Prepare for a Job Search

By Alison Doyle

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

Sometimes, it happens by choice. Sometimes, you don't have an option. In either case, it's important to be prepared to change jobs - because you never know when it might happen to you. It's happened to me both ways. I've been laid-off and out-of-work at the end of a business day and had to turn in my company car the next morning. That was a tough one! I've also resigned and managed to stay on excellent terms with my previous employers. In the latter cases, it's been because I've always given plenty of notice, offered to help find and train a replacement, and offered to be available for questions in the future.

Take Care of the Basics

Whether you're about to hand in your resignation or you've just received a pink slip, it's important to prepare to leave and to prepare to conduct a job search. Take care of the basics first and check on eligibility for continuation of health and life insurance benefits, accrued vacation pay, unused sick pay, and other payments terminated employees may be entitled to. Keep in mind, that there may be a lag between when your current health insurance coverage ends and a new policy starts. If you've been terminated, ask your employer about eligibility for continuing cover through COBRA and file for unemployment immediately. You may be able to file over the phone or online.

When your work situation is unstable and you're not sure if you'll still have a job tomorrow, get ready to start, or even get going, on a job search now. Remember, you don't have an obligation to accept a new position if you get an offer. Plus, it never hurts to see what's available and, you never know, you just might get an offer you can't refuse!

How to Prepare for a Job Search:

Resumes and Cover Letters
It's important to have a well-written resume and compelling cover letters. Simply, resumes help get us interviews. A cover letter is often your earliest written contact with a potential employer, creating a critical first impression. Use our Resume and Cover Letter Guide to ensure that your job search correspondence is top-notch.

References
Plan ahead and compile a list of references and some letters of recommendations, so you're prepared when a prospective employer requests them. Get contact information for your co-workers, vendors, customers, etc. so you'll have it for future networking purposes.

Contact Information
Use non-work contact information for all your job search communications. That way, if your access is cut-off at work, you'll still be reachable.

• Phone - have a home phone or a cell phone with voice mail so potential employers can reach you
• Email - use a personal email account, not your work account

Reason for Leaving
If you've quit, or are planning on quitting, be prepared with an answer for interviewers who are going to want to know why you resigned.

Worried About Getting Caught?
Apply confidentially for jobs online. There are job sites that let you apply anonymously, plus will protect your identity from certain employers and recruiters.

Don't Leave Anything Behind...

• Clean-up your computer - delete personal files and email
• Bring home your personal belongings

Finally, if you are resigning, always leave on the best terms you possibly can and don't burn any bridges. Let the company know in advance that you're leaving, let them know why (as diplomatically as possible) and thank them for having had the opportunity to work there.

I Quit! How to Resign from Your Job

By Alison Doyle


Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

Turning in your resignation isn't always easy. Even if you hate your job, hate your boss and can't wait to start that new job; even if you are about to be fired, it can be difficult to resign tactfully.

First of all, be sure that you really do want to quit. Then, handle your resignation as carefully as you would handle any other business endeavor. It's always wise to not burn bridges. You never know when you will need your past employers for a reference.

Resignation Pros and Cons

Before you make the decision to quit, be absolutely sure that this is the right decision. An employee once called me the day after she started her new job. She hated it, regretted resigning and wanted to come back. By the time we heard from her, we had already filled the position and she was out of luck.

If you're not sure about the position you are considering taking, ask if you can spend a day in the office "shadowing" the staff. It may reinforce your decision to take the position or help you decide you don't want it.

Weigh the Options

Do you have another job offer? If so, weigh the pros and cons of the new position versus your current position. Consider the work environment, flexibility, salary and benefits in addition to the job responsibilities. How about opportunities to advance? If the new job comes up ahead on all counts and you feel sure that this is the right change to make, don't hesitate.

No new job on the horizon? Before you quit, consider the basics. It will take about three to six months, sometimes longer, to find a new job. Unless you quit for good cause, you may not be eligible for unemployment benefits.

Do you have enough savings or other income to manage on? Even if your employment situation isn't the best, you might want to consider hanging on to the job you have, as well your paycheck, and starting your job search before you resign. That old saying that "it's easier to find a job, when you have a job" does hold true.

Give Notice

If you have an employment contract that states how much notice you should give, abide by it. Otherwise, it's appropriate to offer two weeks notice.

No Obligation

If your employer asks you stay longer than two weeks (or the time period in your contract) you have no obligation to stay. Your new employer will be expecting you to start as scheduled, and in a timely manner. What you could do, is offer to help your previous employer, if necessary, after hours, via email or on the phone.

What to Say

Don't say much more than you are leaving. Emphasize the positive and talk about how the company has benefited you, but, mention that it's time to move on. Offer to help during the transition and afterwards. Don't be negative. There's no point - you're leaving and you want to leave on good terms.

