Have you been having problems at work, namely problems with your boss or your coworkers?  If you have, you are not alone.  Workplace conflicts are a lot more common than you may have originally thought.  You and many others may have problems with a coworker, a supervisor, or both.  When faced with a workplace conflict, you will want to be careful, as your actions can have consequences.

When it comes to handing workplace conflicts, there are a number of different factors that you will want to take into consideration. One of those factors is the situation or who you may have a conflict with.  If your conflict is with a coworker, you may want to speak with one of your supervisors.  On the other hand, if you are having a conflict with your supervisor, you may be able to go above their head and deal with another member of management.

Speaking of having workplace conflicts with a coworker, it is important to note that you need to proceed with caution, especially when reporting their behavior to your supervisor.  You need to remember that even the best of workplaces have cliques.  You will want to make sure that your supervisor isn’t close with the person in question.  Even if a relationship does exist, you can still take your concerns to your boss, but you just need to do so in a pleasant and professional way.  You will want to avoid, at all costs, sounding like you are spiteful or gossiping.

On the other hand, if you have a problem or a workplace conflict with your supervisor, you will want to consider going above their head, especially if the conflict you are having is a major one.  Major conflict can involve unfair treatment, unpaid overtime, and so forth.  Unless you are dealing directly with the owner of your company, you will likely find that your supervisor has a boss and so on.  When speaking with a supervisor, especially one who is ahead of your own manager, you will be as professional as possible. You will want to try and schedule a meeting in person.  You may have to make arrangements over the phone or through email, but you should refrain from divulging too much information at first.

As previously stated, it is important that you are professional when handling any workplace conflict.  It may be a good idea to keep documentation of all the complaints or problems you would like to bring attention to. For example, you may want to write down the time and date and a summary of what happens each time that you may be harassed, even if it is not sexual in nature. You will want to have documented proof to back up your claims, especially the serious ones.  The last thing that you want to do in a meeting with your supervisor or even their supervisor is come off as unprofessional or as the one with the issues.

The above mentioned methods are just a few of the many ways that you can go about trying to resolve any conflicts that you may be having at work.  Any small issues, such as a coworker wearing a strong perfume, should try to be handled privately first.  If you are unable to see success, especially after supervisors have been alerted, you may then want to consider seeking employment elsewhere, but you may want to use this only as a last resort.

Are you currently unsatisfied with your job?  If you are, you may be interested in exploring your other options. To do so, many individuals make the decision to turn in their resignation or to quit.  If you are interested in quitting your job, you will want to continue reading on.  A few tips on how to properly terminate your current position are outlined below.

The best thing that you can do, when looking to quit your job, involves giving your employer as much notice as possible.  Many employers expect to receive at least two weeks worth of notice from those who are interested in seeking employment elsewhere.  If at all possible, you may want to consider giving more than two weeks notice.  Unless you have a new job lined up, you may want to offer to stay until a replacement is found or until you are able to secure a new job.

When turning in your resignation, you will want to do so in a formal matter. At all costs, you will want to avoid quitting over the phone or in an email.  You will want to type up a proper notice on your computer and submit a printout to your employer, particularly in person.  In your resignation letter, be sure to thank your employer for giving you the opportunity to work with them, and so forth.

You will want to be sure to not “burn any bridges,” when quitting your current job.  This is extremely important, as you need to remember that your actions have consequences, possibly for years to come.  You will want to make sure that you are pleasant at all times. You will want deal with your bosses, coworkers, and anyone else that you may come into contact with in a happy pleasant matter.  You never know when you may come back into contact with your boss and this is important to take into consideration when packing up your workplace belongings.

In keeping with packing up your workplace belongings, you will want to ensure that you return all important documents or any other pieces of company property that you may have in your possession. Even if you are not asked, you will want to return all items that you didn’t personally purchase yourself. In addition to preventing any misunderstandings, in terms of theft, you may also create a good, long lasting impression of yourself. 

In all honesty, the best thing that you can do, when looking to resign from your current job, is to use your best judgment.  For instance, you will not want to search and apply for new jobs and list your current job on your resume as a reference, especially if you have yet to officially submit your resignation.  You will also, as previously stated, want to try and avoid quitting your job on impulse, unless a serious situation arises, such as one that may put you in danger.

