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Do you have a Boss who keeps you in the shadows?

As a new hire, it’s common to have to do some busy work. Data entry. Organizing files. Work where you’re not sure why your boss has assigned it. Most everyone does some busy work, no matter how high up in the office hierarchy they are. You deal with it with your head down and then move on to the more meaningful work on your plate. But what if all you’re doing is completing menial entry-level tasks assigned to you by your boss? This type of work isn’t promotion-worthy and can leave you feeling stuck at your job. How do you handle this situation? These management professionals share their best tips on how to deal with a boss who wants to keep you down. Find your supporters beyond your boss Even though your boss may not appear to be in your corner, it’s important to find people within the organization who can vouch for your successes, especially at meetings where your boss is present. The more people you can get on your side, in particular on your team or in your department, the better. “Build strategic relationships with others who can support you and help you get out from under your boss,” says Joanie B. Connell, founder and president of Flexible Work Solutions, a California-based consulting firm that specializes in leadership assessment, development, and retention. “Develop supporters from elsewhere in the organization who can stand up for you when your boss says something negative about you,” she says. “This network may also be useful to help you find a different position within the organization with a better boss.” How do you create internal advocates? Show how you can help other employees with their projects and learn more about their work. That way, you’ll create advocates for yourself within the organization who can speak to your abilities and work ethic. You also could try to switch to that department eventually, depending on company needs. Build trust with your boss Trust isn’t built overnight, but there are things you can work into your everyday interactions with your boss to start developing a trusting relationship that will lead to more opportunities. “By providing project updates on a regular basis and keeping him or her apprised of recent accomplishments, your manager will gain confidence in your abilities and display less controlling behavior,” says Cynthia Kong public relations manager at OfficeTeam in Menlo Park, California. It’s a common misconception that you shouldn’t promote yourself. In many ways, demonstrating your accomplishments to your boss (and co-workers) in a humble manner can establish you as someone who would be able to take on more significant projects. Confront your boss If none of this works, it’s time to confront the elephant in the room. Straight talk is hard—especially when it’s with a boss who has been regularly assigning you menial tasks. But approaching him or her honestly about how you would like to take on more meaningful work—and what kind of work that would be—can cut out the politics and passiveness (and will make you feel better by just being honest). “Perhaps you're missing something about yourself that's holding you back,” says Connell. “You never know, your boss could end up being your best supporter if you work it out.” Prepare talking points around specific concerns (and what specifically you object to), and find the appropriate time to bring them up. This might be during your recurring one-to-one meeting. If you don’t have one, find some time when your boss is free and schedule a meeting. Leigh Steere, co-founder of Managing Better People LLC, a management research firm located in Boulder, Colorado, recognizes that sometimes managers don’t realize you have a particular skill set and give your desired work to someone else. “You need to advocate for yourself and say, ‘I have XYZ skill set and would like the opportunity to show you what I can do in this area,’” says Steere. Look for another job If this approach doesn’t work, it may be time to start looking for another job. The reality is, in many industries entry-level jobs do include a lot of busy work. If there isn’t room to grow into a position with more significant work, how long will you actually want to hang around in a dead-end job? Being honest with your boss (and yourself!) takes guts, but it’s necessary for your well-being in addition to your chances of moving from menial to meaningful. Read the full article

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How to Influence People

No matter how one looks at it, success and respect come in the form of other people, perhaps even complete strangers. Rare is it in today's world that success will happen in total isolation. No surprise that some of the most successful and respected individuals know a thing or two about how to deal with others. The ability to communicate and influence others' way of thinking, and to actually transform their opinions, is an invaluable life skill. The obstacle of attaining this life skill is one that everyone faces. Anger, selfishness, and pride all work against our better judgment. The idea is to become proactive, to work toward a resolution rather than toward your own base desires; which will come under fire the more it conflicts with other desires; and so on, until it comes full circle. Disagreements add more fuel to the fire, until neither party is able to influence the other. To be proactive means to step back from the situation, and to examine it from a different angle. Chances are you want your way simply because, well, it's your way. Consider the fact that the other person thinks the same. So be proactive and negotiate yourself out of a one-way street that'll lead to zero resolutions; because while you may get the other person to agree, have you really influenced their opinion? Look at it this way: "right" is "wrong." How can that be? The way to peoples' hearts, the way to influence their opinions, is not to impose your will onto theirs'. They first need to see the light before they alter their mode of thought. Approach your opinion as though it were a scientific method, without the pride of being right. It is that very possessive nature that creates disapproval in people. And unless you're in a scientific or highly technical environment, approach the discussion as if it had multiple resolutions. Step outside of yourself and join the team. The idea is to influence others, rather than simply imposing your will. Become impersonal if you have to; all the better to swim through a sea of ideas and opinions, without the risk of being offended. Assess the problem, and not who said it. A proactive person is more concerned with a resolution than with retribution. The point remains to be said that other variables are at stake, and that "your" viewpoint is not the only path. This does not mean that you cannot disagree. Disagreements are inevitable; but there is a sharp contrast between a personal disagreement and a holistic disagreement. Chances are that a holistic disagreement is a lot more convincing, and more respectable, than a personal one. Because when holistic matters become too personally charged, it becomes detached from a holistic resolution. The ability to communicate with others is not as vague as it sounds. The abilities to influence and to disagree are the two principle components of a born leader. Because being "right" is only as good as getting the person to agree. more articles | Subscribe Read the full article

