Ten Tips For Starting A New Job – Top7-Or-10-Tips
Ten Tips For Starting A New Job
1. Get to know people. First meet those people in your department and then those in departments you interface with. Listen more than you talk. Ask lots of questions and get clarification if necessary so you truly understand how the office/department/business works.2. Don't try to change everything at once. Be open to learning "their" way before you suggest "your" way.3. Get in synch with your bosses priorities. What are his/her expectations of you? Make sure you are living up to them.4. Have lunch with different people in the organization. Learn the "unwritten rules" of your new workplace.5. Learn about the culture. Seek out those people who have been there a long time and schedule time to talk with them.6. Get to know the key players. Seek out people both inside and outside your area who have roles that are critical to your team's success. Ask for their support and offer yours to them.7. Identify the critical challenges. Develop a plan that shows the way you will address your most critical challenges and the time frames that you expect completion. Share this with your boss.8. Complete a project. Select at least one visible project to be completed within your first 60 days in the job.9. Take care of yourself. Create a schedule for yourself that includes time off and good self-care. Changing jobs is stressful so include activities that you know reduce stress for you i.e. proper rest, exercise, good diet, family time etc.10. Celebrate your success! Feel good about what you have accomplished. Confidence is an important part of your success in your job.Alvah Parker is a Business and Career Coach as well as publisher of Parker's Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. Parker's Value Program
Should You Quit Your Job for Your Dream?
Should You Quit Your Job for Your Dream?
The next time you're moodily sitting in your office, wishing you were living your dream instead, answer the following questions? or answer them now! They'll give you a sense of whether or not now's the time to make the break.My job is making me crazy; so crazy I'd do anything to quit.Highly agreeMildly agreeDon't really agreeStrongly disagreeIf I left my job for my dream, I'm not sure what I'd do first, or even how I'd begin it.Highly agreeMildly agreeDon't really agreeStrongly disagreeMy boss runs my life ? or ruins it. I feel completely misunderstood and trapped by this job. I don't even know if I could quit ? how would I survive? Who would even hire me?Highly agreeMildly agreeDon't really agreeStrongly disagreeI hate this job but I really need the money. I don't see any other viable alternative.Highly agreeMildly agreeDon't really agreeStrongly disagreeIf I stay at my work just a little longer, I stand a good chance of getting a promotion and a raise. Then I could find my way clear to saving a little money for my dream.Highly agreeMildly agreeDon't really agreeStrongly disagree5. Yeah, I could quit my job for my dream, but I could run off to Tahiti, too. That's way too much risk for my taste.Highly agreeMildly agreeDon't really agreeStrongly disagreeMy spouse/partner is okay with the thought of me quitting my job for my dream. We've talked it through and he/she sees it as the next thing I need to do.Highly agreeMildly agreeDon't really agreeStrongly disagreeMy spouse/partner fully understands what life will be like when I make the leap to begin my dream. He/she will be there for me, emotionally and even financially if necessary.Highly agreeMildly agreeDon't really agreeStrongly disagreeI have a business plan for my dream all organized and ready to go. I've even scoped out sources for capital, and necessary space and materials to get to work.Highly agreeMildly agreeDon't really agreeStrongly disagreeI have a savings account for my dream with enough to get started, plus an emergency savings account worth 6 months of my general living expenses. I've also scoped out alternatives to my current health care and insurance.Highly agreeMildly agreeDon't really agreeStrongly disagree10. I've been developing a systematic plan for leaving my job for a while now? I feel I'm almost ready to go.Highly agreeMildly agreeDon't really agreeStrongly disagree11. I have an adequate support system in place to really help me move ahead with my dream. It includes good friends and advisors, adequate child or elder care, a supportive spouse, and even a coach or mentor.Highly agreeMildly agreeDon't really agreeStrongly disagreeIf you answered mostly a) and b) to questions 1-4, you're stuck. Your job has forced you to forget about essential pieces of yourself ? it's time to get some career coaching now.If you answered mostly a) and b) to questions 5 & 6, you're a borderline case. You haven't yet decided whether your dream is all that important to the quality of your life. Just an experiment, you might want to sit with a blank piece of paper and really brainstorm what it would be like to live your dream.If you answered mostly a) and b) to questions 7-11? what are you waiting for? You've got a plan, you've set up the necessary support and you're good to go; you should be able to weather the inevitable ups and downs. Be sure to allow your company enough notice to make the transition smoothly, so you can leave with glowing reviews. Congratulations!Copyright 2004 Suzanne Falter-BarnsAbout The AuthorSuzanne Falter-Barns is an expert on creativity, and the author of two best sellers on creativity. Her website, howmuchjoy.com, and her ezine, The Joy Letter, have been featured in SELF, Fitness, i-village, cybergrrl, and on msn.com among others. To learn more about finding the time, money and energy to live your dream, check out our free ezine, The Joy Letter, at http://www.howmuchjoy.com/joyletter.html
