Career Seekers:

§Prepare a cover letter that can be tailored to specific positions. §Prepare a one-page resume outlining your education, any work experience, and skill. §Prepare a portfolio compiling examples of your work specific to job you’re applying for. §Prepare a thank-you letter for your interviewer that can be tailored to specific positions. §Make a list of possible job opportunities or interests. §Make a list of contacts for networking. §Set up industry specific on-line job search agents. §Begin sending out your cover letter and resume to as many places as possible. §Be persistent, if they don’t call you then you should call them. Showing initiative will make you stand out from crowd. §Be confident.

Summer Job Seekers:

§Begin your job search early and keep in contact with them. §Apply to as many places as you can. It is not such a bad thing to turn a job down. §If possible, look for jobs that you would be able to return to on weekends or breaks. §Network with family and friends. §Stand out by being persistent. If you really want a job then show it! §Show excitement and personality when picking up and dropping off an application. §Be confident when coming in for an interview. Shake their hand, look them in eye, and use your best manners. Send a thank-you letter no more than a week later.

If your job hunt is unsuccessful, use your time wisely by taking classes, interning or volunteering. Both of these alternatives will help you with your job search in long run. Experience can be just as valuable as a paycheck. Use this time to learn. Most importantly of all, do not lose hope. Envision yourself employed someday. There is a solution to every problem and job hunting is not an exception. Happy Hunting!

###

Some bosses are uncomfortable giving a worker feedback, especially if feedback is negative. Without feedback you can't succeed at work. The solution is to ask your boss for feedback. Ask them how you could have done better on an assignment.

When your boss gives you an assignment, repeat back to them what expected result of assignment is and what your first step will be. This will give your boss confidence that you understand assignment. If there are any areas of assignment that are unclear, ask questions. You won't appear stupid if you ask questions when you get an assignment, but you will look stupid if you wait until assignment is almost due to ask a question.

Politics at Management Level

It's a fact that all large organizations operate based on politics. Managers collect big salaries, and they don't want to lose that money when they make a mistake. In fact, they strive to make even bigger money by making themselves look good (usually by making someone else look bad). Organizational politics is a complex game of back stabbing and "ass" covering.

At manager level, playing politics is not a choice, it's a requirement for survival. Although workers are not generally involved in an organizations political game, you can make big points by helping your boss play game. You do this by making your boss look good.

Never disagree with or confront your boss in public. This will cause them to lose face. If you disagree with your boss, inform them politely in private that you are expressing your opinion to give boss more information. Let boss know that despite your disagreement, you intend to carry out your assignment bosses way.

Some bosses will try to cover their ass by blaming their mistakes on you. Your best response is to just shrug it off. In an organization, everybody knows who is really responsible when a mistake is made.

Some bosses want honest answers. other bosses want an excuse they can use to cover their ass. Some workers have such good rapport with their boss that they can give them an honest answer along with excuses boss can use to play political game (cover their ass).

Never make your boss look bad. Always give advance notice of when you will take time off, and provide a way to cover your responsibilities while you're gone. Try to make your boss look good. In fact, if you accomplish something successful that has high visibility in organization, give your boss credit. Then inform your boss of your career goals. That's another rule of politics game - you take care of me and I'll take care of you.

Your boss is most important individual to work with to achieve success at Work. Your boss is a unique individual that can get in a bad mood, make a bad decision, or exhibit imperfections just like anyone else. The key to achieving success at Work is to Work around idiosyncrasies of Your boss.

---------------------------------------------------------- Resource Box: Copyright(C) 2005 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on Web visit bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp ----------------------------------------------------------