Write a Resignation Letter

Even if you resign verbally, write a resignation letter. A resignation letter can help you maintain a positive relationship with your old employer, while paving the way for you to move on. You never know when you might need that old employer to give you a reference, so it makes sense to take the time to write a polished and professional resignation letter. Use our sample resignation letters for suggestions on what to write.

Ask for a Reference

Before you leave, ask for a letter of recommendation from your manager. As time passes and people move on, it's easy to lose track of previous employers. With a letter in hand, you'll have written documentation of your credentials to give to prospective employers.

Don't Forget the Details

Find out about the employee benefits and salary you are entitled to receive upon leaving. Inquire about continuing health insurance coverage through COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act), collecting unused vacation and sick pay, and keeping, cashing in, or rolling over your 401K or other pension plan.

Return Company Property

Return any company property you have - including keys, documents, computers, phones, and anything else that doesn't belong to you. The company doesn't want to chase you to get it back, and you don't to be held responsible if it's not returned in a timely manner.

What the Recruiter Never Told You

By Rod Powers


Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

The vast majority of U.S. Military recruiters are honest, hard-working professionals, completely dedicated to the core values of their service. In fact, few military personnel put in more hours of work per week than recruiters.

The recruiter's job is to find enough qualified volunteers to fill projected vacancies for the fiscal year, for their particular branch of service. While a majority of military recruiters are hard-working, honest, and dedicated, there are some (and I emphasize some) recruiters who are tempted to bend the truth, and/or downright lie, and/or blatantly cheat in order to sign up a recruit. It happens often enough where we've all heard "horror stories" about military recruiters.

So, why do some recruiters do this?

It's because of the way the recruiting system is set up. It's a numbers game, pure and simple. Recruiters are judged by their superiors primarily upon the number of recruits they get to sign up. Sign up large numbers, and you're judged to be a good recruiter. Fail to sign up the minimum number assigned to you (known as "making mission"), and you can find your career at a dead-end. This policy pressures some recruiters to adopt unethical practices in order to "make mission."

So, you ask, "why don't the services put a stop to this?" Easier said, than done. Each of the services have recruiting regulations which make it a crime for recruiters to lie, cheat, or knowingly process applicants that they know are ineligible for enlistment. Recruiters are punished when they are caught violating the standards. However, the key phrase is "when they are caught." Not that easy to do, as there are usually no witnesses. It becomes a "he said/he said" type of deal.

I should also mention here that, in many cases, "lies" told by a recruiter are actually cases of selected listening by recruits. A recruiter may say, "Many of our bases now have single rooms for most people," and the applicant may hear, "You are definitely not going to have a roommate."

Anyway, enough "recruiter-bashing." As I've said, most recruiters are honest. The purpose of this series is not to run down military recruiters, but rather inform potential recruits the truth about joining the military; the benefits and disadvantages of joining the military, whether for a four-year enlistment, or a 30-year military career. The subject matter of this series necessitates that the "tone" be somewhat critical, or negative. I don't mean it that way. I spent 23 years in the Air Force and enjoyed every minute of it. My primary profession today is to manage this web site and research/write about the United States Military. Both of my daughters are happily serving in the Air Force (one on active duty, one in the Air National Guard). I love the military and every aspect of it.

However, the military is not for everyone. Fully 40 percent of recruits who enlist in the military today will not complete their full term of service. While many discharges will be for reasons beyond the recruit's control, such as medical problems that develop after joining the military, as a First Sergeant for 11 years, I found that a significant number of the involuntary discharges we imposed on first-term recruits was because they simply stopped trying -- they discovered that the military wasn't what they thought it was going to be. Many of them told me that the military wasn't even close to what their recruiters told them it was going to be (either the recruiter lied to them, or they were guilty of "selective listening.") When this happens, everyone loses.

This series is intended to "save" some of that 40 percent by letting potential recruits know up front, just what they are signing up for. Let's get on with the show!

10 Steps to a Successful Career Change

From Mike Profita

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

1. Evaluate your current job satisfaction. Keep a journal of your daily reactions to your job situation and look for recurring themes. Which aspects of your current job do you like/dislike? Are your dissatisfactions related to the content of your work your company culture or the people with whom you work?

2. Assess your interests, values and skills through self help resources like the exercises in What Color is Your Parachute. Review past successful roles, volunteer work, projects and jobs to identify preferred activities and skills. Determine whether your core values and skills are addressed through your current career.

3. Brainstorm ideas for career alternatives by discussing your core values/skills with friends, family, networking contacts and counselors. Visit career libraries and use online resources like those found in the Career Advice section of the Job Search website.

4. Conduct a preliminary comparative evaluation of several fields to identify a few targets for in depth research.

5. Read as much as you can about those fields and reach out to personal contacts in those arenas for informational interviews.

6. Shadow professionals in fields of primary interest to observe work first hand. Spend anywhere from a few hours to a few days job shadowing people who have jobs that interest you. Your college Career Office is a good place to find alumni volunteers who are willing to host job shadowers.

