STRESS in the 21st Century

Stress is associated with a number of physical conditions including back-pain, susceptibility to viruses, chronic fatigue syndrome and autoimmune disease. Richard O'Connor. author of Undoing Perpetual Stress : The Missing Connection Between Depression, Anxiety and 21st Century Illness, argues that our bodies are not designed to cope with the stresses of the modern world. O'Connor (2005: 13) goes so far as to state that:

"With the exception of some rare conditions like schizophrenia and manic depression, most 'mental illness' is the result of stress acting on a vulnerable individual - the effect of a lifetime of common human misery."

He notes, moreover, that some kind of stressful event usually triggers the appearance of schizophrenia and manic depression - conditions that are generally considered to be biologically based. Stress is also the underlying cause of so-called 'psychosomatic illnesses', according to O'Connor. The illnesses we have today may be the result of genetic disposition plus the consequences of stressful conditions, possibly dating back to childhood. He contends that (2005: 17):

"... all these problems - anxiety, depression, addiction, nonspecific illness, personality extremes, and much of the worry that besets all of us - are all tips of the same iceberg, all manifestations of our response to the stresses of contemporary life, all connected beneath the surface, all reinforcing and buttressing each other. Contemporary research shows that you can't fully recover from any of these conditions by focusing on the symptoms. You have to change the way you live."

Unfortunately, if O'Connor is to be believed, that is too difficult for most of us. Instead, we enter into vicious circles where stress is met with more of the same behaviour that made us stressed in the first place. Worry and depression both make the situation worse. Our ways of dealing with the symptoms also compound the problem - taking prescribed or over-the-counter drugs, sleeping pills, alcohol and illegal drugs do not make the underlying cause go away. In fact, they can make the problem worse.

O'Connor (2005: 20) identifies the components of the vicious circle:

* The constant stress puts us into a continuous 'fight or flight' mode that cannot be turned off.
* We try to deny that we are under stress until it is no longer possible to ignore the fact.
* We have natural psychological defences but these often operate through denial and distortion of reality. We didn't get that job because the boss was too stupid to see how good we were (not).
* If we blame ourselves, we get ill. If we blame other people, we cause friction at work or at home - and that leads to more stress.
* We lose touch with reality, and we cope even less well.

We may start regarding ourselves as victims, and even if we do not, the 'perpetual stress response' (O'Connor's term) leads to a nasty and continuous dose of stress hormones in our bodies. And putting pills into our systems is not a solution.

O'Connor's solution is to produce an adaptive spiral, a rewiring of the brain to develop positive coping attitudes and behaviours that make us feel better about ourselves, more confident and able to deal constructively with stressful conditions.

Articles about Stress at Work on HRM Guide

Yesterday's Hero

By Linda Matias

Wonder Woman makes it look so easy. She gets up every morning, fights the good fight, calls it a day, and starts the whole process all over again. This is the way most of us begin our workday. We work hard, accomplish lots, and get up in the morning for an encore presentation.

From childhood we were told that if we put 110% into our careers that we will be shoo-ins for promotions and raises. It sounded like an excellent plan and one that you easily bought into-hard work equals a big return on investment. Good deal.

Then one day you walk into your office only to discover that your position has been eliminated. Not through any fault of your own, but because the powers-that-be made an executive decision to reduce costs. At that moment, you quickly realize that not everything comes from hard work, and you are reluctantly thrown into the job search.
THE CHALLENGE

No matter how many awards you received and no matter how impressive your career progression, the old adage is true: "You're only as good as your last sale." And if you have been unemployed for a while, hiring managers may view your experience as being outdated. To your surprise, a search that you were convinced would take only a few weeks turned into a year-long process.

Since the resume is the first meeting between you and a prospective employer, the way you position your skills is critically important. This is especially true if you want the reader to overlook your unemployment gap and focus their attention on your successes.

If your resume fails to cleverly tackle red flags, the reader will eliminate your candidacy within seconds. With today's job market, it is rare to find a jobseeker who has a flawless work history, and a traditional resume doesn't always properly address the immediate concerns jobseekers are facing today.

THE SOLUTION
This is the reason why professional resume writers recommend a combination resume for those a) who have been unemployed for over a year who want to deemphasize an unemployment gap and b) those considering a career change who wish to highlight relevant marketable and/or transferable skills.