Writing Business Letters That Get The Job Done
Writing Business Letters That Get The Job Done
Despite the widespread use of e-mail in commerce today,
traditional business letters are still the main way
that the majority of businesses officially communicate
with their customers and other businesses.This is especially true when businesses want to formalize
an agreement or an understanding. So far, emails are great
for all of the preparatory work, but a formal business
letter is still most often needed to "seal the deal".There are two basic categories of business letters:
business-to-business, and business-to-customer.BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS LETTERSMost business-to-business letters are written to confirm
things that have already been discussed among officials inmeetings, on the telephone, or via e-mail.Can you imagine the letters that would have to go back and
forth to cover all of the questions and possibilities that
can be covered in a one-hour meeting, a half-hour phone
call, or a few quick e-mails?The main purpose of a typical business letter is to
formalize the details that were arrived at in those
discussions, and to provide any additional information
that was agreed upon.Over the years, certain general standards have evolved in
the business world that the vast majority of businesses
use in drafting their business-to-business correspondence.BUSINESS-TO-CUSTOMER LETTERSThere are many different types of business to customer
letters. They include: sales and marketing letters,
information letters, order acknowledgement letters, order
status letters, collection letters, among others.As with business-to-business letters, over the years
certain general standards have evolved in the business
world that the vast majority of businesses use in drafting
letters to existing and potential customers.Of course, going in the other direction are customer to
business letters. These include: order letters, order
status inquiry letters, complaint letters, and others.Since these are customer-generated letters, there is no
particular expectation that they follow any particular
letter-writing standard. Typically, they are handled just
like any other piece of personal correspondence.BUSINESS LETTER WRITING TIPSHere are a few tips I have picked up while writing literally
hundreds of business letters over the past 20+ years. This is
a slightly modified version of the tips included in my eBook,
"Instant Business Letter Kit".1. Limit Them To One PageBy definition, business letters should be short and to the
point, preferably one page in length. Studies have found that
busy business people do not like to read beyond the first
page, and will actually delay reading longer letters.2. Relegate Technical Details To AttachmentsOften, it is necessary to include detailed technical
information as part of a business letter package. In such
cases, use the main letter as a cover letter that lists and
briefly explains the attached (or enclosed) documents.3. Keep Them Formal and FactualGenerally speaking, the tone and content of business letters
should be formal and factual. Feelings and emotions do not
have a place in business letters.4. Carefully Plan Your LetterBefore writing the letter, take a few minutes to list all of
the specific points you need to cover. Sometimes it may even
mean a call to the recipient or his/her company to confirm a
specific point. Remember, the purpose of the letter is to tie
up all of the details on the subject at hand, so that more
letters won't have to be written back and forth.5. Be Customer FriendlyWhen writing directly to customers, always focus on their
needs and their perspective. Put yourself in their position
and imagine what it would be like receiving your letter.
Everyone can do this, since we are all customers of some
other business in some part of our lives.6. Use Non-Discriminatory LanguageMake sure that you avoid language that is specific to gender,
race, or religion in all business letters, either to other
businesses, or to customers. For example, use "workforce"
instead of "manpower", or "chairperson" rather than "chairman".
Most style guides contain detailed lists of the offensive
terms and some suggested substitutes.To see a fully-formatted "real-life template" of a business
letter, you can check out the following link:http://writinghelp-central.com/business-letter.html