7. Identify volunteer and freelance activities related to your target field to test your interest e.g. if you are thinking of publishing as a career, try editing the PTA newsletter. If you're interested in working with animals, volunteer at your local shelter.

8. Investigate educational opportunities that would bridge your background to your new field. Consider taking an evening course at a local college. Spend some time at one day or weekend seminars. Contact professional groups in your target field for suggestions.

9. Look for ways to develop new skills in your current job which would pave the way for a change e.g. offer to write a grant proposal if grant writing is valued in your new field. If your company offers in-house training, sign up for as many classes as you can.

10. Consider alternative roles within your current industry which would utilize the industry knowledge you already have e.g. If you are a store manger for a large retail chain and have grown tired of the evening and weekend hours consider a move to corporate recruiting within the retail industry. Or if you are a programmer who doesn't want to program, consider technical sales or project management.

Transition to a Career in Human Resource Management

By Susan M. Heathfield

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

People take widely divergent paths on their journey to working in Human Resource management. They enter Human Resource management by luck and by design and they stay because they enjoy the work and the people.

Common themes emerge when you listen to the stories people tell about their transition into Human Resource management. People say they:

• Started in an administrative role with a company and gradually took on more Human Resource management work over time.
• Decided they wanted to work in Human Resource management and networked with HR professionals in community organizations and the Society for Human Resource Management until an opportunity appeared.
• Worked in another role in their company, made their desire to move to Human Resource management clear to managers and Human Resources, and applied when an opening became available.
• Worked in a component of Human Resource management, like training or recruiting, grew to like the field, and wanted to learn the whole HR role.
• Decided to try the field of Human Resource management and took some classes or earned the PHR to prepare to enter the field.
• Majored in sociology or psychology, people-oriented subjects, with no career path in mind, and saw a good fit with Human Resource management.
• Applied for and worked in Human Resource management internships.

Advice About Transitioning into Human Resource Management

Readers offered these tips to enhance your chances of moving into Human Resource management:

• Review your prior employment, education, and experiences. Tailor your resume and cover letters to highlight the components that qualify you for a career in Human Resource management. Don't expect your prospective employer to connect the dots; the employer won't take the time and you will shatter your hopes for an interview. An interview will allow you to further emphasize the connection between your skills and interests and the HR job for which you are applying.
• Network with people who post HR jobs and influence decisions about who is hired for a position in Human Resource management. Network also in online social media networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter and the many Human Resources communities that exist at locations such as job boards, SHRM, and Workforce magazine.
• Make your workplace aware that you are interested in an HR role and ask what you need to do to be prepared when an HR opening occurs. If they don't know, they can't help you grow your career in HR.

Stories About Transitioning to Human Resource Management

Pam Sheirer says:

"I am currently trying to transition into a Human Resources field (environmental health and safety management).

"So far, I been able to dust off some long unused experience in chemistry and some peripheral experience in safety, to be able to fill a niche, a temporary need at work. I also took as many classes, as I could find that would help me achieve my goals. I used all of that, and some excellent recommendations to apply for and be accepted to a Masters Program in Safety. I'm hoping that will help me be able to permanently transition into a safety manager's position.

"You have to be open to opportunities that exist where you currently work, express a desire to help, and use each experience as a series of steps leading to your final goal."

Sheila M. Krueger says:

"I made the transition from an R&D/Technical position into the HR area when our expertise was needed to implement their HRIS solution. I learned a lot about the 'business' of HR during the implementation and found a way to be valuable to that department by blending my technical expertise and technical skills. After eight years in that blended role, I was able to move to another company where I use my technical skills again, but in concentrating on the compensation side of HR."

Jeff Bettinger says:

"I made the transition to HR. I reviewed my previous positions and looked at the HR functions within those positions. I then tailored a resume to highlight those functions. I began networking with HR professionals in my community. Within six weeks, I had three offers. Since that time I have been promoted twice. The most important thing you can do is network. The schooling/certifications can follow. You need someone on the inside to help you get there. Many in HR have landed there after working in other parts of the company."

Cathy (Hackney) O'Brien says:

"I'm in my first job in a coporate HR setting. Years ago, I was a recruiter at a staffing service, which actually aided in getting this current position. For many years, I worked in Higher Education, Student Services Administration. Most of these positions included hiring and training student staff. Since moving to California, I wanted to work for Disney, but wasn't sure in what capacity. I checked their on-line job postings weekly, and finally came across a Human Resources position that would use my transferable skills from higher education and the staffing industry. I did not go back to school, and do not have a degree or certificate in HR."

Rob Wells, PHR (LION), says:

"My experience was similar to some of the stories others tell. I was an outside salesman for quite sometime and moved to an agency recruiting position as my product was phased out. From there I began networking in HR circles like SHRM meetings and landed a position in a corporate setting as an Human Resources Generalist."