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8 Resume Editing Tips

8 Resume Editing Tips - It’s amazing what a well-written and nicely presented resume can do for your job search. Before you send yours out, follow this checklist to ensure you are sending out an excellent quality representation of yourself. 1. Grammar, spelling, punctuation - Use the grammar and spell check function, then print it out and read the document word for word. Spell checker doesn’t know that you meant "manager" when you actually typed "manger." 2. Capitalization - Use a manual such as the Gregg Reference Manual if you do not know capitalization rules. 3. Punctuation - Check for proper use of commas and semi-colons. Again, if you are unsure, refer to the Gregg Reference Manual. 4. Run-on sentences - Check to make sure you do not have run-ons that are hard to read. 5. Consistency - You must be consistent with your number usage (dates, money, numbers), plurals, and abbreviations. For example, don’t list one date as 8/2004 and then list another date as 3/15/2004. Also, be aware of listing software consistently (abbreviation use). MS Word and Microsoft Outlook are both correct, but not consistent. 6. Education section - When you have a degree, list only the year that you obtained your degree. When you list your dates, (i.e.: 9/1998 to 1/2002) many resume-scanning systems will not recognize that you obtained a degree, only that you attended college for a period of time. 7. Ampersands - Ampersands (&) do not belong on a resume. There are a few exceptions. One exception is a well-known company name (AT&T). Another exception is well-known industry terms (P&L). 8. Hyperlinks - All e-mail and web addresses that you list need to be deactivated in your resume. To do this in MS Word, highlight the link, go to the "Insert" drop down menu, scroll down to and click "Hyperlink", and on the lower left-had side of this screen there should be a little button that says "Remove link", when you find it, give it a little click and voila! Alternatively, you can highlight the link, right click on it, and scroll down to "remove link" to deactivate the link. Read the full article

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Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking

When you need to get up and speak do you feel butterflies in your stomach? Sweaty palms? Dry mouth? Shaking knees and hands? You are not alone. Fear of public speaking is No. 1. Death is No.4. So most people would rather get a root canal and pay their taxes than speak in front of an audience. Here are a few techniques to help you reduce your nervousness and present like a pro.

1. Before you begin, drink some tepid water, take a few deep breaths and visualize your success. 2. The audience wants you to succeed – so just treat them as your friends and speak in a conversational manner. You don’t use notes when you speak to your friend, so don’t use them now. At the most, you may use some note cards that include some key words for you to remember. 3. You can relax yourself as well as your audience, if you remember to SMILE! Everyone is more at ease when they see your smile. Better yet, find some humor in the situation and get everyone to laugh, including you. 4. Practice, practice, practice. Getting familiar with your material by speaking often This really helps reduce your tension. 5. Find ways to speak – volunteer as a committee chair, lead a meeting, attend networking meetings so you can introduce yourself often and get comfortable hearing the sound of your voice and words. 6. Then ask yourself the big question: “What’s the worst thing that could happen? No, you won’t faint, or , forget what you plan to say. Remember when you speak to any audience, it is about them, not you. So be present with them as you would when speaking to your friend. 7. A great way to calm yourself is to arrive early and greet people as they enter the room. This is a way to relax yourself and encourage others to feel friendly towards you before you even start your speech. 8. Think about what you are going to wear. Choose clothing that makes you look good and feel good. Most people delineate their thoughts visually and your audience will form an opinion about you after looking at you for 30 seconds. My mother always encouraged me to “dress up” before taking a final exam – she said, “If you want a high grade, then look the part.” 9. If you really want to be a masterful speaker, hire a speech coach . . . like me. No serious athlete or professional speaker would get very far without a coach. 10. And, finally, focus on having fun. President Theodore Roosevelt said, “If you can’t find a way to make public speaking fun, why do it?” Read the full article