A combination resume integrates the best features of the functional and chronological resume formats. Similar to the functional resume, the combination resume emphasizes skills; and just like the chronological resume, the combination resume sequentially showcases your professional history.
ANATOMY OF A COMBINATION RESUME

The most basic format for a combination resume includes the following sections: Introduction, Accomplishments, Professional Experience, and Education. Below is a breakdown of each section.

Introduction
The opening of a resume serves as a teaser and is called a Career Summary, Professional Profile, or Summary of Qualifications. Whatever term you decide to use, the end result must sum up your value to the hiring organization. Let's take a look at an example:

Goal-driven, tenacious sales and management professional demonstrating award-winning sales record in highly competitive industries. Strong leader and team player; excellent motivational skills to build and sustain forward growth momentum while motivating peak individual performance from members. Experience in managing all aspects of sales development cycle, from prospecting and cold calling through detailed presentations and negotiation to closing follow-up activities.

Notice that the example above provides the reader with a checklist of the candidate's qualifications. From the onset, the reader has a feel for what the candidate can bring to the table.
Accomplishments

Since this section appears immediately after the introduction, it must keep the momentum going. This is your opportunity to showcase the fact that your experience is still relevant, you're still in the game, and you are a serious candidate. Let's look at a couple of accomplishment-based statements.

* Ranked consistently in top 5 company-wide for sales production among staff of 600+ brokers, bringing in $3.5 million in gross commissions during tenure.

* Contributed to success of supervised brokers through hands-on training and mentoring; led team that generated $13 million in commissions.

Notice that the statements are specific and target key achievements the candidate is most proud of.

Professional Experience

This section provides a chronological history of your experience along with a brief summation of your responsibilities. Here's an example of how your professional history can appear.

Vice President, Bay Shore Financial, New York, NY, 2000-2004

Supervised team of 12 brokers in account prospecting and development activities. Conducted in-depth research on stocks and related topics to provide best recommendations for clients. Mentored team members and provided assistance with complex and escalated client issues. Authorized sign-off on large transactions.
Education

The education section can include your college background, technical training, and/or professional development.

Bachelor of Arts, Accounting-LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY, Brooklyn, NY
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

A combination resume will allow you to highlight your impressive accomplishments and grab the reader's interest right at the beginning while also providing the chronological work history employers are looking for. Now get out there and knock that employer's socks off!

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Job Seekers

even Habits of Highly Successful
Job Seekers

By Linda Matias

In the job search craze, there are those who land a job right away and those who struggle through the process of finding one for a long time. 'Luck' is usually the response one hears from disenfranchised job seekers when they find out that their neighbor down the street was offered a position after only a two-week search. With many job seekers vying for only a few open positions, the truth is that 'luck' rarely has anything to do with it.

Realizing that their job search campaign doesn't have to be a never-ending struggle, successful job seekers approach the process with patience and persistence. If you want to be among the highly successful job seekers follow the seven steps outlined below.

1. Search with purpose
Instead of trying to fit into a mold set by a hiring organization, target companies that match your goals and career values; doing this will allows you to focus your energy into searching for a position that is a natural fit.
After all, you don't want to find yourself embarking on another search within a year's time because you made a decision in haste.

2. Always be prepared
Be ready for your day's activities by 9 am. Opportunities rarely land on your lap and you have to be prepared for the surprises that may come up during the day. You don't want to be caught sleeping when someone calls to discuss an employment opportunity.
If you find yourself answering the phone like this: "hello? . . . well . . . um . . . well, like I was kinda sleeping. . . how long is this gonna take? . . . who are you again? . . . like I, um, contacted so many places, cuz, you know, like, I can't like find a job . . ." then it is time to reprioritize your needs.
Waiting until your unemployment insurance is about to end before you begin aggressively looking for a position can be a costly mistake. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you are running low on resources and desperation is about to set in. This is when mistakes are made and your job search may begin to suffer.

3. Develop a job search plan
Organize your job search, map out a strategy, set priorities, and establish goals. Begin your search with a clear focus and a plan. Participate in a number of activities including answering classified ads, posting your resume on the Internet, and going on informational interviews.

4. Bypass Human Resources
A human resources representative is also known as a "screener." The screener's job is to review resumes and match your experience with a checklist of requirements set forth by the hiring manager. If there are enough matches, the human resources representative forwards the resume to the decision maker.
Unfortunately, not much is left to the screener's interpretation. This is why most opportunities are lost - because the screener doesn't have the luxury of making a decision based on instinct; he or she is instructed to follow the lead of the hiring manager.