In keeping with using your best judgment, you may want to put yourself in the place of your employer or your boss.  What would you like to hear from yourself?  This simple question will help to ensure that you submit your resignation in a matter that is deemed appropriate.  You will want to ensure that you are able to get a good reference from your current employer for years to come.

Are you frustrated with your current position at work?  Would you like to advance in your company?  If you would like to do so, you may be interested in asking for a promotion.  The question is should you?

When it comes to determining if you should ask for a promotion, it is something that you may not want to do on impulse. Asking from a promotion can work in your favor, but there are no guarantees. A promotion request can cause no changes or it can cause you harm. For that reason, there are a number of factors that you will first want to take into consideration, before you ask your boss for a promotion.

One of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when determining if you should inquire about a promotion, is an open position.  If you want to be promoted, do you even know if there is an open position or one that will soon open? This, alone, can improve your chances of receiving a promotion, as they often say that timing is everything.  What you will want to do is keep your eyes and ears open.  If you hear of any open positions in your company or if you see job listings online or in your local newspaper, you may want to consider asking your supervisor for a promotion.

Your length of employment is another factor that should be taken into consideration, before you make a decision about asking for a promotion.  While there are no guarantees, your chances of receiving a promotion are higher with long-term employment.  Many companies like to promote from within, as well as promote those who have been with the company for an extended period of time.  A short employment term doesn’t mean that you can’t ask for a promotion, but it is just one of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration.

Your intentions are another factor that you should take into consideration, when trying to determine if you should ask your supervisor for a promotion.  Are you interested in leaving the company in search of a better job, such as one that may offer better pay or better benefits?  If you are interested in doing so, you may want to consider asking for a promotion, but in a pleasant matter.  If you are looking for “greener pastures,” you may have nothing to lose by asking for a promotion.  In fact, you may be surprised with the answer that you hear.  Many employers will use promotions or higher pay to retain employees who they do not want removed from their team.

Of course, you don’t want to instigate workplace gossip, but you may want to see if any other employees have asked for a promotion in the past.  Did they see success or were they turned away?  Speaking of which, were there any complications that arose from the asking of a promotion?  This is important, as it may give you an idea as to whether or not you should ask for a promotion.  As a reminder, it is important to not take the approach of gossiping to get your information, but you may just want to keep your eyes and ears open. 

If you do decide that you would like to ask your supervisor or supervisors for a promotion, you are advised to proceed with caution.  Unless you have worked personally with your supervisors before, they may be unaware of your employment status or the tasks that you have completed.  You will want to attempt to schedule a meeting with your supervisor or supervisors. During this meeting, you will want to try and sell yourself.  Point out all of your accomplishments, mention how advancement has always been a goal of yours, and so forth.

The above mentioned factors are just a few of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when trying to determine if you should inquire about a promotion. Should you decide to do so, it is advised that you take a pleasant approach and do not get upset or feel offended if your request for a promotion is denied.

Are you currently employed outside of the home?  If you are, do you regularly find yourself frustrated with the daily commute to and from work?  Do you regularly find yourself fed up with workplace gossip or antics that may go on at your company workplace?  If you do, have you ever considered working from home?  If working from home is something that you have considered, you should know that you are not alone.  Wanting to work from home is a dream that many have, but is that dream one that could become a reality or should it become a reality for you?

When it comes to working from home, there are many individuals who have a misconception.  Yes, working from home can involve working from home in your “down,” clothes, but there is much more to working from home than comfort. Before you automatically decide to ask your current employer about working from home or quit your job so that you can work from home, you will want to continue reading on.

One of the hardest parts about working from home is finding a work-at-home job or a work-at-home opportunity. Unfortunately, this is where many individuals make costly mistakes.  Many mistakenly quit their jobs with the belief that it would be relatively easy for them to find a paid work-at-home job or a paid work-at-home opportunity. As previously stated, working from home is something that is rapidly increasing in popularity. What does this mean for you?  It means that it can be difficult for you to find a legitimate work-at-home job or work-at-home opportunity, as there is a lot of competition for doing so.

A limited number of jobs is why it is advised that you do not terminate your current position with your employer until you have a steady work-at-home job or work-at-home opportunity lined up. This will prevent you from suffering from financial difficulties, should you be unable to find a work-at-home job or work-at-home opportunity that pays.  The good news about this approach is that the internet enables you to research and apply for work-at-home jobs and work-at-home opportunities at just about any point in time, including in the evenings or on the weekends.  You may also want to consider asking your current employer if you are able to work from home.  This will all depend on the preference of your employer, as well as your work duties.