Maria Clara Whitaker says:

"I transitioned into Human Resources from the academic clinical research field. Specifically, I boarded the main instrument of my dissertation, the MBTI, and headed towards the vast world of HR consulting."

When Your Employment Was in Danger, What Did You Do To Keep Your Job? Part II

By Susan M. Heathfield

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

Do what others would

Submit to the eventual and til it strikes keep working as though nothing happened. And never squeal inbetween. P J Naidu

—Guest PJ Naidu

Kronkite

I was involved with starting a business when it became apparent to me that my lay off time was approaching. The relationship between myself and manager had become nastier and my work partner and I spoke about the time-frame. I missed my layoff date by 3 days. This is a fire at will state (NYS) and hire at will state. Only 2 protections exist: A. discrimination B. Whistle Blowing (Sarbanes Oxley). Also retaliation for either offence. I had complained about a manager's sexual misconduct a few years ago. From this point on the treatment got worse. I have to admit, I should have just left but I stayed while things got worse. When I checked my legal prospects I gave up quickly. Unless I had $60,000 I could not get a lawyer to represent me and having the EEOC rep me was almost a certain impossibility during these times. I took my 3 months severance and I am keeping my mouth shut for now. Not unless you have lots of money. K.

—Guest kronkite

Reality

The reality is that the business will always have their best needs at hand, not yours.

—Guest Ken W

Watch out for this!

All great advice, except this: "Finally, send work you may need in the future to your home email address." This work may be company-owned intellectual property and/or trade secrets, and the emails will leave an electronic trail that could get you in major legal hot water. Consult an attorney before emailing yourself "your work" or taking it otherwise (e.g. on a thumb drive).

—Guest George Lenard

Hard work isn't always rewarded

Thanks for the realistic article. At one job I had, the writing was on the wall but I refused to read it. I thought I could impress my boss by working 12 hour days and volunteering for everything. Other employees were desperately trying the same approach and we did a heroic amount of work in a short time -- basically, we prepared the company for its transition to a much smaller enterprise. In the end, all but a handful of people were laid off. Wisdom in hindsight? Don't always assume that your best efforts are enough and don't blame yourself if they aren't.

—Guest SusanH

When Your Employment Was in Danger, What Did You Do To Keep Your Job?

By Susan M. Heathfield


Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

How to Hold Your Job

I had a therapist who gave me this response when I asked him what I would have to do to keep a job (I was unemployed at the time). He told me, "Fake it 'til you make it. Ask questions and be open-minded. Exude confidence; even if you don't feel it, show it!" I guess it is important to note that it's worked so far for me in applying for jobs, but I have yet to use this advice when actually hired and working for a particular office/employment. I guess I sorta trusted him because , although he had o.c.d. (like me), he was a role model for me and I knew the advice originated from his mouth, so I knew the information was true.

—Guest Robert Cura

Demotion

It's always fishy if your rank stays the same but you report to a lower ranked person, while your old boss insists proudly, "This is not a demotion." Well, my friends, it led to termination. Secondly, boss does not lose interest in employee's personal life because he is busy, but probably because of guilt about manipulating the employee out of job soon. Like Andy Grove said, "Only the paranoid survive." Gluck!

—Guest pgg

Put In More Committment

From experience I think the best option is to put more effort into your job and increase your networking for human relationships and development of new ideas.

—Guest emmanuel Ashinaga

Self Reliance

It's always best to have faith in yourself, everyone else is not reliable. I worked with a girl who had problems and kept calling off and not showing up without out calling them. She was fired and she blamed me for getting her fired - she did that on her own. I relied on myself until I got tired of the job, I wasn't fast enough for them, but I think the problem was that I was distracted from working at my best because the co-worker was a friend, but not the one mentioned above. I had 2 co-workers at 2 different times. The 2nd one was better to work with than the 1st.

—Guest annonymous

Update Your Resume Annually...

I worked for a Gov't contractor so we were required to update our resumes annually. This has saved me from long bouts of unemployment many times given Federal contractor hiring trends. Also, keep an updated copy of your resume on job boards (Monster) even if you're not looking and make slight changes to them every 3 months so your resume appears as if it is a new resume entry instead of an aging posting. Also, every quarter assess your skills, training, and accomplishments. This way not only do you have an accurate account of what you did for your performance review, but you have great info to add to your resume when you rewrite it each year. This is also a great benefit when you get ready to interview for a new position because you already have accomplishments (relevant and recent) to highlight. Lastly keep all email addresses and phone numbers/names from recruiters that contact you through Monster. You may not be looking now but you'll need them later if you do get laid off.

—Guest Ana

Love your Job not Company

Always keep this in mind: "Love your Job , not your Company". This means you should always keep options open in your hand and the moment you smell something fishy, "switchover." Do not wait...

