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Top Tips to Staying Stress Free in the Workplace

Although this might not be a thought that pops into your head when you’re swamped with work – humans are happiest when they’re kept busy. ​ However today’s average workplace has never been more stressful.

We naturally like a challenge to experience purpose and fulfillment, however it’s not so easy on those days with looming deadlines or tensions among your colleagues. Instinctively these situations trigger stress in the workplace, which we all know isn’t pleasant and can have a significant impact on your health and quality of life.

Our digitally enhanced world might be to blame, especially with demand for innovation and early business success. After extensive research and comments from selected industry professionals we have collated this comprehensive infographic to teach you all about work-related stress and top tips on how to deal with it.

Here are the top tips to staying stress free in the workplace:

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Why a Personal Brand Isn’t Just a “Nice-to-have”

Don’t have a brand? Think again!

Everyone has a brand. The only real question is what they are doing to cultivate it? Just because you do not have your logo or have your own company, doesn’t mean you do not have a personal brand.

However, what is a personal brand and why should you care about it?

Some define a personal brand as the set of characteristics and values that immediately come to mind when people see or hear about you. However, if you stop there, what you have described is more a reputation and not a brand. An effective personal branding does not just describe your characteristics and values. It ALSO defines the promises you make to employers and the value you bring to their organization.

The reality of employment today is that recruiters and hiring managers are turning to the internet to look for and find out information on the people they might employ.

According to data reported by CareerEnlightment.com, even five years ago, 94% of recruiters and some hiring managers were turning to social media as a new source for qualified candidates.

Let’s face it, the queues of people lined up to get in the traditional doors of opportunity are worse than the lines at Ben & Jerry’s on Free Cone Day! Your chances of being a successful applicant through these methods are slim.

Furthermore, for hiring managers, they are labor intensive as for each job posting they put out they contend with hundreds of résumés.

Job seekers and hiring managers would far rather “bump into” each other on the internet via their networks than sifting through hundreds of people they do not know.

 

 

But, I’m not even on Social Media!

Even if you have made a personal decision to stay off social media and don’t post information on the internet, monitoring and maintaining your online presence is essential.

Your brand lives both online and offline. Just because you don’t interact with social media does not mean you do not have a brand. Social media is only one source for people to find and discover more about your brand, but it also exists in the employment reviews and personal experiences of those who know you and work with you.

For those who chose to engage in the online world, digital networking is playing an ever-increasing role in identifying and creating new opportunities. Those who think their CV, a newspaper and maybe a few company job posts via gumtree, career boards or company websites are the best or only tools available for career management are selling themselves short.

Branding…The bare minimum

The most effective personal brands will align with who you are AND be relevant to your target organization. The trick comes in figuring out how to break it down and concisely explained it across multiple media sources including social media, personal conversations, and your CV.

Since you already have a brand, you don’t need to create one. What you can do is manage your personal brand so that what people see about you is what you WANT them to see.

  • Start by identifying your values. What are the things you stand for, no matter what. What are your pet peeves? The things that irritate you if they aren’t done right? These questions might help you point to what you find important in life and work.
  • Next, identify your strengths. What do you do better than others?
  • Take the time to research the perspectives of others. Ask friends, family members, and employers for feedback on your character, personality, and performance. In fact, Performance Reports can be a valuable source of external information that will help you to identify where you excel and where you don’t
  • Finally, research the needs of your ideal employer or client. Take the time to consider the challenges that they are facing and how your brand would offer them value.

Final Thoughts

Monitor your Online Reputation by frequently Googling Your name

Don’t think that because you haven’t posted anything that there isn’t information about you available on the internet. So, what do you do if something unsavory comes up in your search?

The simple answer is to bury it.

While it is challenging to remove something once it is online, frequent posts about brand-oriented content will help to keep quality information on your brand high in the search engines and minimize anything that might not be so complimentary.