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Career Test

7 Criteria for Deciding Which Career Test Is Right for You - One of the best ways to determine your career direction is to complete a career assessment. Yet there are literally hundreds of career tests out there. Is a career test the same as an aptitude test? What about a career personality test? This article clarifies the differences and presents 7 criteria for deciding which career test is best for you. “I used to feel depressed at work, hate my boss, and was sometimes so bored that I actually fell asleep at my desk!” --- career test taker If this sounds like you, then it’s probably time to consider changing jobs or careers. But before you can make your career change, you need to figure out what you want to do. One of the best ways to get clear is to complete a career assessment. Yet there are literally hundreds of career tests out there. Is a career test the same as an aptitude test? What about a career personality test? This article clarifies the differences and presents 7 criteria for deciding which career test is best for you. #1 Career test vs. personality test Is the assessment specifically designed to provide career guidance? Personality tests only tell you about your character traits whereas a career assessment gives specific career advice. Of course, it helps to know whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert and perceive by sensing or intuition. Personality tests such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Enneagram are quite useful as background information. Making the leap from simple awareness of your personality type to specific career strategies is very difficult, however. If you want a new job or career, it’s better to take an assessment that is specifically geared to providing career guidance. #2 Specific vs. general Does the career assessment give concrete recommendations that you can use immediately rather than vague observations that are open to interpretation and not actionable? Aside from the change itself, the hardest part of changing careers is narrowing down your choices. But if you don’t get specific, you won’t be able to take action. A good assessment should not be general like the astrological horoscopes in the newspaper. #3 Motivation rules: why motivation is a better indicator than aptitude or personality Does the career assessment measure motivation? Motivation is a far better career indicator than skill or personality because what you like to do is what you WILL do and what you will get very good at (if you aren't already). Why force a square peg into a round hole? When you base your decisions on what motivates you, you'll probably feel much more fulfilled, and be much more successful, too. #4 Where’s the beef? Even if you’re a vegetarian, you’ll want “meaty” results! A good career assessment should include hard data, as well as sufficient detail and explanation to help you interpret the results. #5 Do you believe it? Is the career assessment scientifically valid? An effective career assessment should have a high predictive reliability. Such things can be measured statistically. Anything over 95% is quite good. Statistical validity is important for a number of reasons. Obviously, you want to feel that the assessment provides an accurate picture of what motivates you and you don’t want to be misled by grossly inaccurate results. But another point is that when the results are believable this provides a boost to your self-confidence. In my case, I was relieved and encouraged to see from my results that I had chosen the correct career path. It was a kind of confirmation or validation: “Whew! What a relief!” Remember that ultimately it’s up to you to decide whether a set of results makes sense or not. However, it helps to use a highly reliable assessment. #6 Can you get from A to Z? Are additional tools available to help you take your results and develop a clear career roadmap for yourself? Honestly, a lot of people take career tests and get brilliant insights. Unfortunately, many of these same people are never able to turn their insights into results. What’s needed is a support infrastructure of materials and people to help you apply your results over time. #7 Is it fast? Even in the internet age, there still are a lot of tests that you can only take on paper. It takes 30 minutes or even over an hour to take the test. Then you have to wait while the test is scored and processed. You may only get your results after several days or weeks. Personally I prefer career tests that I can take online and that give me my results immediately. Conclusion A career test is just a tool and just one step on your career change journey. Nonetheless, it’s worth spending some time to understand what types of tests are available and which is best for you. Just remember that even the best career test is only a tool. It’s up to you to take charge of your own career. Read the full article

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It’s Better to Make Mistakes Than To Be a Perfectionist

