Don’t Be The Cubicle Worker Everyone Dislikes
As a teen or young adult you may find yourself in a job where you are working in a business which encompasses cubicles. These small spaces are divided into office environments with very little privacy. It becomes a land where there is a lot of noise and many distractions. It is a very stressful situation that can be made worse by the way some people act.
There may be very few options to handle situations in this cubicle environment and, thus, a little “grin and put up with it” does come into play. However, to not become the office whiner, and to make the workplace a little more pleasant for everyone, here are a few things to check to make sure that no one considers you the problem cubicle worker.
Please do not use the Speakerphone for listening to voice mail or other conversations. This is very distracting and very annoying to anyone within hearing distance. The only way a Speakerphone is to be used is within a conference room or in a private office with the door shut.
It may seem silly, but knocking before coming into another persons cubicle space is a sign of respect for their privacy. No one would consider barging into an office with a closed door without knocking first, so those who work in a cubicle environment should have the same respect. Treating others this way will become infectious and soon will spread throughout the floor and make for happier co-workers. Asking permission to enter their space just seems to make everyone feel respected and produces better relationships.
Try to keep the tone of voice appropriate to the setting. In other words, use your “inside voice” as we tell our children. People generally talk louder on the phone for some reason and it is helpful to be reminded occasionally that voices can be lowered and everyone can still hear just fine.
There is something called “prairie dogging” that should be avoided in a cubicle environment. This goes along with showing respect like asking before entering the other person’s space. This happens a lot because people are in a hurry these days and they just “pop over” the top of the wall and start talking. When a lot of people are doing this in the office space, it does look like a prairie dog town.
The worker who follows these suggestions will keep everyone working in a more pleasant situation. Everyone deserves a little respect because everyone has to work to make ends meet these days. Having respect for your co-workers is key to having great working conditions and a much happier and productive group of individuals working in this “cubicle world”.
Job Search and Interview Tips For the Teen and Young Adult
Looking for and applying for a career or job position is not one that most teens or young adults eagerly take on. It’s always stressful to some degree and often unsuccessful at first. However there are some guidelines and pointers that always help in this particular quest. Read more
Proper Meeting Conduct – Meeting Manners
As a teen, recent grad or young adults in a new job or career you are going to be faced with attending occasional or regular business meetings. As your responsibilities increase you may be the person organizing and leading some of these meetings. Your conduct at these meetings is something that leaves you to open scrutiny by your superiors, peers and subordinates as well as people external to your organization. The way you are perceived by your meeting manners can play a crucial role in your future success. Here are a few tips that will help you demonstrate that you are success oriented. Read more
Fighting Stress and Finding Happiness in Your Career and in Your Life
As a teen or recent graduate that is working at a new job or preparing to start a new career we may find ourselves fighting stress. From personal experience I can tell you that stress is something that each of us will face. Stress is part of life and as young adults we may find ourselves facing it for the first time on a job. In reality though each of us has had a lot of experience with stress in school, dating and our personal life and we have generally found ways to work through it. When it comes to stress on the job we need to look for ways of overcoming it just as we do in other parts of our life. Without doing so we will find that it affects our social life, home life and health. Read more
A Strong Work Ethic With or Without Parental Help
What is the value of hard work? This is a question that crosses the minds of many teens and young adults. So is there really a value to hard work? The answer is a resounding YES! people are drawn to those who display an aptitude for hard work. It pays dividends. Laziness is not attractive and will not gain you any respect.
How does one develop a strong work ethic? It helps to have a good example to follow but unfortunately not all teenagers are fortunate enough to have a parent or other family member that sets that example. As a parent we can help our teens by involving them in what we do. Let them see how we are working hard and interacting with people. When they see us modeling good work ethics they are more likely to follow our example. If we are a teenager or young adult and do not have this good model to follow we can look around us and try to follow the example set by other successful people. We can even ask them for guidance and more often than not they will be pleased to be a mentor.
As a parent we can give our children responsibility for small jobs around the house or garden in return for an allowance. Show them how we want each task to be done and the high standards you expect. If they fall short of the standard, have them do it again. Teach them to take pride in their work and to undertake any job to the best of their ability.
Children should be encouraged to take on a part time job when they become older. This will not only teach them responsibility but the value of money along with life skills such as time management, reliability, honesty, and working with others. Let your child know that money is not the only incentive for working hard.
As parents, teenagers and young adults we can donate our talent, time and hands to help others. Get involved in charitable organizations, church activities and youth groups. There is something to be said about helping others where the only ‘pay packet’ you’ll ever receive is a grateful ‘thank you’ coming from a sincere heart. Sometimes just knowing that you helped alleviate someone’s discomfort through your work is payment enough. It brings a joy and a sense of satisfaction that sadly many people have never experienced or understood. This is where the old biblical saying ‘more happiness in giving than receiving’ really comes into its own. In helping others you invariably help yourselves in more ways than you can imagine.
Having a strong work ethic also brings with it other perks such as respect and self reliance. You are not beholden to anybody. A sense of satisfaction knowing, that you have done a good job and of course the rewards and opportunities that come with hard work.
Job Search for Teens, Grads and Young Adults Finding that Job
With outsourcing, downsizing and plant shutdowns increasing, teens, young adults and recent college graduates are finding themselves competing with the unemployed and under employed for the ever-shrinking supply of desirable jobs.
Who do you think gets the best job? It is not always the most qualified. How often have you heard, “I’m sorry, you’re over-qualified for this position”? An employment consultant says, “The job often goes to the most effective job seeker.” We have five suggestions that just might give you the edge you need to find your next job. Read more
How to Dress For an Interview
The more effort you put into dressing the part, the higher your chances of getting the job. This is one of the most fundamental and basic rules of impressing during an interview. This may be an old rule but even in this modern age, dressing to impress continues to play a major role in helping interviewers select the right candidate. Read more
Job Search Interview Tips For The First Time Job Seeker
If this is going to be the first or second time you have interviewed and you are a bit nervous about it. Even for those of us that have been interviewed a number of times over the years we sometimes tend to make the thought of it much more nerve racking than it should be. Here are a few tips that will increase your confidence, put you at ease and make the interview go much smoother. Read more
Tips to Ace that Job Interview
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t particularly enjoy job interviews. They’re certainly amongst the most stressful occasions that you’ll have in your life. Here are some tips that will help you ace that interview.
The five tips below, if taken to heart and acted upon will probably give you an advantage over about 80% of all job applicants who do little or no preparation for the interview. And that is probably the biggest tip in itself – and a theme that runs through all five tips below – PREPARATION.
The more you prepare beforehand, the more confident you’ll be going in to the interview, and the more confident you’ll appear during the interview.
So, without further ado, here are the five tips that will put you streets ahead of the competition at job interviews: Read more
Resume Mistakes to Avoid in Search For a Job
Looking for a part time job, your first job or ready to start a new career, your resume speaks volumes about you. If your resume doesn’t make it past the first cut, you’re doomed; no matter how qualified you are. Below are ten common mistakes to avoid when putting your resume together. Remember, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. Read more
