JobPrep May 2012

Global Information Technology

ISSUE

05

JobPrep

May 2012

The Voice of Career Insight

In this issue

Why You Shouldn’t Take a Counter-Offer

The Best Jobs of 2012 P.1 Why You Shouldn’t Take a Counter Offer P.1/P.3

Thinking about using a poten-

8 Things That Are Hurting Your Productivity P.2/P.3

tial employer's job offer to get On Being Too Competent P.3 your current company to counter

The Best Jobs of 2012

and pay you more money?

Stop right there.

Using another job offer as a

The world is going digital, and Software Engineers who

those skills for the rest of your career. You have to

bargaining chip may be tempt-

can help with that transformation are reaping the benefits.

constantly be seeking out latest knowledge and skills

ing, but too often, it ends badly.

Their pay is great, hiring demand for their skills is through

to succeed.”

If

raise,

the roof, and working conditions have never been better.

This year, there are several professions that are

then negotiate it on your own

And that’s why the job of Software Engineer ranks tops in

making their inaugural appearance on our Jobs Rated

merits—or prepare to move on.

our annual Jobs Rated report on the nation’s best and

Top 10 Best Jobs list. Human Resources Manag-

worst jobs for 2012.

er ,

you

want

a

Here's why: 1.

Employers

often

Financial Planner , Occupational Thera-

make

Of course, any job may seem like the best job if you’re

pist and Online Advertising Manager are all rated as a

counteroffers in a moment of

unemployed and the improving economy hasn’t ushered

Top 10 Best Job for the first time due to a combination

panic. ("We can't have Joe

you back into the workforce. But there are qualities that

of high incomes, great environments, good job growth

leave right now! We have that

make some professions more desirable than the rest of

and relatively low unemployment rates.

big conference next month.")

the pack. Again this year our re-

But after the initial relief passes, you may find your relationship with your employer—and your standing with the company—

searchers looked high and low to

With the increase in digital compu-

I absolutely agree that

the best in five key areas: Work

the professions on our Best Jobs

job and most of the peo-

list this year are related to the fields

Environment,

Physical

Demands,

You're now the one who was

Stress. And it should be no surprise

looking to leave. You're no

that Software Engineer ranks No. 1,

longer part of the inner circle,

followed

and you might be at the top of

sources Manager, Dental Hygienist and Financial Planner.

the list if your company needs to

“I absolutely agree that Software Engineers have the

make cutbacks in the future.

healthcare

needs, it makes sense that most of

this field are passionate

changed.

and

the best job. I love my

Job Outlook, Income Levels and

fundamentally

demands

find those occupations that ranked

ple who are drawn to

has

ting

Software Engineers have

by

Actuary,

Human

about it.

Re-

best job. I love my job and most of the people who are

2. Even worse, your company

drawn to this field are passionate about it,” says Phil

might just want time to search

Danne, Lead Software Engineer for Livio Radio in Michi-

for a replacement, figuring that

gan. Although there are ample job opportunities for quali-

it's only a matter of time until

fied Software Engineers, Danne warns recent graduates, “You can't earn your college degree and bank on just

of math, science and healthcare.

On Being Too Competent!

I’ve got this friend we’ll call “Ned.” I’ve known him for years, and can vouch for the fact he’s smart, talented, industrious, all the traits you’d most want in an employee.

8 Things That Are Hurting Your Productivity

His performance reviews reflected that status, identifying him as a real up-and-comer in the enterprise.

Then came a true watershed moment. A colleague within his organization left on a sabbatical, and Ned was tabbed to cover both his own responsibilities and the sales functions of the departing co-worker.

Ned not only shouldered his own duties with his customary aplomb, but injected fresh new insights into the sales position.

Under Ned’s stewardship, sales and revenues climbed to levels never before tallied by the firm.

That’s when Ned’s boss “got it.” Not only was Ned good, he was too good. Any more brilliance from him, and she might be leapfrogged on the corporate ladder by the very man whose job performance she graded.

When Ned’s next job review came around, he had reason to expect an even more glowing appraisal. Instead, his boss tore into him, ripping his decisionmaking skills and marginalizing his contributions to the company.

Ned finally was forced out, his boss kept her post and large paycheck, and the firm lost a vital contributor.

one tip for all those that are working from

kept postponing. Small noises can be

home:

somewhere

very distracting, and in the long term

else! This might sound odd to many, but if

they can hamper your productivity.

you

Here’s how you can combat that:

Not feeling productive enough?

Get

out

and

go

Yeah, this can happen to the best of us. Our life gets tangled into so are

serious

about

much clutter that eventually getting your productivity then it is better to just find

Shout out to your neighbors. If

a rented space and stay there during your

your neighbor’s kid is bothering you

work hours. Handling kids in your home

with yelling or their pet keeps barking

office is just not possible, many have tried

all day long, consider some serious

out of it seems like an impossible task.