Invest in Building a Quality, Concise Brand

There are several great resources available both online and off. One of the best investments you can make is in your career. The small price you’ll pay compared to your annual salary will pay itself off multiple times over. Consider working with a qualified career coach or certified résumé writer who can help you to identify and articulate your personal brand on paper and via social sites.

Many people feel like they can do this by themselves, but the intensely personal nature of the work can make it difficult to be objective. If you do decide to DIY your career, then at a minimum get the advice and feedback of friends, family, and coworkers who may have unique insights and perspectives on your value that you might not have considered.

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Common Networking Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Networking is rightfully touted as the magic bullet in a job search. Overwhelmingly, when my clients land positions they covet, they first learned of a role through someone they know – often a weak tie rather than someone from a long-term relationship – instead of an online job listing.

Those of us who are introverts (and often extroverts, too) tend to be hesitant about reaching out to people we know and we’re often paralyzed at the idea of expanding our networks to include people we want to connect with but don’t want to impose upon. The good news is there are some useful techniques available to you that are best explained as what to avoid, including:

Steer around trite phrases such as “I’d like to pick your brain.”

Simply ask for help and let your contacts know that you’re in a job search while making it clear that you’re simply asking for their advice.

Don’t ask “what can I do for you in exchange for your help?”

You’re building a relationship, if you introduce the idea that you want a transactional connection with them – one where each of you is mentally keeping a spreadsheet about who has given more – that degrades the genuine connection you’re developing. Definitely, seek ways to support them and offer them intel, access to your connections, and the benefit of your experience and knowledge, but do it organically without the “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” mentality.

Don’t confine your engagement to just one meeting.

Here’s where you DO need a spreadsheet so that you can track the dates and substance of your conversations with specific people. If you’re serious about launching a job search, you’ll begin to lose track of who you talked to when and what you discussed, so take notes. Also, mark your calendar to loop back to people with updates and individualized emails so that you stay on their radar. Remember that brevity goes a long way in these follow-up touch points.

Avoid pinning your hopes on one or two people and/or companies.

Desperation is a natural emotion in a job search. Much is at stake, and, of course, it matters that you land a job quickly. When panic bleeds into these conversations, people instinctively back away out of fear that they won’t be able to deliver what you need. To keep those emotions at bay, it’s important to have many avenues and opportunities so that one doesn’t topple under the weight of expectations that are too strong. Job opportunities fall away for many reasons that have nothing to do with your fit and qualifications, so guard against that agony by pursuing multiple opportunities and connections at the same time.

Trust your gut as you navigate networking conversations, and remember that people want to be helpful. If you structure your conversations in ways that make it easy for people to offer their advice and support, you’ll soon be welcoming offers for positions that you’re targeting.

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Understanding Applicant Tracking Systems

Question: How do I know if a company uses applicant tracking system software?

More than one-fourth of all companies use some kind of an applicant tracking system to manage applications and candidates, and this number continues to grow. ATS software is more likely to be used in large companies (more than 100 employees) and certain types of industries — technology, healthcare, and government organizations. Unless you’re personally handing your resume to the hiring manager, it’s possible an ATS might be used in the applicant screening process. (And even then, the resume may be scanned in!) When in doubt, submit an ATS-friendly resume. You can always follow-up with a hard copy of a more formatted (non-ATS-friendly) resume or bring the formatted version with you to the interview.

Question: What is an ATS-friendly resume?

An ATS-friendly resume is formatted in such a way that it can be easily imported and read by the ATS. However, because there is no industry standard, the general guidelines are: No charts, graphs, or special formatting. Use only keyboard characters (*, >, /, etc.) to separate information. Save the file in .DOC or .TXT format (do not upload a PDF, RTF, or JPG).

Question: If I’m given the chance to upload my resume or copy-and-paste it in, which should I do?

If you’re given the choice, upload a Word file with your ATS-friendly resume. Larger companies are likely using newer ATS software that will keep formatting mostly intact. For smaller companies, copy-and-paste an ATS-friendly text file into the application form.

Question: How do I know which keywords will be used in the ATS search?