—Guest Uday Deshmukh

Shock

My boss told me they are about to fire me. I was shocked and all my colleagues were shocked as I was always regarded as one of the best. Next day I told my boss I am not leaving if they don't pay me for 3 months ahead, according to the law. Probably he thought it will be too much and didn't ever tell me again to leave. Though now I am thinking about quitting myself for good.

—Guest Svitlana

What to do before you are laid off/fired

Always have a plan. No one should work 9-5, go home and that's it. When you complete your 9-5, work on that hobby that could lead to income. Work on that plan to start your own business. Work on that book you always wanted to write, the college course you would love to teach, a community activity that allows you to meet people. Just like that tax company-you must have people. Most people land the job because of who they know-not what they know-so network, have contacts. When you see yourself or your company in danger, seek you new position before you lose the old one. Use the time to start your own business venture or to turn your hobby into full time employment. Be creative, think outside the box, offer something that you know is needed. Most important of all believe in yourself, your faith and your values, and know that you can and will make a way where there is no way. Keep your head up!

—mzwoods

Weathering the Storm

Seeing is believing and it's always tough to see the real hardworking underpaid ones go. It seems that way all over.

—Guest Candy

Feedback for Readers

I took your words to heart and rewrote a portion of the article to more completely describe what I meant by taking work home. Thanks for the feedback. Susan

—SusanHumanResources

Be careful what you send home....

One piece of advice given above is to send home things you're working on, e.g. an employee manual or purchase justification. Be aware that this is formally the company's property (after all, they paid for it to be done). Depending on what's in it and how you leave, using it later or even just sending it off-site might result in you getting sued for breach of contract. Workers who deal with intellectual property, e.g. patents, industrial processes, etc., need to be VERY careful how they conduct themselves with this sort of info. It should be obvious, but....

—Guest Driftwood

Try not to let it get you down

I could tell 8 months into my new position that my department's time was limited. I am not sure why they brought me on so near the end but I still performed my very best. After my boss was suddenly let go for unclear reasons, I had to take over his duties as well as my own. I knew my time was coming soon although management never said a word. This stretched out for over 6 months so I would go to work thinking it was my last. I had my office cleaned and a box in the corner for when that final day came. Those were the worst 6 months in my career both what it did to me emotionally and the physical affects. When the day finally came that they laid me off, they wanted until after 6:00pm to do it. In short, if you can get out before the day comes do so. If, like me, you are unable to do so, do your best until the day comes and remember that it is not your fault. In my case, over 120 people were laid off in the period of a few short months. Look forward rather than always thinking back.

—Guest Alex M

Jump Before You Are Pushed!

An obvious thing to do is to apply for new jobs as soon as the signs are there. The ideal situation is to be given a severance package the day after your new job offer is confirmed. But even if you cannot achieve this perfect timing, getting out before the rush is always a good idea.

—Guest Simon

cust serv rep

I actually worked at a slower pace. Look--when you "know" it's about to end, there's nothing you can do but try and stick it to them as they are going to eventually stick you. That's life-oh well.

Workplace Violence: Violence Can Happen Here Part II

By Susan M. Heathfield

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

Behaviors That May Predict Workplace Violence

In her book, Risky Business: Managing Employee Violence in the Workplace (compare prices), McClure describes eight categories of high-risk behaviors that indicate the need for management intervention. She says these high-risk behaviors are everyday behaviors that occur in certain patterns - they occur long before threats or actual workplace violence.

The eight categories of workplace violence are:

• Actor behaviors: The employee acts out his or her anger with such actions as yelling, shouting, slamming doors, and so on.

• Fragmentor behaviors: The employee takes no responsibility for his actions and sees no connection between what he does and the consequences or results of his actions. As an example, he blames others for his mistakes.

• Me-First behaviors: The employee does what she wants, regardless of the negative effects on others. As an example, the employee takes a break during a last minute rush to get product to a customer, while all other employees are working hard.

• Mixed-Messenger behaviors: The employee talks positively but behaves negatively. As an example, the employee acts in a passive-aggressive manner saying he is a team player, but refuses to share information.

• Wooden-Stick behaviors: The employee is rigid, inflexible, and controlling. She won't try new technology, wants to be in charge, or purposefully withholds information.

• Escape-Artist behaviors: The employee deals with stress by lying and/or taking part in addictive behaviors such as drugs or gambling.

• Shocker behaviors: The employee suddenly acts in ways that are out of character and/or inherently extreme. For instance, a usually reliable individual fails to show up or call in sick for work. A person exhibits a new attendance pattern.

• Stranger behaviors: The employee is remote, has poor social skills, becomes fixated on an idea and/or an individual.

Dr. Lynne McClure is a nationally-recognized expert in managing high-risk employee behaviors before they escalate to workplace violence. She offered the eight categroies of behavior that an employer must be aware of to prevent workplace violence earlier in this article.