Take some hard steps today. Waiting for things to improve, especially action against them. Don’t let other when you know that waiting is certainly not going to help, is only going to make things slower for you. To make your life more productive, take

To make your life more productive, take strong decisions and do not overlook minor issues.

people bother you.

Install a noise reduction mechanism. Some noise you can deal with, others you just have to live

strong decisions and do not overlook with. If the traffic outside is your minor issues. While big problems it and failed. Trust me on this.

concern and it can’t be helped, try

need bigger fixes, small ones can Older parents – Again, a point that will

fighting it off with some noise reduc-

just go unnoticed and continue to never get many votes, but this is a very

tion methods.

hamper your productivity. important one. An example of this is Jen-

Switch off that TV in the next

nifer Gresham, who fired her father – and

room. A low-sound television or

that was her best career move ever.

music player being enjoyed in the

1. Dump Someone Today Let’s start with the big point first.

Our productivity gets hurt the most Let’s come back to some of the minor

next room can still steal some of your

points that affect our productivity in more

valuable concentration. If the pro-

than ways we can handle. Fixing them is

gram is not important enough, try

easy — the problem is that we start dealing

switching it off. Better still, try lower-

with it and take it for granted.

ing the sound further and closing the

from things that are either very minor or often is overlooked, or they are due to someone else’s fault. Here are a few ways to deal with each one.

Kids in your home – While this 2. Kill That Noise

door to make sure that it does not

Certain noise is part of our lives. It can

entertain you.

one is a bit too deep (and surely I could come up with an entire article be anything — perhaps your computer fan,

3. Pet Management

or the computer table whose repair you

Barking dogs are never my cup of

dedicated to this point alone) here in this article I am going to just point out

Why You Shouldn’t Take a Counter-Offer continued ... you start looking around again.

You might turn down your other offer and accept your employer's counteroffer only to find yourself pushed out soon afterward.

In fact, the rule of thumb among recruiters is that 70 to 80 perthat extra hour of late night work might

will help you to improve your overall

sound like a good idea when running

productivity. Start doing all the creative

late on a deadline, the quality of work

work at the start of the day. If the extra

will surely take a beating — if not in-

hour of late night work is really im-

stantly, in the long haul. Do yourself a

portant, allocate email checking and

favor: don’t mess around with your

other “junk” work for that time peri-

sleeping routine. Fix it…while you still

od. (Note: If this article was not written

can.

in the early hours of the day, it would

tea. But if your pet is important to you, then it is time to learn some lessons on pet management. Get “offline” help from your local pet expert. There are many things that you do not know about pets, and perhaps that is the reason why your beloved pet is not really happy with you.

4. Snacks Is something bothering you? If that is

have surely lacked in its flavor.)

This is an excellent choice when it the case, then get that fixed first. In

Fixing minor issues can sometimes

case you can’t fix it, stop thinking about

play a big role in enhancing your overall

it. And that’s that. Here is a small man-

productivity and allow your creativity to

tra that you should follow.

flow like never before.

comes to watching TV, films or sports — but when it comes to getting some work done, snacks are just another distraction.

The simple reason is that entertainment Stop thinking about things beyond and work are totally different things and your control and you will be fine. thus a different kind of concentration is 6. Your Workplace Setup required to get the work done.

Yaro Starak has a standing setup at 5. Overall Health his workplace. That is, he does all his Poor health can be a big reason for your computer related work standing. The productivity drop. Have you put on some point is — feel free to do that which extra weight? Is your lack of exercise a improves your productivity. reason why you might be having stomach 7. Quit Your Addictions and gastric problems? Without getting into While tea and coffee can sometimes some real health tips here — just make help in increasing your productivity, I sure to exercise a bit, get enough green doubt very much that alcohol or smokvegetables in your daily food intake, and ing will. increase your water consumption for a bit 8. Time Management of health improvement.

Is your workload killing your producLack of sleep. 8 hours a day of sleep is tivity? Setting up a timetable properly important to keep your spirits high. While

Marcial’s Say: Apple releases iTunes Match

cent of people who accept counteroffers either leave or are let go within a year.

3. There's a reason you started job-searching in the first place. While more money is always a motivator, more often, there are also other factors that drove you to look: personality fit, dislike of your boss, boredom with the work, lack of recognition,

insane

deadlines—

whatever it might have been.

Those

factors

aren't

going

change, and will likely start bothering you again as soon as the glow from your raise wears off.

4. Even if you get more money out of your company now, think about what it took to get it. You needed to have one foot out the door to get paid the wage you wanted, and there's no reason to think that future salary increases will be any easier. The next time you want a raise, you might even be refused altogether.

Upcoming I.T. Workshops at Global I.T. 05/15/2012 @ 4pm Get Your Resume Critiqued by a Professional Recruiter Learn what companies review on a resume to find the perfect candidate. Expert tips and advice from a recruiter.

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Upcoming Courses

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Global I.T. JobPrep—Issue 05—May 2012

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