Many times, you can identify the keywords that will be used by reviewing the job posting for the position and job postings for similar roles. Also check out skills and other qualifications in resources like the Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/) and O*Net (www.onetonline.org).

Question: How does the length of the resume fit into this?

Resumes that will initially be screened through an ATS can be longer, because the computer file generally doesn’t show pages, only characters. Some ATS software has character lengths — but you’ll generally only see that if the resume is copied-and-pasted into an online form. In those instances, it will list a character limit (for example, “Submissions are limited to 20,000 characters.”). But not many systems have that limitation.

Question: How can I bypass the ATS?

Remember: People hire people. Ultimately, if you can get your resume in the hands of the hiring manager, recruiter, or company owner directly, you don’t have to worry about making it out of the applicant tracking system in order to get an interview. Research shows that approximately 75 percent of jobs are never formally advertised or posted, and only about 5 percent of candidates are hired from job postings. So focus on getting your resume to the right person in order to land an interview. It’s especially important to bypass the ATS if you don’t have the “perfect” qualifications, as outlined in the job posting.

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How to Work Effectively With Recruiters

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T / find out what it means to me” is a line made famous by Aretha Franklin, and one that recruiters have adopted as their mantra. This is probably because there is a love-hate relationship between candidates and recruiters. Specifically, candidates love what recruiters can do for them, but at the same time, aren’t fond of the fact that they need their services.

One can hardly blame candidates, since over the years recruiters have been branded as uncaring, money-hungry vultures who have their eyes set only on the bottom line. Whether there is a grain of truth to that belief or not, I can’t say for sure. However, what I do know is that recruiters have been, and will continue to be, a viable resource for candidates. For this reason, recruiters shouldn’t be dismissed, but instead appreciated for the role they play in the career services industry.

Many recruiters suggest that job seekers don’t fully understand what a recruiter’s function is in the job search process, and that this is where the lack of respect originates. In an effort to educate job seekers, below are some pointers that recruiters want every job seeker to know.

 

Respect what recruiters do. Although recruiters don’t work for you, the good ones will work with you. With a hiring company in mind, a recruiter will make recommendations on how you should change your resume, the way you interview and/or the way you dress. If this is the case, heed his or her advice. Recruiters have insider information on the specifications the hiring organization is searching for, and the clues they provide are based on that knowledge.

Respect what recruiters can’t do for you. The recruiter’s allegiance is to the hiring organization. Therefore, he or she is going to spend his/her time and resources on scouting a candidate that fits the hiring organization’s specifications, not on finding you a job. That’s why it is important to realize that recruiters are just one source of getting interviews. Your job search plan should include other methods of gaining employment such as networking, answering want ads and responding to Internet postings.

Respect the interview with a recruiter. Save your war stories for your local bartender. When you contact recruiters, be discriminating about the type of information you provide. A meeting with a recruiter is an interview. Don’t allow the informality of the conversation to convince you otherwise. During a meeting with a recruiter you will be judged on your performance; therefore, be professional at all times.

Respect a recruiter’s time. When a recruiter has recommended you for a position, that means he or she has invested time in your career; therefore, respect their time, return their phone calls, and provide them feedback on the company after any interview. Recruiters are especially interested in knowing your interest level, your thoughts about the interviewer, the rundown of the interview process, and the next step agreed to by you and the company.

Respect a recruiter’s reputation. Recruiters aren’t just out to fill a job order. Their credibility is dependent on the caliber of candidates they send on interviews. As a result, recruiters look for candidates who know what they want, present themselves professionally, and are out to win job offers.

 

When working with a recruiter, a partnership is formed; and in order for the relationship to be successful, there must be a mutual respect between the two of you. Recruiters want to work with candidates who want to work with them, not candidates who are having difficulty finding a job and want to be rescued. If you can effectively convey to a recruiter that you have a sincere interest in working with him or her, you’ll find yourself in turn treated with respect.

