National Bosses Day was last Friday. And, if you’re like most people, you got your boss a plant, took them out to lunch, or maybe just sent a friendly e-mail thanking them for everything they do. From the outside, it probably looked fairly routine.
But, in reality, did you do these nice things because you have an awesome boss who you adore? No. Chances are, you would be happier at your job if you never had to see your boss again. You probably just participated in Bosses Day so you wouldn’t be in the doghouse with your boss, or your coworkers. It was social pressure more than anything else; another “Hallmark Holiday” as they say.
Did you know that bad bosses are the number one reason we quit our jobs? It’s true!
I’ve noticed this trend in many, many of the clients I work with. When I ask what’s motivating them to want to leave their current company, they rarely say it’s a lack of money or vacation or anything else. At least 80% of the time, they start off with how unhappy they are with their terrible boss.
Forbes made an interesting point about this very issue. Author Eric Jackson said, “…you would probably be surprised to know that more Americans are quitting their jobs today than at any point in the past 4 years. In March (2014), 2.475 million Americans quit their jobs. This has been steadily increasing recently from a low in late 2009 (just after the financial collapse finally bottomed out) from a monthly rate of 1.7 million quits a month.”
This means that even though our economy is still struggling, you have had enough. You’re ready to take a chance, even if it feels scary. And, you don’t want to deal with that terrible boss for one more Bosses Day, or any other day for that matter.
Jackson cites that some of the reasons people dislike their bosses are:
They overload their best people with too many responsibilities
They’re micro-managers
They’re never around
They’re not in touch with how some of their hires or promotions are driving their best people nuts
They’ve never given their people a sense of where they can go in their careers
They run terrible meetings
They communicate that they care more about themselves than the team
They never give the team a big picture vision of where their group is heading or they are constantly changing the big picture
Does this sound familiar? Does your boss drive you crazy for one (or possibly eight) of these reasons?
If so, the time to start on your job search is now. Do it while you still have good footing at your current job, so you’ll have more control over selecting a new one that you like.
The thing you should take away from this experience is this: your boss really does matter. There is almost nobody (other than you) who can influence your career so much. They can give you a raise or a promotion. They can pay to send you for continuing education. And, they can give you a pay cut, a demotion, or even fire you.
When you interview at a company, try to think of yourself as interviewing your boss as much as they interview you. Will they be supportive? Will they want to compete with you? Are they someone you could spend eight hours a day with?
Finding a good boss will help to guarantee that your next experience is a positive one!
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with a group of hiring managers at a conference hosted by the Society for Information Management. It’s an organization that encourages networking and education for technology leaders.
But the group I spoke with wasn’t just any group of hiring managers. They’re frustrated. Hiring can be a hard business to be in, and they’re struggling to recruit the best, most talented employees.
I shared an insider’s point of view on hiring, based on trends I’ve noticed in my coaching. In particular, I shared what it is that gets under the skin of job seekers.
If you’ve ever worked for a large corporation, you’re probably familiar with the phrase, “You can only pick two: good, fast or cheap.”
The idea is that you can create a new product that’s good in a short timeframe if you’re willing to pay enough. Or, you can create a product that’s good and cheap, but it’s going to take some time. Or, you can make a product that’s fast and cheap, but it’s not going to be very good.
Expecting to produce a product that’s good, fast and cheap just isn’t realistic. The same principle applies to job searching.
To read the rest of my column, and my advice to you regarding your approach to a job search, visit the Memphis Daily News website here.
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Cohen Raises Questions About Fairness of Hiring Practices.”
The last time you applied for a job, you probably assumed your application and resume were the only things your future employer used to make a decision about whether or not to hire you.
Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren have been working on a project that may change your mind on this idea.
Together, they co-authored an op-ed piece in Time describing why “It’s time to stop employer credit checks.” They’ve also introduced an “Equal Employment for All Act” in the U.S. House of Representatives.
You probably never realized it, but many employers are pulling your credit score before they hire you. If your score doesn’t match up to what they’re looking for, you might just miss out on your next big opportunity.
To read the rest of my column, and to find out how to overcome credit score difficulties, visit the Memphis Daily News website here.
A job interview can be one of the most nerve wracking events outs there. I believe that uncertainty in important situations is what fuels our anxiety. We so greatly wish to achieve success, get that job, that we put immense pressure on ourselves, creating doubt. This is all perfectly natural.
I have been playing basketball since I was three years old. I am continuing my career today at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. With thousands of games played under my belt, never has a game gone by without butterflies pumping through my stomach. My senior year of high school, my team was fortunate enough to play for a state championship. I was so nervous I couldn’t sleep for days in advance. Before the game I remember my hands trembling and wondering how in the world I was going to hold a basketball, let alone play with one.
Another player named Bill Russell, a much greater player than I am, was said to have thrown up before every game. Imagine being so nervous you were physically sick. Bill Russell played in thirteen NBA seasons, winning eleven championships while averaging fifteen points and twenty two rebounds per game. Not too bad. But hey, at least my team won that state championship game right?
My point is that nerves can be overcome. Personally, there are steps I take in dealing with my nerves before games that I believe can be applicable in other areas. Like a big test, a big piano recital, or a big job interview.
The key is to find ways to ensure that once the ball is tossed up, the first note is played, or the first question asked, those nerves disappear. I like to think of it as finding a rhythm. So now the obvious question, how to find your rhythm?
The first step is preparation. All of my games these days happen on weekends, so my team does something critical during weekdays. That’s right, practice makes perfect. We work on things we need come game time, such as shooting, passing, and dribbling. Our coach also prepares game film on our opponents to learn their strengths and weaknesses.
I’m not sure what day’s of the week your job interview will be on but I’m confident you will have ample time to prepare beforehand. Learn the company inside and out. Be ready to discuss aspects of the company you admire. Look up practice interview questions and review them over and over again. Put yourself in the best position for success. Think about your strengths and weaknesses.
How do you plan on emphasizing your strengths? This is incredibly important because in an interview you want to ensure your strengths are portrayed without going overboard. How will you respond when asked about your weaknesses? Be honest about them, unless you have no weaknesses, which would be pretty cool and in which case you have nothing to be nervous about.
Another thing I like to do is what I call “getting in the zone.” It’s a pretty common idea in sports. Basically around twenty to thirty minutes before the game starts, I isolate myself from most of my teammates. I try to find a quiet place somewhere, and just sit by myself and concentrate. I try to put all of my attention on the task at hand. In the case of a game, I imagine what I need to do to win. I think of the film I watched all week and what I learned. Say I now know that the guy I’ll be guarding can’t shoot three pointers. I remind myself to repeatedly lay off him when he has the ball in order not to let him go by me and get to the hoop.
Whether or not your interviewer can shoot probably won’t matter, but your approach can still be similar. Think about your preparation leading up to this. In basketball it’s critical not to over think things. Doing these things before games allows me to play freely, reacting rather than over thinking my actions and playing poorly.
I believe this can translate into an interview as well. Hopefully this can help you to communicate freely and effectively, find your rhythm and nail that job interview.
JJ Weir JJ Weir is a future CPA whose NBA dreams were cut short due to average height and a lack of athleticism. He currently studies accounting at Rhodes College. He is also a member of the Varsity Basketball Team.
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