According to McClure, "When the manager, supervisor or HR person sees these behavior patterns, she must document, talk to the employee, discuss the behaviors in terms of their negative effect on work, and require training, counseling, or both.

"The manager, supervisor or HR person must then continue to monitor the employee's behavior. The goal is to either get the employee to change his behavior, via skills acquisition and/or dealing with problems, or leave the workplace by choice or company decision."

Haig Neville in Dealing With Workplace Violence, highlights several additional issues. "A New York Times study of 100 rampage murders … found that most of the killers 'spiraled down a long, slow slide, mentally and emotionally.' According to the study, most killers gave multiple signs that they were in trouble.

With this in mind, employers should be alert to some of the predictors of violent behavior. These include employees who: use intimidation, talk about weaponry, exhibit paranoid or anti-social behavior, feel they’re not being heard by the company, express extreme desperation, have a history of violence, are loners who don’t fit in with the group."

In an interview with Eric Snyder, past President and CEO of TCM, Inc., McClure said that at least three of these warnings were missed prior to the murder of seven employees at Edgewater Technology in Wakefield, Massachusetts. (The act that inspired the multiple murders, including the murder of two HR staff members, was the requirement of the IRS that the company garnishee Michael McDermott’s wages.)

McClure says that we now know that the employee was under psychiatric care and taking medication. Prior to the killings, however, he displayed fragmentor behavior; he saw it as the company's responsibility to protect him from the IRS. He displayed shocker behavior in which his actions were extreme and out of character.

The week prior to the murders, “McDermott had an angry outburst at work, which was both extreme and out of character for him.” Finally, McDermott exhibited shocker behavior; he "appears to have been remote, and he became fixated on the IRS and the company's role of protecting him from the IRS."

The Workplace Violence Research Institute estimated costs of workplace violence to U.S. businesses at $36 billion per year. Neville says, "Costs include medical and psychiatric care, lost business and productivity, repairs and clean up, higher insurance rates, increased security costs, and worst of all, the loss of valued employees.

In addition, business owners are increasingly being held liable for not making their premises safe for employees and customers. Potential areas of workplace violence-related litigation that should concern employers include civil actions for negligent hiring, workers compensation claims, third-party claims for damages, invasion of privacy actions, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violation charges.

Workplace violence can happen here. Workplace violence can happen to you or someone you love. If you are knowledgeable and watchful about workplace violence and its signs in employees, however, you can anticipate and take actions that may prevent its occurrence.

• Know your employees; know when employee behavior is out of the ordinary.
• Train supervisors and other coworkers that reporting unusual behavior to Human Resources is expected and positive.
• Stop the spiral that can result in violence; give the potentially violent person somewhere to turn for help.

Workplace Violence: Violence Can Happen Here

By Susan M. Heathfield



Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs


A very real, clear and present danger lurks just beyond the consciousness of people who work together eight to ten hours a day, five to seven days a week. It is the potential for violence to occur in your workplace.

Increasingly, the Human Resources function is both the target of these threats of workplace violence and the organization's first line of defense for the prevention of workplace violence.

What causes workplace violence? Are violent actions more likely to occur at work? What actions or changes tell an organization that an individual has the potential to commit a violent act at work? This article about workplace violence answers these questions for the health and safety of your employees.

The Facts About Workplace Violence

Homicide is the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the United States. Nearly 1,000 workers are murdered and 1.5 million are assaulted in the workplace each year.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), in additional information about workplace violence, there were 709 workplace homicides in 1998. These accounted for 12 percent of the total 6,026 fatal work injuries in the United States. Of these 709 workplace homicide victims in 1998, 80 percent were shot and nine percent were stabbed.

According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), 2 million assaults and threats of violence against Americans at work occur annually. The most common type of workplace crime was assault with an average of 1.5 million a year.

There were 396,000 aggravated assaults, 51,000 rapes and sexual assaults, 84,000 robberies, and 1,000 homicides reported. These figures likely fall short of the actual number of violent acts occurring in workplaces as not all acts of workplace violence are reported.

Workplaces Prone to Workplace Violence

The news media tend to sensationalize acts of workplace violence that involve coworkers. In sensationalizing incidents of workplace violence, they remove the emphasis from the most important targets for workplace safety programs. In fact, the most common motive for job-related homicide is robbery, accounting for 85 percent of workplace violence deaths.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), provides information that illustrates anyone can become the victim of a workplace assault, but the risks are greater for workplace violence in certain industries and occupations. The taxicab industry has the highest risk, nearly 60 times the national average for potential workplace violence.

Other occupations at greatest risk include police, detectives, sheriffs, gas station workers, and security guards. In the NCVS study, retail sales workers were the most numerous victims, with 330,000 being attacked each year.

They were followed by police, with 234,200 officers victimized. Disputes among coworkers and with customers and clients accounted for about one-tenth of the total incidences of workplace violence annually.

