Boing Boing's David Pescovitz recently commented on FSU's study on over 700 doctoral students regarding their relationship with their boss.

Not surprisingly, a vast number had issues of some sort with their boss such as;

• Receiving 'silent treatment' from their supervisor (31%)


• Their boss failing to keep promises (39%)


• Invading their privacy (24%)


• Blaming others to cover their own backs (23%)

Employees having problems with their bosses are giving rise to internet sites such as HateBoss.com springing up allowing people to vent their collective spleens.

The survey report went on to state;

"Employees stuck in an abusive relationship experienced more exhaustion, job tension, nervousness, depressed mood and mistrust.

They also were less likely to take on additional tasks, such as working longer or on weekends, and were generally less satisfied with their job. Also, employees were more likely to leave if involved in an abusive relationship than if dissatisfied with pay."

Companies wanting to gain the upper hand in retaining good working relationships will need to address the results of this study. Otherwise, staff turnover will continue to be an issue for many businesses.

It appears from the survey results that the problems lie mainly with understanding the leadership role. Bosses in superiority positions may require more interpersonal training and knowledge and also a greater understanding of team work.

What is more disconcerting is that with all the training, conferences and leadership resources at our disposal employees are still suffering these types of complaints against their bosses.

It would be interesting to see the survey data and not where these 700 respondents were employed. My hunch would be that the disgruntled employees came from small-businesses where the boss is more likely to be the owner. In this situation it is highly likely that bosses haven't been trained well.

Posted by Stuart at 7:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

For many students ending their school years, decisions are hard to make especially when you have limited life experience. Do you go on and study? Do you go and get a job?

Everyone else seems to know what's best for you but how do you make the best decision? Let's take a look at the alternatives;

The Labourer

A labourer is technically someone who is employed in some form of manual labour. Examples are brick labourers, car mechanics, plumbers, electricians etc. The prerequisites for finding a job or traineeship in these fields are fairly nominal and so long as you turn up on time, work hard and don't give the boss too much cheek you're pretty much guaranteed a job.

Most young people leave school when they're fourteen or fifteen realising that their abilities are wasted in academia. They enjoy earning some dollars and work hard to get it.

The Graduate

A graduate is someone who has gone on to tertiary studies, or beyond, qualifying for a degree that allows that person to operate in a certain field. Graduates may have sourced degrees in accounting, medicine, teaching, engineering etc. Depending on your marks and competition within your chosen field most graduates are able to find employment soon after gaining their accreditation.

So, Who Makes the Most Money?

Labourers start earning money from day one whereas a graduate won't earn anything until they have completed their degree. Graduates will invariably start their careers with a large student loan as well that will be paid off over time.

The chart above shows the earnings of both groups over a period of 25 years starting from the year the labourer commenced her trade. The labourer is the blue line that starts earning immediately whereas the graduate won't earn for another 5 years (2 years left at school and then 3 at university).

At this stage in their life both the labourer and the graduate are now 40 years old. Earnings for the graduate should continue to increase with age and experience while the labourers may begin to fall as the body is unable to withstand the onset of fatigue.

But, what if we were to add the savings component of each worker and assume they were able to earn a minimum 8% per annum on 10% of their income. Would the labourer end up in front because she has a bigger head start in earnings potential? Or, will the graduate's increased salary make up the difference?

As you can see, it's made very little difference. While the labourer was certainly ahead for a while the graduate has caught up and will exceed the labourer within the next year or two.

Conclusion

In the short term, the labourer makes the most money. However, after working for 25 years the graduate has caught up and will now make more money than the labourer as she suffers from a body that is slowing down with still 20-25 years before retirement.

The labourer will begin to earn less and the graduate will make more money due to their increased knowledge and experience.

Posted by Stuart at 5:45 AM | Permalink

The art of writing a resume that will guarantee an interview is the mix of being an incredible salesperson blended with humility and truth that entices.

Many people who write resumes believe that their curriculum vitae should be enough to capture the imagination of their prospective employer by listing every past experience as though it were a shopping list. In fact, I've actually read shopping lists that have excited me much more than some people's resumes.

The idea behind writing a resume is passing on a window into your life to a prospective employer. That window is very small and the employer must walk through hundreds of windows before they short-list a group to interview. Just like window-shopping, there will be a few windows that will entice the customer into the store. There will be others that promised much but on closer inspection the window was found wanting and the customer moved on.

Your resume will do the same thing. Either it will grab the employer's attention and tempt them to read further or it will be confined to the return pile.

Ring Lardner, an American journalist once said, "A good many young writers make the mistake of enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope, big enough for the manuscript to come back in. This is too much of a temptation to the editor."

The goal is ensuring your resume stays on the top of the pile and secures an interview for that perfect job.

Continue reading "Writing a resume that secures a job interview" »

Posted by Stuart at 6:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Picture this - You've been working in a dead-end job for what seems like an eternity. Your pay has increased over the years but certainly not in proportion to cost of living expenses. You find coming home from work is far more exciting than the obverse and getting a promotion is not an enticing possibility.

[Opening the envelope] "And the options are..." - undoubtedly limited.

Why not start searching again for that dream career you always envisaged? You only have one life and is it worth tying up in a dead-end job? Certainly not, would be the correct answer.

So it's time to make some changes.

Continue reading "Finding that dream career" »

Posted by Stuart at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

If you're not satisfied with your income level that you're currently earning the best way to increase this is to make yourself more employable. While each industry has its own wage award which has limitations (the economics of supply and demand) it is possible to ensure that you're earning at the top levels of those awards. It may even be possible for your boss to pay a premium for your skills.

How do you become more employable?

Continue reading "Becoming Employable" »

Posted by Stuart at 6:56 AM | Permalink