How to Call in sick

How to Call in sick by Amber Rolfe No matter how hard you fight it, getting sick is an inevitable part of life… But what’s worse than feeling terrible? Trying to figure out how (or even if) you should call in sick to work â€" especially if your illness happens during a particularly busy week.We’ve already covered everything you need to know about returning to work after sickness, but here are our tips on how to call in sick:Don’t be a hero Whilst there are definitely occasions where calling in sick isn’t an option (e.g. a hangover, you want to go shopping, you’d rather stay in bed etc.), you should never feel obligated to turn up to work if you don’t feel well enough.Presenteeism can actually hurt your company â€" not to mention seriously affect the health of others. Sure, you might feel tough for making it into work with the plague flu, but your colleagues might not see you as a hero when you’re coughing all over their keyboard.Depending on your situation and the industry you wo rk in â€" you might be able to soften the blow of calling in sick by offering to work from home or do flexi time hours.This is also a particularly helpful solution if you’re feeling fine but are having to call in sick because of an unwell child or a household emergency.Or, if you’re feeling OK to work but don’t want to pass your germs onto others, you’ll be able to get your work done without having to brave the commute â€" which is especially helpful if your illness is worsened by movement (see also: sweaty trains).Of course, this is by no means an essential requirement â€" and should only be done if you feel well enough to work.Figure out the procedureShould you call, email, or text?This is ultimately dependent on your employer â€" so it’s always best to check your handbook and/or ask your boss which method they prefer.Although some managers will be happy with an email or text (especially as it’s a good way of letting them know before the working day starts), others mig ht see a phone call as a prerequisite. And, in the case of long-term sickness, a fit note from your GP or hospital doctor might be a necessary requirement.If the rules aren’t clear â€" the safest option is to email first and follow up with a phone call. Not only will you be covering all bases, you’ll also be sure they’ve got message.Just remember: Snapchat is never an acceptable way to call in sick; selfie or no selfie.Make sure the right people knowAlthough some illnesses come on without warning, others will rear their head days before you feel bad enough to take a day off.In fact, you’ll probably spend the week wondering whether it’s that you’re coming down with something or you’re just tired. Either way, you hope for the best and down as many multivitamins and sports drinks as possible (gotta get those electrolytes).But just in case this isn’t enough to fight off the bug â€" it’s always a good idea to plan for your possible absence.Whether it’s through writing up a handover, setting up your out-of-office email, or even just giving your boss/colleagues a heads up the day before; a pre-warning will ensure other members of the team are equipped to pick up the slack when you’re gone.Of course, organising it beforehand won’t always be an option.So in the case of sudden illness, try and reschedule any meeting you have, or let your manager know if anything urgently needs picking up in your absence. And, at the very least, you can always make your out of office do the hard work for you.  Don’t overdramatise it Newsflash: you don’t need to cough on the phone for your illness to be legit.You also don’t need to put on a croaky voice or pretend to throw up. Because in reality â€" excessive dramatization is just going to make it less believable. You are not Ferris Beuller.And, since you’re not actually required to give your boss any specifics on the nature of your illness, you have no obligation to explain yourself. So resist the temptati on to lie or exaggerate.Instead, focus on letting your boss know how long your illness is likely to last. That way, they can gauge how quickly you’re likely to be back at work â€" and can organise workloads and schedules around it.Because something like food poisoning is likely to be gone within 24 hours, but a broken leg? Probably a bit longer.Still searching for your perfect position? View all available jobs nowFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Life At Work

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese What toll has workplace stress taken on your life