Thus, while this article emphasizes violence between coworkers, no responsible safety process in the workplace can ignore the fact that violence is more likely to come from outside the immediate workplace.

Entrepreneurship Tips

By Justin Timory


Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

The speed at which the world produces entrepreneurs determines how well the general economy thrives. Entrepreneurs are the ones responsible for keeping our financial systems running despite the depression of currencies. Without entrepreneurs, without their businesses, without their products and services; there would be no market. Consequently, we wouldn't have any source of commodity or income. Hence, it is essential that we promote the creation and, above all, success of start up entrepreneurs. It's a good thing that entrepreneurship tips are available to nourish budding entrepreneurial aspirations.

Narrowing the search for helpful guidelines, here are some entrepreneurship tips that could help avert common entrepreneurship problems.

a. Do not underestimate what your employees can do for your business.

Maybe it's the position or a strong seniority complex that drives young entrepreneurs to neglect the vital contribution of their employees to their success. Yes, you created the company. Yes, you conceptualized the unique good or service being sold. And yes, it is your sound advice on marketing approaches that have attracted consumers to your company. But it is your employees that make sure your company is able to meet its obligations and provide the best goods and services to your clients. Without their talents and insights, you would not be able to maintain your obligations. So I am telling you to stop this practice and instead, constantly acknowledge your employees for their efforts. Give them proper incentives. Enroll them in trainings. Remember that your ultimate competitive advantage is the talent you are able to keep.

b. Do not abuse your workers.

Now, just because you pay them well, doesn't mean you have the right to control their lives. You can't force them to go on overtime every work day just so they can meet your expectations. You can't deprive them of holidays. You can't scold them for being absent because they are sick or because they had personal issues they needed to resolve. Recognize that your employees may have other priorities as well - a family, a second job, or school. Working at a start up company, which you've created, helps them get some additional cash. Whether it's more lucrative than their other priorities is another question entirely. Bottom line is, if you stress them out while working for you, then they might be forced to choose. This might just end badly for you.

c. Do not ignore what one customer says.

As a start up entrepreneur, it is natural for you to be obsessed with your customer's reactions. But when sales are going well and people generally have given positive feedback to your products and services, you will find your self less attuned to complaints and more so, to smaller client complaints. Don't! These people may not bring in the big bucks, but the can surely dish out comments that may very well pull down your credibility as a company. Whether big or small, ensure that you maintain the highest level of satisfaction for all your clients.

d. Do not oversell.

In hopes of impressing consumers, businessmen often promise more than what they can deliver. This puts them in a compromising position with clients and with their employees. The secret to selling is to be honest. Establish what customers can expect so that transactions do not end up in disappointments.

e. Do not neglect to keep record of all cash inflow and outflow.

The problem with start up entrepreneurs is that they are so caught up with the idea of profit. As a result they are deceived into thinking that they've earned more than they've spent. But the truth lies in the financial statements. Considered most vital among the entrepreneurship tips mentioned, start up entrepreneurs should be very vigilant at tracking their revenues and expenses. In addition, they should also be diligent at collecting payables. This is the only way they can confirm that their business is not losing.

Key to Balanced Success

By Uzo Onukwugha


Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

Your heart condition is the most important determinant of your authority and destiny on planet earth. This is because your spirit nature is the foundation and essence of your being and existence. Everything within and without you rises or falls depending on how you program your spirit-nature. The human spirit is like your hard drive Just as the hard drive drives every data in the computer, your heart runs the affairs of your life. The computer hard drive stores information in the form of electromagnetic energy. The same applies to your spirit man. Therefore this repository of energy can create, attract or lead you to whatever your core desire is or whatever you are programming for life. Everything in life is created first in the invisible world of the spirit before it materializes in the natural world of matter. In the same way, God has placed eternity in the hearts of men. "As it is within, so is it without," says an Oriental maxim. Some people call this the law of correspondence.

The key to success is being (what you become) which will determine doing (or what you do) and have (what you possess). Success, therefore is the ability of a trained spirit to dominate the body through a renewed mind. And the Holy Spirit dominating the human spirit which is now free to create. Genius is nothing but the Spirit of God working in an open and programmed heart. Thus, your heart condition is the core of your success quest. By the way, know that you can train your human spirit just like you can develop your intellect or your muscles. You grow on what you feed on. Therefore, the best way to develop the human spirit is by using the Word of God and performing spiritual exercises outlined below.

Here are five cardinal ways to train your human spirit:

Meditation--This is akin to storing and rehearsing the Word of God in your mind again and again. It is like planting the seeds of God's thought in your heart and let your consciousness grow it. This is like the cow chewing the cod. Take five to ten minutes thinking over the word of God especially the areas that is related to your goal. Find Scriptures that relate to your challenges and soak yourself with the ideas of God concerning those areas. Do it at least twice a day--morning and night. In meditation, God talks to you but in prayer, you talk to God. Whatever you program into your heart is what comes out of your mouth.