It’s Better to Make Mistakes Than To Be a Perfectionist - Don’t let your career get derailed because you’ve set unrealistically high standards for yourself. Some people waste their lives trying to avoid making mistakes, but cripple their careers since perfection isn’t attainable. They ultimately make fewer mistakes but accomplish less because they waste so much time trying to make things perfect. Time is money in business. Doing a good job today is more profitable than doing a great job tomorrow. Rock star Jon Bon Jovi’s career might have ended before it started had he not understood this principle. He was only 21 when he won a contest with a radio station to record his first song in 1983. He quickly formed a band and released a debut album that went gold the following year. Suddenly they were opening a concert for ZZ Top at Madison Square Garden. They were rushed to record a second album and strike while the iron was hot. It was released in 1985 to poor reviews. Jon was unhappy with the album and wanted to do better, but timing was critical. The band moved past this bump in the road and released a better written and produced third album in 1986. Jon still wasn’t happy with the album because he didn’t think one particular song was good enough to be included. Fortunately for him, he listened to the people who knew the business side of music. That song was “You Give Love a Bad Name”. It became one of the band’s most well-known singles and helped send the album straight to number one. This launched them into super stardom and they went on to sell more than 100 million albums. Had they waited until the second album was perfect, they might have lost the support of their record label before they got to the third. This is what happened to rock legend Tom Scholz. He’s often referred to as the smartest man in the history of rock and roll. He holds a masters degree in mechanical engineering from MIT and is listed as an inventor on 34 U.S. patents. The 1976 debut album by his band Boston sold over 16 million copies and remains the biggest selling debut album in history. It’s also considered one of the best-produced albums in rock history. Scholz played every instrument on every song and produced the album himself. He’s brilliant and talented. He’s also a consummate perfectionist who took eight years to finish the third album. CBS/Epic Records got tired of waiting for it, sued him for breach of contract, and dropped Boston from their label. It’s okay to have high standards as long as they’re realistic. It’s not okay to procrastinate until everything is exactly the way you want it to be. Your employer doesn’t have time to wait around until you get things perfect even if you are a genius inventor or legendary rock star. Deadlines must be kept and payroll must be met. An electrical engineer who attended my management seminar in Orlando once told me that he has to constantly remind the engineers he supervises that sometimes 90 percent is good enough. Highly valued employees don’t necessarily make fewer mistakes than run of the mill employees. In fact, they often make more mistakes because the number of mistakes increases as productivity increases. They just know the right way to do it. Making mistakes is okay as long as: 1. They’re reasonable mistakes to make. 2. You catch your own mistakes. 3. You correct your own mistakes. 4. You accept responsibility. 5. You don’t blame others. 6. You don’t make excuses. 7. You don’t hide your mistakes from your boss. 8. You learn from your mistakes. 9. You don’t repeat the same mistakes. 10. You apologize when it’s appropriate. Read the full article

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Career Test

7 Criteria for Deciding Which Career Test Is Right for You - One of the best ways to determine your career direction is to complete a career assessment. Yet there are literally hundreds of career tests out there. Is a career test the same as an aptitude test? What about a career personality test? This article clarifies the differences and presents 7 criteria for deciding which career test is best for you. “I used to feel depressed at work, hate my boss, and was sometimes so bored that I actually fell asleep at my desk!” --- career test taker If this sounds like you, then it’s probably time to consider changing jobs or careers. But before you can make your career change, you need to figure out what you want to do. One of the best ways to get clear is to complete a career assessment. Yet there are literally hundreds of career tests out there. Is a career test the same as an aptitude test? What about a career personality test? This article clarifies the differences and presents 7 criteria for deciding which career test is best for you. #1 Career test vs. personality test Is the assessment specifically designed to provide career guidance? Personality tests only tell you about your character traits whereas a career assessment gives specific career advice. Of course, it helps to know whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert and perceive by sensing or intuition. Personality tests such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Enneagram are quite useful as background information. Making the leap from simple awareness of your personality type to specific career strategies is very difficult, however. If you want a new job or career, it’s better to take an assessment that is specifically geared to providing career guidance. #2 Specific vs. general Does the career assessment give concrete recommendations that you can use immediately rather than vague observations that are open to interpretation and not actionable? Aside from the change itself, the hardest part of changing careers is narrowing down your choices. But if you don’t get specific, you won’t be able to take action. A good assessment should not be general like the astrological horoscopes in the newspaper. #3 Motivation rules: why motivation is a better indicator than aptitude or personality Does the career assessment measure motivation? Motivation is a far better career indicator than skill or personality because what you like to do is what you WILL do and what you will get very good at (if you aren't already). Why force a square peg into a round hole? When you base your decisions on what motivates you, you'll probably feel much more fulfilled, and be much more successful, too. #4 Where’s the beef? Even if you’re a vegetarian, you’ll want “meaty” results! A good career assessment should include hard data, as well as sufficient detail and explanation to help you interpret the results. #5 Do you believe it? Is the career assessment scientifically valid? An effective career assessment should have a high predictive reliability. Such things can be measured statistically. Anything over 95% is quite good. Statistical validity is important for a number of reasons. Obviously, you want to feel that the assessment provides an accurate picture of what motivates you and you don’t want to be misled by grossly inaccurate results. But another point is that when the results are believable this provides a boost to your self-confidence. In my case, I was relieved and encouraged to see from my results that I had chosen the correct career path. It was a kind of confirmation or validation: “Whew! What a relief!” Remember that ultimately it’s up to you to decide whether a set of results makes sense or not. However, it helps to use a highly reliable assessment. #6 Can you get from A to Z? Are additional tools available to help you take your results and develop a clear career roadmap for yourself? Honestly, a lot of people take career tests and get brilliant insights. Unfortunately, many of these same people are never able to turn their insights into results. What’s needed is a support infrastructure of materials and people to help you apply your results over time. #7 Is it fast? Even in the internet age, there still are a lot of tests that you can only take on paper. It takes 30 minutes or even over an hour to take the test. Then you have to wait while the test is scored and processed. You may only get your results after several days or weeks. Personally I prefer career tests that I can take online and that give me my results immediately. Conclusion A career test is just a tool and just one step on your career change journey. Nonetheless, it’s worth spending some time to understand what types of tests are available and which is best for you. Just remember that even the best career test is only a tool. It’s up to you to take charge of your own career. Read the full article