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese What toll has workplace stress taken on your life Since last October, it seems like every time I interview someone they're sick, just getting sick -- or coming off a bout of illness that has lasted weeks. I've heard people cough so hard I thought they would hack up a lung, or sound so congested it sounded like they were holding their nose. That's why I found it fascinating when I interviewed Dr. Margaret Lewin who told me she and her colleagues were talking about the number of upper respiratory viruses they've seen this last winter. While she noted they have no scientific studies to prove it, their instincts tell them that stress may be partly responsible for the people who have been hit over and over again this last year.This column for Gannett focuses on the high price many people have paid -- with their health -- for the bad economy and pressure at work, and what we can do about it....Dr. Margaret Lewin is an internist in New York, and while she sees a variety of ailments on a daily basis, there is one thing that all of her patie nts have in common these days: stress. Everyone who walks in my office is stressed, says Lewin, medical director of Cinergy Health. Theres a lot of things worrying them these days. From the bad economy to unemployment to work overload, Lewin says her patients are experiencing physical symptoms of their stress, affecting everything from their sleep to their appetites to their relationships. Stress is often expressed according to a persons hardwiring. So, if someone is wired tightly normally, theyre going to get even more anxious when theres stress. Other people just slow down so much that they have trouble staying awake, she says. According to a survey by Regus Group of 11,000 companies worldwide, 58 percent of American employees report that stress levels have increased greatly. The sources of that stress? About 39 percent say its because of their employers greater focus on profitability, while nearly 39 percent report its because they fear losing their jobs or the employer goi ng under. Employees are also under increasing pressure because theyre doing the jobs of laid-off co-workers but many have had their wages and benefits cut as companies trim expenses. A Conference Board survey of 5,000 U.S. households found that only 45 percent of respondents were satisfied with their jobs, a drop from the 61 percent in 1987, when the survey was first conducted. At the same time, a new Towers Watson survey of more than 20,000 employees found that 44 percent of employees have no plans to leave their jobs even if there is no chance for advancement or increased pay because they value stability more. All of those pressures have led to people struggling to cope with the new workplace demands and the physical toll is evident to doctors like Lewin. A lot of people tell me theyre so tired they cant function. They cant sleep. Theyve gained 10 pounds because theyre turning to comfort food. Theyve quit working out because they dont have time, she says. People are just r eally out of their comfort zones. Lewin says there are a number of ways that people can cope better with their workplace stress, such as: Scheduling a check-up. You first must check to see that theres nothing medical behind your symptoms, she says. Everything from your thyroid to your blood sugar levels can cause problems. Stick to the basics. The advice of eating well, exercising more and getting plenty of rest still works the best. If youre skipping meals and eating junk food and then just quit working out, youre going to feel like youve been hit with a club, Lewin says. Lewin advises if youre having trouble sleeping to see a doctor, since over-the-counter sleep aids can stay in your system too long and cause daytime sluggishness. Then you try to get going with caffeine in the morning, and you crash in the afternoon. Then you use more caffeine, and then you cant sleep again that night and have to take something to help you sleep. Its a v icious cycle, she says. And the worst idea is to use alcohol to sleep. Thats the most negative thing you can do. Write it down. Put your schedule on a piece of paper, then prioritize whats really important. Make sure you put time in that schedule for yourself, and for times when unexpected things happen, she says. Leave some room so that you feel you can breathe. Talk to someone. Depression can be paralyzing, Lewin says. You may feel even more hopeless because when youre not feeling well, you know there is no one at work to cover for you because so many staffs have been cut. A lot of people talk to me about how terrified they are that theyll lose their jobs. Find someone to talk to about how youre feeling, she says.What are some ways you handle stress? Social Bookmarking

