Career Advice

What's it like graduating into a recession, as the class of 2009, and possibly 2010 will? The last downturn in employment prospects for MBAs occurred as the effects of the dot-com crash were exacerbated by the events of September 11^th 2001. David Williams talks to MBA alums who graduated in the last big MBA recession (2001-2002) and gets their advice on how they turned the downturn into an upswing. How did they get through it, and what advice can they give to for MBAs graduating today?

Chances are that at this time of the year, your company is gearing up for its yearly performance reviews. Seeing that this is a very personal discussion between an employee and his or her superior, and as there may be some criticism involved, most people tend to get rather nervous about the appraisal review.

The art of time management

It’s May already, and if you are anything like me, you might be wondering how it’s possible that the year is rushing by so fast. 

You might also be wondering, as the weeks go by, how it is that you never seem to be able to get enough done during the workday? Or why it is that you just can’t get through that to-do list of yours?

“John, be a sport and help me with this presentation, I’m running out of time and you are much better at Power Point than I am.” “Mary, would you mind the phone while I am at the doctor’s? I’m expecting an important call.” “Daniel, the copier is down again, you’re a whizz with machines, come take a look, please?”

With the economy as it is most people at work are under a lot of stress. There is the threat of retrenchments and the fact that many firms are seeing a slump in sales and income, which only increases the stress levels all around.

So, you’ve landed a new job, what you thought of as your dream job, only to realise that the position is in fact not suited to you at all?

There could be a couple of reasons for this – the job description you received was incorrect or you may have applied for the position without being 100% sure what it entails.

Consider the following scenario: Ben, a young, up and coming employee, has just been appointed in a large company. His own department is actually quite small, in fact, Ben has only one immediate co-worker, Bob, who is more than 25 years his senior.

“There is a fine line between leadership and management, a line that is often shifting according to circumstance. If you are going to maximize growth and profitability in your organisation . . . every manager must become an effective leader.” – Dr. Rick Iphnson, Business Net.

The concept of introversion and extroversion was first coined by the famous psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung. Today, these terms are used very often, but most of the time people are not entirely correct in their understanding thereof.

It’s safe to say that it would not be hard to become a pessimist in the current South African society. Crime is rampant, the economy is in a downswing, inflation is soaring and let’s not even mention the rising fuel prices and interest rates.

Meet Jane. She’s a graphic artist and, like many employees in the modern workplace, Jane reports to more than one boss. On any given day, Jane might have her hands full with several design projects, all from different departments within the company, and all deemed “urgent” by their respective managers.

In the modern workplace, the open plan office and its cubicle workstations are no longer a strange sight. However, not everyone is aware of the strict but subtle rules – also known as cubicle courtesy – that govern the workings of the open plan office.

A few hints and guidelines may therefore be needed.

We've compiled a list of the most annoying things you encounter in the office on a daily basis and suggestions on how to eliminate them. However, if you're doing any one of these things it's time to sharpen up on your office etiquette before you're written off altogether by your colleagues.

All of us want to be better paid. All of us want recognition for the work we do. And normally we associate both these things with a promotion.

To put it quite simply: “Nobody exists in an atmosphere where everybody agrees.” This according to Professor Allan Cohen, author of Influence without Power. The fact of the matter is that, if you are working in an office with more than three co-workers, chances are that you’ve had a brush with office politics.

The whistleblower's guide

You've witnessed corruption at work and you're unsure of what to do about it. Here's what to do and how.

If you work all day long, you probably spend precious little time exercising, what with the siren call of TV, the Internet and video games, a new study finds. 

There’s essentially three reasons why we find it so challenging to adhere to our schedule or complete our to-do list:

1. Not being realistic with our timeline and as a result, have too many activities scheduled into our day.
2. Not engaging in right activities that support our goals or objectives.
3. Not planning for the unplanned. Also known as, “Externalities.”

It is much better to measure your own performance in the context of what is expected from the team of which you are a part. Imagine trying to measure the performance of only one member of a rugby team, a soccer team, or a netball team? Almost impossible!

It should be a basic human right – your own office. But in our downsized, open-plan, multitasked, working world, you’re likely to share workspace. You can hate it or thrive.

You’ve been in your environment for a significant amount of time. You’re established, you love what you do, and you have no intention of being a job seeker in the foreseeable future. Until you’re confronted by an earthshaking announcement. You’re to report to someone else. Your direct line management has undergone some renewal, and you don’t like your boss.

Nowadays, tertiary education and a degree or diploma are considered essential for anyone embarking on a career. Yet there are still industries you can enter, and succeed in, with only a matric certificate. Lynne Gidish looks at some of them.

Career development begins with identifying your next career move. Ask yourself, "Where would I like to be, and what will it take for me to get there?"