Since the decision makers (e.g., VP of Sales, Director of Marketing, or CEO) are the ones who determine who is ultimately hired, it is advisable that you apply directly to them.

5. Write follow-up letters
Well-written follow up letters can make a difference as to whether you get hired. A follow-up letter is more than a simple note thanking the interviewer for his or her time. It should be a sophisticated letter that either re-affirms your interest in the position, serves as an opportunity to mention an important point you neglected to bring up, and/or provides an opportunity to offer new insight on a topic that was discussed during the interview.

6. Avoid toxic job seekers
Job clubs are a great way to generate ideas and for networking purposes. However, some are also a breeding ground for negativity. These support groups can inadvertently affect your job search. Take inventory of the job seekers in attendance. Do they offer words of encouragement? Are they supportive of your efforts, or do they feed into your insecurities?
If after such meetings you feel emotionally drained and start to believe your chances of landing a job are bleak, then it's time to search for a new support team.

7. Be good to yourself
There are two types of job seekers. One, that has a laid back approach, and the other that always feels "there aren't enough hours in the day" and compulsively searches for a job without taking a breather.
Following in the footsteps of the latter is the fastest way to reaching burn out and when careless mistakes are often made. Though your job search should be your primary activity, don't allow it to consume your every waking moment.
Every so often take a mini vacation; spend time with people who support you, listen to music and participate in activities you enjoy. Clearing your mind replenishes your energy and will allow you to continue searching for a job with a fresh outlook.


Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a n umber of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR-esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and the National Resume Writers' Association. Visit her website at www.careerstrides.com or email her at linda@careerstrides.com.

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Job Seekers by Linda Matias, JCTC, CEIP (c) Linda Matias - All rights reserved

What To Do If You're Affraid of Being Fired

Being fired is a common fear these days. Here are a few tips to help you if you think you're in the firing line.

If you hear or are told outright by your employer that some jobs have to go and yours “might” be one of them, what can you do about it? It’s a worrying prospect for many who rely on their regular income to cover mortgages, car loans, school fees, food bills, and all the other expenses of living. What you can do about it depends on the size of the company you work for, your skill level and experience, where you live, the status of employment in your area, etc. If you are afraid of being fire for other reasons, there are still steps you can take, so first let’s take a look at being laid off/made redundant.


1. Get the Truth.
Find out first if YOUR job is on the firing line. You may be worrying for nothing. Don’t just ask other employees – they may merely repeat rumors and gossip. Either have a confidential chat with your immediate Manager, or make an appointment with the Human Resources Manager. There’s no point “worrying” unless you have to.

2. Use Your Contacts
If your job is in jeopardy, depending on your current role, you may be able to put yourself in a position of availability to “head hunters” from other companies. Make contact with people in other organizations and ask about job possibilities, or you can contact the H.R. Managers of other companies and ask them if it is worthwhile submitting your Resume. If you are a member of an association, it’s time to network. Let it be known among those in positions to help you that you are in need of a new position… but be discreet.

3. Update Your Resume
Don’t leave it until the bell tolls before you start sending out job applications and your resume. What if you are not going to “lose your job” for another three months, but it takes 3-6 months before you find another one? Can you afford to wait that long? Start applying now. If you find a job quickly, whether you see out your remaining time with your existing employer or not will depend on whether your “new” employer is prepared to wait. It’s hard when you have feelings of loyalty to your existing employer, but they are planning to get rid of you soon… right now you need to be looking out for yourself.

4. Know Your Entitlements
If staying until the end, make sure you know your entitlements. What settlement is the company offering you? Have you received a termination agreement with everything set out? If in doubt, have it checked by a professional. You have legal recourse if the company does not pay you what you are entitled to under your agreement with them and state and federal laws, and even union rules (if applicable to you) governing such things as redundancy packages etc. In addition to this, find out if you are eligible for any government unemployment benefits – in case you need them.

5. Get References Before You Go
Make sure you get references before you leave the company. You will need them.


Now let’s say you are afraid of being fired for other reasons. Perhaps you made one too many mistakes, or your boss doesn’t like you, or you are being discriminated against for reasons of sex, religion or whatever. If you haven’t actually been fired “yet”, try to find ways to overcome the situation that is threatening you. Can you transfer to a different department? Would a word with your Manager help clear things up? Is there anything you can do to put things “right” or fix them?
If not, and the threat of being fired is real, consider this:

1. Keep a diary of all communications, verbal or otherwise, between yourself and others at your place of employment, including any discriminatory behavior/comments.