Tell Me About Yourself The Right Response to this Interview Question

Tell Me About Yourself The Right Response to this Interview Question Tell Me About Yourself: The Right Response to this Interview Question Quite a few interviews open with an  invitation  to talk about yourself. While “Tell me about yourself” may sound off-the-cuff, it’s not. Don’t answer this question in an  informal sense. It’s a job interview and not a casual meet-up with a business associate. This question is asked for a variety of reasons. Likely, the person interviewing you is  assessing  your ability to handle yourself  in an unstructured situation,  your communication abilities  and what you think is important. Some may even open with it to get a sense of who you are and what youre all about.  The “Tell me about yourself” question is often the first question, so you need to be prepared to  answer it.Prepare for your interview with this smart and simple tool: Start PracticingThe Wrong Response and the Right ResponseWhile there are several ways to respond this question correctly, there’s just one way to get it wrong. Asking the question “What do you want to know?” is the wrong response. This re sponse will poise you as being only one thing â€" unprepared. If you’re unprepared for the interview, the interviewer is likely to assume that you equally unprepared for the position. You need a good answer that is delivered with confidence.Skip where you born, personal matters and recapping your life story. Instead, focus on what interests the interviewer. The interviewer wants to know if you’re a  good fit  for the team, whether or not you can do the job, prior job accomplishments and how you can help the company. Be prepared to walk the interviewer through your resume and work career. Many career coaches recommend starting with your most recent employment and outlining why you are well qualified for the job. Think of it as a movie trailer. It’s a movie preview that shows clips of the movie, highlights the best parts and leading to person to want to see more later. When answering this question, provide enough information about your skills and experience, so the interviewer c an ask you more questions. When you’re answering the “Tell me about Yourself” question, you should also be highlighting your most important accomplishments. Tell a story that memorable and include your attributes. For example, tell how you met a deadline with a stick-to-it attitude. Stories are powerful tools for impact and memory. Another goal when you answer this question is  give an answers that makes you  to stand out from the herd.Keep It BriefWhile your response can be in a storytelling fashion, you don’t want to ramble on and on. The person interviewing you wants to know a little bit about you and not your whole life story. Keep it brief by focusing on two or three things that are interesting but useful. This question should be answered in about three to four minutes.To be prepared and succinct, write out your answer before the interview. Then, practice and rehearse your response until it sounds natural. The goal is to be brief and pique the potential employer’s interest.Many interviewees dread this question, but a well-prepared job candidate should really welcome it. With the proper response, your answer puts you in the driver’s seat. It is the opportunity to sell yourself. Plus, it allows you to set the direction and tone for the interview. In a way, it puts the job candidate in charge. The best way to prepare yourself for any interview is to know what may be coming and to practice in advance. You can expect the “Tell me about yourself” to crop up early in the interview. Here’s a list of other questions that are pretty standard for interviews.Why should I hire you?How has your education prepared you for the position?What are your long-term goals?What is your greatest weakness?How did you resolve a prior conflict with a boss?Are you a team player?Like the “Tell me about yourself” question, these questions should be answered directly and with some examples. Perhaps, the most important part for acing that interview and nailing the position is to prepared with the right answers. And answering the “Tell me about yourself” question properly will get you off to a strong start. previous article Professional Clean â€" A Basic but Stylish Resume Layout next article A Splash of Blue â€" The Free Modern Resume Design you might also likeWhy Do You Want to Work Here? Best Answers to This Interview Question

5-Step Email Help Guide - Classy Career Girl

5-Step Email Help Guide So, your inbox is overflowing. Its stressing you out. You have pages of unreturned emails and you dont think you will ever keep up.  You also have a bad habit of constantly checking your email and you know its not helping your productivity at work. So, how can you be more productive and smarter about managing your email inbox throughout the day? Here is our 5-Step Email Help Guide to improve your efficiency and increase your peace: Step 1: Prioritize Every morning, prioritize the most important emails and flag the emails that absolutely MUST get done that day. You don’t want to be answering any emails that can wait until tomorrow or later. Step 2: Monitor If you can, I highly recommend just checking email only a few times a day. Turn off email notifications. If you are worried about missing something, you can monitor urgency of emails but never respond to emails that arent urgent. Step 3: Sort Don’t keep emails sitting in your inbox if you have already completed an action. If something is unresolved and you have emailed someone else to take an action, take it out of your inbox and put it into a separate folder. Dont track other peoples actions in your inbox. Even better, send emails that are tasks to a project management tool such as Asana.com and set a deadline for yourself or a teammate. Then, archive the email (really easy with gmail). [RELATED: 13 Time Management Habits of Successful Women] Step 4: Delete Delete as much as possible before you leave for the day. Set a timer and get as many emails out of your inbox as quickly as possible. Either sort or delete. The feeling of an inbox with only 5-10 emails or ZERO if possible before you leave for the night is HEAVEN! Before you leave work each night when your brain is exhausted and you can’t focus anymore, clear out your inbox. Put everything that is just informational and doesn’t involve a task you need to complete in a separate folder. Step 5: Unsubscribe Every second you waste scanning and deleting an email that you don’t want in your inbox in the first place is a complete waste of time. Go through your deleted files and start unsubscribing from newsletters and emails that you didn’t want and deleted. I spend 15 minutes every month unsubscribing to a lot of emails at once. Have a lightbulb? Did this Email Help Guide improve your email habits?

