated and looking out for the same goals of profitability of the company and the job security of co-workers, but provides a work environment that employees want to be a part of. This can include implementing new ideas that workers have to be more productive, or coming up with incentive plans to motivate them. Often, human resource and sales departments are the cheerleaders of the motivation team, with the support of upper management and the ideas of line supervisors. A Career Counselor will tell you that it is hard for the leadership team to succeed if employees aren’t motivated enough to follow them or meet expected goals.

Safety And Environmental Team And Employee Wellness Teams:
Most employees will tell you that they want a safe and happy workplace that cares about the well-being of the employee and their families. Since an employee’s personal life and accomplishments are the most important things to the employee, it is easier to motivate them if they think leadership cares about them. This is a two-way street that many leaders might ignore, but it is crucial that employees have safety committees, and that supervisors are responsible enough to protect their health and safety, while they are at work.

Culture and communication team:
These are teams that evolve on their own with everybody as a participant. A company’s culture is the beliefs, goals and work environment. Communication is important if a company is to operate with a teamwork philosophy to be financially successful. Without these teams, many in leadership may find themselves facing a career change they are unprepared for.

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Have you been laid off from your job? Here are some tips on how to survive the layoff. We all know that right now the unemployment rate is the highest in the country for a century. However, there are a few key things you can do to survive being laid off from your job.

First, deal with that overwhelming feeling of, “How could this happen to me?” Well it did, and you are not alone. You have to really stay focused and maintain a strategy that will pull you through these tough times. Whether you have been at your place of employment for several years or a few weeks, panic will try to set in. Don’t let that happen.

One of the first things you can do is contact a career counselor. Find a company that does career evaluations to see if they may have a potential match for your skills. Also a career advisor can explain to you what some of the potential employers are looking for in skill sets. They will set you in the right direction so you can polish up on some of the skills that a potential new employer is seeking.

Some career centers will even offer help with upgrading and updating your proficiency in your current skills and help you become more marketable. The more skills you have, the better your chances are of finding a new employer.

Also, maintain a very controlled budget at home. You may have to cut back on some of the items you took for granted before. Going out to eat may have been a way of life, now it is a luxury again. Don’t be too concerned about the things you use to do, focus on what you need to do now.

Also, if you have any savings in a 401k, think about if you really need to draw on those funds now or should you wait? Cashing out your retirement will cost you a huge lump sum and you will not be able to replace that money so quickly.

As the Job Market starts going on the upswing you may find that the job you once had is harder to replace, so be flexible. Again, your career advisor may find you an employer with a possible job; however, you may need to modify your expectations.

Being laid off is never easy for anyone, especially now. There is hope for those who are persistent in seeking employment. Take that extra step. Rather than just applying online, go to the company and drop off your resume. You may even want to get the name of the human resources person and mail them a personal copy of your resume and a cover letter.

Now may be the time for you to polish up those outdated skills, and learn new ones. It may even be time to change your career choice altogether. A Career Advisor can tell you what is or will be high in demand in the foreseeable future. They work with many companies and have the inside knowledge of what employers are looking for.

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