2. If you are with a Union, you might like to get advice now rather than leave it too late. For all you know, there may be something else you can do to save your job, especially if it is through discriminatory actions or unfair harassment. If you are not with a Union, contact a legal professional or an employment professional to find out your rights. Even if you are fired, you do have rights. And when you are fired, you still have rights. Have you been unfairly dismissed? You can make a claim if you have. You are also entitled to a settlement payout if you have been fired, so make sure you receive all your entitlements. If you can, find someone “friendly” to give you a good, written reference before you leave.

3. If you are not that happy where you are, update your resume and start looking for a new job. You might consider doing this anyway, particularly if your dismissal has been unpleasant and you have been awarded your job back again… you may find the “after” treatment not much of an improvement on the “before” treatment.

Written by Terri Levine, MCC, PCC, MS, CCC-SLP, the President of Comprehensive Coaching U - The Professional's Coach Training Program, a popular Master Certified personal and business Coach, sought after Public Speaker, and Author of bestseller, "Work Yourself Happy", "Coaching for an Extraordinary Life", "Create Your Ideal Body", and soon to be released "Stop Managing, Start Coaching". She can be contacted via the website http://www.ComprehensiveCoachingU.com or by telephone: 215-699-4949.

Bad Language Can Get You Fired

With the economy threatening recession, a new survey suggests that cursing and cussing in the workplace are not likely to help your career. The survey shows that 36% of bosses in the U.S. have issued a formal warning, and 6% have actually fired an employee for swearing.

The survey of more than two thousand executives conducted by TheLadders.com, specialists in $100k+ jobs, also found that 81.2% of senior executives believe that working alongside a foul mouthed colleague in the office is unacceptable.

TheLadders.com survey looked at how seriously senior managers viewed manners and office etiquette in the current 'F' Word Culture. With 98.7% of survey respondents believing that there is such a thing as 'office etiquette', more than two thirds (69.7%) said that they would fire an employee for bad office manners. 82.4% said that they had given official warnings for making personal calls, talking loudly or wearing revealing clothing.

The top 5 causes for dismissing employees breaching office etiquette were:

1. Bad language (38.4%)
2. Excessive workplace gossip (36.5%)
3. Drinking on the job (35.2%)
4. Leaving the office without telling anyone (33.6%)
5. Too many personal calls (28%)

While more than four in five employees found swearing in the workplace unacceptable, the most offensive behavior in the office is stealing a colleague's food from the office refrigerator. No fewer than 97.8% of respondents said that fridge raiders were the worst possible offenders of workplace etiquette. The breaches of office etiquette most often cited by survey respondents featured:

* Eating someone else’s food from the fridge (97.8%)
* Bad hygiene (95.6%)
* Bad habits (88.2%)
* Drinking on the job (85.7%)
* Wastefulness with paper (82%)
* Swearing (81.2%)
* Cooking smelly food in the office microwave (74.1%)
* Sneaking peaks at the BlackBerry in meetings (63.5%)

According to Marc Cenedella, TheLadders.com's CEO and founder:

"Some argue that in the 21st century employers should move with the times and accept a more casual work environment. But employees beware, in every office there exists an invisible line between professional and unprofessional and it is very clear from our survey results that some common behaviors definitely cross the line."

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Aging Workforces

A survey by the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) found that almost a third of small-business owners are creating 'knowledge transfer' plans - transferring key knowledge from older to younger workers - as a means of coping with the retirement of millions of baby boomers.

11% of the 400+ U.S. small business owners in the survey said they had fully established plans with a further 17% developing them.

Gene C. Wilson, president of PANTHEOS, a professional employer organization, comented:

"Small-business owners value their older workers and want to make sure the knowledge they’ve gained over the years is conveyed to younger workers now. In fact, small businesses are outpacing larger firms in planning."

The survey also found that more businesses are reporting that older employees are delaying retirement - 37% compared to 18% in 2007. The main reason is that they enjoy working but financial reasons also play a part.

According to Gene Wilson:

"An aging workforce is creating major changes across the nation, yet small businesses show they are ready. The NAPEO survey shows their great flexibility in the midst of these changes.