Guide to Federal Resume Writing

Guide to Federal Resume WritingThere are many different things you need to consider when making a guide to federal resume writing. One of the first things you need to do is know how to write a resume. You have to understand the process and do it right.What do you want your resume to say to the people who read it? Do you want to convince them of something? Some people do, some people don't. It's just the way that the job market works for most people.When applying for different jobs you're going to be contacted by hundreds of different applicants. Some of them may sound good and then other candidates may seem like they really aren't so much. So you need to understand what you should look for to determine whether or not you want to hire an applicant or not.One important thing to keep in mind is that the letter should be to the point. You do not want to talk about a person that you've never met. Also don't say something like 'Here's the deal,' if it's an interview. Instead, use that stat ement only after you've already spoken to the person.To make a better impression on the reader, do not make any grammatical errors. You want to write it as well as possible. But avoid those 'boo' words. You want to make sure that when they are reading your resume that they can see clearly what you're trying to say and not have any confusion.Keep your letter short and sweet. Don't dwell on who the applicant is or anything about his or her life. Try to focus on the skills and abilities the person has. Asking if the person will fit with the team or what he or she will bring is one of the most important parts of your letter. Focus on these questions instead of what others may think or say about them.To make it easy to read, you can also add some bolding in some of the text. You can even make it as large as you want. By making it larger it will make it more eye-catching. Remember that you are looking for an opening for the person to read through and go ahead and read it all the way throu gh. This will help them understand more quickly.A guide to federal resume writing is always a good idea to take a look at. You can find a lot of information online. With this type of resource you can learn a lot about the process and be able to make a great resume without being overwhelmed.

How to Find Your Dream Career

How to Find Your Dream Career Want to know how to find your dream career? Heres the simple answer: process of elimination. Does that mean that you have to try out every job before you find your dream job? Fortunately, no. Let me explain. Feels Like Chaos I meet with so many people who believe that their dream career is somewhere out there waiting for them to stumble upon.  The one and only. Similar to the perfect partner. Not to take the romance out of it, but many times its what I like to call chaos theory. Chaos theory goes something like this, there are many jobs out there in the world and there are so many paths one could go down to reach just one of those jobs. On top of that, everyone seems to have their opinion: mom, dad, uncle Phil, and your friends. But that doesnt make it any easier for each individual to carve out their plan and make their unique stamp on the world. Clusters Help Narrow the Choices Most likely, there are many jobs that would be fulfilling and perhaps meet all your dream career criteria. Most people usually cluster around a certain interest, but then many jobs within that cluster would most likely satisfy you. So, most of us have an idea or hunch of what wed like to pursue.  We arrive at this place usually by process of elimination. For example, I like the arts because 1) I dont like business, 2) I cant do math, and 3) I dont want to look at spreadsheets all day. Many times by excluding certain areas we know we wouldnt like, lead us to this cluster of similar jobs. Maybe its non-profits. Maybe its business.  Maybe its event planning or working with animals. Try It Out Out of this cluster, we tend to eliminate by trying it out. How do you know if you havent experienced it?  Rarely have I seen someone know exactly what they want and then all the stars align and thats exactly what they end up doing until the end of their career ( and everyone lives happily ever after). Now some of you know what you wanted from an early age, but, even in this case, you have to navigate a lot of bumps and surprises to get there. Finding your dream career is going through the messy process of trial and error. Im not sure anyone escapes the hard lessons from the ups and downs when pursuing a lifelong dream. However, there are always the things that werent anticipated that lead us to the next right thing. Find Your Dream Career My recommendation for finding your dream career then is to follow these three tenets: Trust yourself and your instinct of knowing what you like and dont like. Eliminate as many jobs as you can. Dont let fear get in the way of telling yourself you are worth it! So many times, something holds us back before jumping in with both feet. Its fear of failure, maybe even fear of success. Or you doubt that you will like a certain job OR doubt that you will make the difference you once thought you would. If Ive hit home, youre not alone!  Consider a career coach or other professional to help you move to the next phase of your journey in a structured way. Youve already started this process of elimination which means you have the courage to take the next step towards a dream career. You just need to find and tap into that courage. Think.Inspire.Change.Grow. By Dawn Shaw|2015-10-27T18:23:09+00:00October 27th, 2015|Career Change, Job Search|0 Comments