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It’s Better to Make Mistakes Than To Be a Perfectionist

It’s Better to Make Mistakes Than To Be a Perfectionist - Don’t let your career get derailed because you’ve set unrealistically high standards for yourself. Some people waste their lives trying to avoid making mistakes, but cripple their careers since perfection isn’t attainable. They ultimately make fewer mistakes but accomplish less because they waste so much time trying to make things perfect. Time is money in business. Doing a good job today is more profitable than doing a great job tomorrow. Rock star Jon Bon Jovi’s career might have ended before it started had he not understood this principle. He was only 21 when he won a contest with a radio station to record his first song in 1983. He quickly formed a band and released a debut album that went gold the following year. Suddenly they were opening a concert for ZZ Top at Madison Square Garden. They were rushed to record a second album and strike while the iron was hot. It was released in 1985 to poor reviews. Jon was unhappy with the album and wanted to do better, but timing was critical. The band moved past this bump in the road and released a better written and produced third album in 1986. Jon still wasn’t happy with the album because he didn’t think one particular song was good enough to be included. Fortunately for him, he listened to the people who knew the business side of music. That song was “You Give Love a Bad Name”. It became one of the band’s most well-known singles and helped send the album straight to number one. This launched them into super stardom and they went on to sell more than 100 million albums. Had they waited until the second album was perfect, they might have lost the support of their record label before they got to the third. This is what happened to rock legend Tom Scholz. He’s often referred to as the smartest man in the history of rock and roll. He holds a masters degree in mechanical engineering from MIT and is listed as an inventor on 34 U.S. patents. The 1976 debut album by his band Boston sold over 16 million copies and remains the biggest selling debut album in history. It’s also considered one of the best-produced albums in rock history. Scholz played every instrument on every song and produced the album himself. He’s brilliant and talented. He’s also a consummate perfectionist who took eight years to finish the third album. CBS/Epic Records got tired of waiting for it, sued him for breach of contract, and dropped Boston from their label. It’s okay to have high standards as long as they’re realistic. It’s not okay to procrastinate until everything is exactly the way you want it to be. Your employer doesn’t have time to wait around until you get things perfect even if you are a genius inventor or legendary rock star. Deadlines must be kept and payroll must be met. An electrical engineer who attended my management seminar in Orlando once told me that he has to constantly remind the engineers he supervises that sometimes 90 percent is good enough. Highly valued employees don’t necessarily make fewer mistakes than run of the mill employees. In fact, they often make more mistakes because the number of mistakes increases as productivity increases. They just know the right way to do it. Making mistakes is okay as long as: 1. They’re reasonable mistakes to make. 2. You catch your own mistakes. 3. You correct your own mistakes. 4. You accept responsibility. 5. You don’t blame others. 6. You don’t make excuses. 7. You don’t hide your mistakes from your boss. 8. You learn from your mistakes. 9. You don’t repeat the same mistakes. 10. You apologize when it’s appropriate. Read the full article

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How to Influence People

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Regional Property Manager

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Recruit Top Real Estate Agents

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Property Manager

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Multifamily Executive Recruiters | RecruiterMixer  ­                                                

Our Multifamily Executive Recruiters have directly worked for a diverse group of companies both private, public and third-party management. RecruiterMixer was formed in 2013 by Robert J Montgomery. Learn more about our services and how we can be a great resource for you when seeking talent for your organization. We have two primary office locations are in Maitland, FL and Boston, MA.