"The good news for small-business owners is a growing number of baby boomers are willing and able to continue working," Wilson added, pointing out that businesses with plans for older workers will have a strategic advantage over competitors caught unaware and unprepared.

"Business owners will want to hold onto good people, no matter what their age," said Wilson. "That’s why such a large percentage of them are formulating plans to proactively retain these older workers for their valued skills, knowledge and experience."
Accommodating Older Workers

More than one-third (34 per cent) of all American employers - and nearly half (46 per cent) with 25 000 or more workers - agree that the aging workforce will have a significant impact on their company. However, more than three-quarters (79 per cent) have not taken any steps to accommodate older workers, according to the MetLife Employee Benefits Trend Study conducted in 2006.

The study, based on separate surveys of employees and HR/benefits executives, found that 33 per cent of baby boomers (aged 41-60) have not yet decided when they plan to retire. More than half (58 per cent) of young baby boomers (aged 41-50) are worried that they will have to continue to work either full- or part-time to live comfortably during retirement and 61 per cent say that 'outliving retirement money' is their number one retirement-related fear. Fuelling these concerns is the fact that 27 per cent of baby boomers admit to being 'significantly behind' in their savings, and one in ten hasn't even started saving.

The MetLife study found that older workers are generally more satisfied with their jobs and more loyal to employers; 67 per cent of pre-retirees (aged 61-69) reported high levels of job satisfaction and 75 per cent indicated that they were very loyal to their employers. Comparative figures for all employees were 44 per cent and 46 per cent respectively. Pre-retirees are also more likely to report that benefits are an important reason they remain with their employer.

The study argues that companies must grapple with a host of benefits-related issues specific to aging employees. Senior management ranked 'health-care costs' as their top benefits-related concern (81 per cent). The impact of the aging workforce is especially significant for the largest companies. Roughly one-third of employers with 25 000 or more workers cited 'long-term care issues' (35 per cent) and 'benefits for retired employees' (44 per cent) as a key concern in 2006. Companies with fewer than 50 employees rated these as key concerns in only 14 per cent and 18 per cent of cases.

The study found that, in addition to protection products such as disability and long-term care insurance, older employees are increasingly turning to the workplace for financial planning advice. Currently over half (56 per cent) of pre-retirees are interested in having access to financial planners to help them make decisions about 401(k) money. In order to help employees address the needs of guaranteed income in retirement, nearly half (46 per cent) of the largest companies - and 31 per cent of companies with 500 or more employees - currently offer annuities through the workplace as an employee benefit.

Other key survey findings include:

* Longevity is a significant, but overlooked retirement risk. Many people will live up to 40 years in retirement, so ensuring a steady stream of income is crucial. While most (72 per cent) pre-retirees have tried to calculate how long their savings will need to last, only half (50 per cent) of baby boomers have taken steps to factor longevity into their retirement plans.
* The oldest baby boomers will reach traditional retirement age in five years time. Approximately one-quarter (26%) of all baby boomers do not allocate any of their monthly household income to retirement savings vehicles. As a result, 38 per cent expect to remain behind in their retirement savings five years from now. Equally concerning is the fact that employees aged 51-60, who only have a few years left to accumulate savings, are allocating, on average, only 10 per cent of their monthly household income to retirement savings products.
* Nearly half of all employees are worried about providing for their own (47 per cent) and their spouses' (49 per cent) long-term care needs. Long-term care insurance was ranked as their most valued benefit by 16 per cent of employees, doubling from 8 per cent in 2004. Long-term care insurance is offered by nearly half (46 per cent) of all companies and 81 per cent of companies with 25 000 or more employees.

Maria R. Morris, executive vice president, Institutional Business said:

"Over the next decade, the aging workforce will transform the way that both employers and employees think about work and retirement. With increases in longevity, many workers recognize that they may need to stay in the workforce longer to fund their retirement, which could last 30 years or more.

"Employers that make a long-term commitment to accommodate their older workers - not just through the physical environment or flexible work schedules, but by providing access to critical employee benefits that can protect an individual throughout their lifetime - will reap the benefits. Many older workers feel a strong sense of loyalty to their companies and expect the same in return. At a time when baby boomers are nearing retirement - and increased longevity is enabling many of them to work productively well into their 70s and 80s - older workers may prove to be the solution to the impending talent shortage. It's crucial for companies to identify a strategy for retaining trained, experienced workers and keeping them satisfied and engaged."

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