Positive confessions--After charging and activating the word by meditation, it is time to speak it out. You only change situations when you first speak to it. That's how God created the universe by the law of spoken word. Confession or affirmation is the most powerful way of turning your faith loose. Your self-confidence, personal power, self-direction and achievement start with words. It is also your words that conditions your spirit and renews your mind. This is because spirits respond to sound energy with emotions. Every time you say the same thing you reinforce success language. There are two types of confessions: auto suggestion and proclamations. Auto-suggestion is the conversation or running commentary between you and your spirit. This is unconscious programming beyond human awareness. The conscious one is the speech everybody hears from your mouth. Confessing what you want is the beginning of deliberate creation.

Prayer--Prevailing prayer is the life wire or the breath of human existence. The best prayer that gets result is praying God's Word concerning you back to Him. Prayer is the most powerful 'atomic energy' known to man. The human spirit soars in the place of intensive prayer. It is one of the most powerful way to release energy and supercharge your spiritual battery. Prayer is how you generate power, attract grace, provision and protection from the Almighty. Effective prayer is prayer that gets results. Praying the word of God in the spirit is the most effective, direct and powerful form of prayer. It is like building your spirit 'building your spirit brick by brick.'

Fasting--This is another powerful way to build your human spirit. You must live a fasted life if you must see success with your fasting. The flesh and its desires are what causes our failures. When the spirit dominates as in fasting, there is increased business intuition, revelation knowledge,opportunity awareness, money making ideas, creativity, breakthroughs, protective aura, favors, and breaking of demonic strongholds and bad habits. Thus, roadblocks to success are removed. Fasting brings the body under subjection and let's the spirit nature dominate. When the cravings of the mortal body go down, the spirit gains ascendency. "A praying believer is a confident believer; but a fasting believer is an overcoming believer," says Mahesh Chavda.

Praise and worship--Worship is the reason of our being. That's why God created man in the first place. The human spirit soars in the place of worship. We are transformed in His Image at the altar of worship. Human are judged in God's scale of preference according to their capacity to worship. Worship is the shortest distance between your breakthrough and God's throne. In praise, you extol the Lord for what He does; but in worship, you ascribe worth or value to God for what He is over your life. Worship is the most powerful way of cultivating a heart of gratitude. In God's presence is the fullness of joy and in his right hand is pleasures forevermore. "When you cultivate His presence, you enjoy His pleasures." This is called practising the presence of God or developing God's consciousness. Because God does things in dimensions, there are two types of God's presence in any believer. The Holy Spirit presence is the abiding presence and the one that comes and goes is the shekinar glory. There is no true worshipper of God that lacks anything. And those who know this does not trade worship for any silver or gold. Overall, prosperity always flows from a heart of gratitude which in turn determines your altitude.

Practicing the word--Application of what you meditate on is what brings manifestation or results. One of the most important ways to get power is in doing, not meditating or talking about it. "It is the law of nature that those who do have the power and those who don't have no power," says Waldo Emerson. When you take action you get satisfaction. Your thoughts create your desire but it is your action that brings it to you. Taking action is the most powerful way of programming the human spirit for success. The Word only works when you work it. Doing nothing is sure way of going nowhere. When your trained spirit ask you to do something, do it immediately. In the spirit realm and in life, timing can be everything. Business is all about opportunity and opportunity hinges on time. Money always flows to where there is opportunity. This is why taking action is critical to manifestation as the law of attraction kicks in.

If you can apply these cardinal steps, success in any endeavor is assured. Often, you have to combine the steps if you must train your spirit quicker for immediate result. You must have a goal to direct the above named psycho-spiritual exercises.

How To Get A Free Education

By Al Lifeson

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

Before I started writing articles I did a lot of research. Even got a book or two about it. All in all, it was a total waste of time and money.

I am sure many people are so scared to write the first article it never gets done. As with just about any other way to make money on the internet, people avoid actions because they fear the consequences.

The most common excuse it "I can't write". All I have to say to that is if you can speak it you can write it. In fact, you should speak it before your write it.

No matter what you learn before you start writing articles, it will pale in comparison to what you learn while you are writing them and watching the results come in.

It doesn't matter what kind of job you get, you have to go through training. And for me, on the job training is the only thing worthwhile. There is no substitute for experience.

If you are considering writing articles to promote your web site or product, but feel you are not up to the task, let me assure you a firm commitment to writing 100 articles relating to the product of your choice will provide you a complete education in the field of article marketing.

You will probably even get paid a little bit while you learn if you pick a worthy product.

Don't worry about the first few failing articles. Remember the Matrix when Neo tried to jump across the buildings for the first time. Everybody said "Nobody makes it the first time". And they were right.

Even the best has to start somewhere. And usually it is with a poorly written and failing article. But with the courage to write the first article and the dedication to write the 100th, you will receive an education that will allow you to write your own ticket to making money online.