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Resumes Win Interviews, References Win Job Offers

Inquiring minds want to know, and no minds are more inquiring than those about to hire you. Rest assured, you will be investigated. As a rule of thumb, the better the job and the higher the pay, the tougher the screening process. If you are up for a good job at a visible company, your references and past employers will be checked in great detail. Your list of references is simply the beginning of the investigation a prospective employer will conduct.

When a prospective employer has completed the first round of interviews and you are among the top candidates, its next logical step is to check your references and interview those individuals to whom you reported. Are you certain these individuals will seal the deal for you, or will they blow it away? If you are like most people, you probably haven’t given your references much thought. Instead, you have focused on your resume, interviewing skills, networking, and what to wear to the interview. Now the focus shifts.

Your biggest concern should be the quality of your references and recommendations from past employers, because they can make or break your chances. About half of all references that get checked range from mediocre to poor, so it is very possible that the great job you lost out on at the last moment had nothing to do with your skill level. It could have had more to do with what a reference or past employer said about you. So, if you are concerned that someone, somewhere, might be giving you a bum rap, you are probably right. That’s a frightening scenario when your livelihood is at stake.

Here is a sampling of the damaging comments HR people and line managers hear when they check references:

  • “Our company policy prohibits us saying anything. We can only verify dates of employment and title.” Then the reference goes on to say something like, “Check his references very, very carefully.”
  • “Are you certain he gave my name as a reference?”
  • “After we settle our lawsuit…”
  • “Let me see what the paperwork says I am able to give out regarding _______.”
  • “Is he still in this field?”

References and past employers won’t call and warn you that they are not going to be complimentary. The reference situation is ever changing and therefore very volatile because of shifting company policies (not that many employees choose to follow them anyway), new employees in HR departments, new laws governing references, and company liability for giving references.

You are well advised to take more control of your career momentum by finding out what every potential reference will say about you. If the odds hold, as they will, those references will range from stellar to negative; yet when you know what someone is going to say about you, you can pass on your best references with greater confidence. You will also have the opportunity to stop references from saying things that are not true or inaccurate.

Increasing Your Chances of a Good Reference. Here are some general rules of thumb to maximize the tone and accuracy of your references.

  1. Make sure your records are correct. Occasionally an interviewee looks bad because his former HR department did not have the same job date and title information in his file as he did on his resume. Data entry or communications errors are not unusual, so check with your HR department to ensure that their records correspond to yours. Conflicting data will be perceived as a big negative to a prospective employer.
  2. Maintain active and positive relationships with your references. Stay in touch over the phone or over coffee. Keep the reference up-to-date about your progress, and make sure you have the most up-to-date information about them. If the reference’s title (or name) has changed, or if they’ve left their position and you’ve provided old information to the prospective employer, it doesn’t look good.
  3. Advise a reference about an important opportunity. To avoid burning out your references, you don’t need to call about every single job opportunity. However, if a particular position is very important to you, call the reference and give them details about what the company may be looking for.
  4. Know reporting relationships. Even though you’ve given the senior vice president’s name as a reference, the prospective employer may resort to calling the director you reported to because she can’t reach the senior VP. Even though you have not given that person’s name as a reference, it is on the application that you probably filled out. You may want to advise your former boss about the potential for a reference check and explain what the company is looking for.
  5. Know your company’s policy. Although federal law restricts reference information, some states now allow more extensive disclosure. Know which regulations and policies govern your company. In addition, be aware that some employees will break company policy. Make sure that works in your favor by checking with references to gain an understanding of what they might say.
  6. Don’t rely on relatives or letters of recommendation. You are well advised not to let Uncle John regale a prospective employer about your antics as a youth. Also, although letters of recommendation can be helpful, information such as titles and even names can change over time. Make sure that the information on your letter of recommendation is correct by contacting the reference periodically.
  7. Use a reference-checking service. If you want help in providing good references or if you find that you are losing too many opportunities after several interviews with an organization, you might want to commission a professional reference-checking service. Check to ensure that the service has the professional and legal personnel that can develop a strategic use of your references. Typical service fees range from $59 to $99 per reference checked, depending on level of job position being sought.
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