7 Things You Shouldnt Include on Your Resume - CareerAlley

7 Things You Shouldnt Include on Your Resume - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Most people dont really like putting together a resume. Writing about yourself is rarely easy, and when you have to try to sell yourself by talking up accomplishments, it can be even harder. Because of this, people tend either to toss a resume together quickly without putting much thought into it, or obsessing over every little detail. Either way, they end up making the mistake of including information that no employer really wants to read about. How bad is it? There are so many errors on resumes, that CareerBuilder holds an annual survey of the Most Outrageous Resume Mistakes Employers Have Found. Most mistakes in the application process occur in resumes. The worst part about screwing up your resume by including unnecessary information (or errors) is that it will likely be the only thing a potential employer sees. Why? Because no one wants to interview someone who cant even get their resume right. Here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid. Including your interests and hobbies: A resume is meant to show your work and education, not what you like to do on weekends, but all too often people include informationabout how they enjoy basket-weaving, swimming, or going to the movies. The justification most people use for including these things is that they think it willhelp to show they are a well rounded person. The only reason you would include hobbies or other interests on your resume is becuase it is professionally relevant. For example, you can you enjoyswimming if you are applying for a job as a physical trainer. It is best to either find a way to list relevant career interestsunder your experience or save it for the interview. Listing all of your primary education schools: If youre a high school student and youre applying for a job a local retail chain, include your high school under education. You can even note any amazing accomplishments youve had there if you want, but you dont need to. Theres no reason to ever listyour middle and grade school information. If youre a college graduate, never put any schools on your resume before college, theres just no reason to do so. If you graduated high school but have not attended college, you can probably get by without an education section. Writing an objective: Objectives on resumes were once very popular (and somewhat expected). Whether or not to include an objective is a bit of a bone of contention, but the general consensus is to leave this out. Having one is an old idea and just adds clutter to your resume. Most hiring managers want to see that you have experience in doing the job, not that your goal is to gain experience. You want your resume to show what you can offer them, not what youd like them to offer you.Consider putting a summary statement or, if you are looking to save space, just start with your experience. Having salary expectations: Most experts will tell you to avoid discussing salary requirements during an interview until the last interview round. It does not make any sense to include this information on your resume. Discussing how much compensationyou want to be paid is a challenging conversation at best. Its better to let them tell you what theyre willing to pay first and then negotiate from there if necessary. If your resume includes a salary number thats higher than what they feel the job deserves, chances are you wont get an interview at all. Or worse, you could end up low-balling yourself if they see youre willing to accept a salary lower than what they were planning to offer. Dating things besides your work history and education: The only things you should date are your education and work experience. Theres no need for dates for extracurricular activities in college, volunteer workor professional organizations just list them. Most hiring managers will probably barely look at them unless they see something that interests them or specifically pertains to the job and then theyll just notethat you have the experience. If you feel theyre important enough to date them, they should probably be listed under your work experience. Leaving gaps: Gaps in your resume is a big red flag. If you were involved in various organizations between paying jobs, listing these items is fine. Without lying, its always wise to close these gaps to the best of your abilities using whatever experience you have. This is just one great reason why its smarter to use the title Experience rather than Employment Experience or Work Experience. Another way to make gaps less noticeable is to only include your years of employment rather than specific months. Saying References are available upon request: People think they are covering their bases by adding this, but its just more unnecessary clutter. You dont need to tell a prospective employer that you will allow them to see your references if they ask thats an expectation! This isnt quite as bad as actually listing your references on your resume, but theres no need to do it. Remember, your resume is the first thing a prospectiveemployer will seeand in order to sell yourself it should bepresented in as concise a manner as possible. This means sticking to a single page in most situations (unless you have more than ten years of experience) and not wasting their time with information they wont really care about. Spend your time tailoring your resume to make sure it shows them that you will meet the positions specific requirements. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+