Although there are a number of different ways that you can go about finding work-at-home jobs or work-at-home opportunities, it is important to remember that working from home isn’t right for everyone.  One of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration is your ability to follow a schedule or have your project submitted by a deadline without constant monitoring from your supervisor.  Working from home is nice, but it essentially becomes your own responsibility to stay focused and stay on task. For that reason, if you regularly find yourself distracted at home, working from home may not be right for you.

Another one of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when looking to work from home is the startup costs. These startup costs will all depend on which work-at-home opportunity you decide to take. For instance, if you choose to start your own business, you will find that your startup costs will be higher than if you were a home based worker for another company.  Of course, it is important to make sure that you do have all needed equipment pieces.  These pieces may include a computer, internet access, a second dedicated phone line, a fax machine, or a copy machine.  The good news is that you may already have all or most of these items inside your home.

Additional factors that you will want to take into consideration include health insurance, as most home based workers are not covered with medical insurance, and childcare, if you are a parent.  A close examination should help you determine whether or not working from home is best for you.

It is not uncommon for an individual to go from one job to another only to experience a deep dissatisfaction after a period of six months or less. This is often because the job and the actual facets of one’s personality are not an appropriate match. By taking a career personality test, one can determine which aspects of their character are strongest. Only then can it be determined just what type of careers would be deemed most suitable. By taking on a career that is more fitting, individuals will notice they are less anxious and actually enjoy getting up in the morning to go to work. They are also more likely to invest in keeping their career by furthering their education or gaining special certifications.

It is not hard to find a career personality test. By simply going online, one can find a vast number of sites offering these assessments. However, while some are legitimate measures of an individual’s personality, others are merely for entertainment. In general, an authentic career personality test is one that can take up to 25 minutes to fill out and is likely to have a fee. Those sites offering a free career personality test can give a good measure of an individual’s personality but should not be wholly relied upon as accurate. Nevertheless, they can still point a person in the direction they need to go.

A career personality test generally uses statements about personality traits as questions. The test taker then marks how accurate or inaccurate the statement is in regards to their own character. When the test is finished, all answers are tallied into categories such as extroverted or introverted, thinking or feeling, critical or perceptive. If a person scores predominantly introverted, a job working for the general public is probably not a good idea. Those that score higher in the critical category may be better at careers where making decisions are common. While different tests may use different category descriptions, individuals typically score in every area with one or two groups of primary dominance.

Once the career personality test is finished, an individual has the opportunity to narrow down a choice of careers. While the test results can be fairly accurate and provide stunning insights, there is no one career that can be determined to be the best. Those who score strongly in extroverted may work well with others; however, other factors will determine if this is in a public setting such as customer service or a private setting such as therapy or counseling. A career personality test merely highlights the best options. It is up to the test taker to use his or her preferences to make the final decision.

For those bravely taking on the search for employment, using the resources of a career services department can be the difference between standing in line and staying ahead of the crowd. Though many tend to just search the classifieds and submit one resume after another, a true search for employment requires a solid gameplan. By using career services such as resume development and seminars for proper interviewing skills, one can boost their chances of landing the career of a lifetime. Those who decide not to learn useful skills are more likely to find their career search frustrating and somewhat bleak.

There are a number of places, both onsite and online, that offer career services. Colleges and universities often have these departments to help students not only with employment opportunities but internships as well. As students near the end of their education, it is prudent that they learn the necessary steps of gaining fruitful employment. With these services, students and graduates can devise a gameplan that will carry thenm intot the working world. With internships, students are given an opportunity to see the skills they have learned at work. It also gives them a smooth transition from the classroom to the workplace.

For others, career services can be found online or at local employment centers. No matter where one is in their career it is never too late to procure the assistance of career services. Many who suddenly find themselves displaced after years in a certain career may need to brush up on things such as interviewing skills. What may have been common or appropriate to put on a resume years ago may no longer be considered necessary. Individuals can also find not only employment leads, but information on the latest trends of an industry. While some careers burn red hot in part of the country, it may be only lukewarm in others. This helps provide direction in the search for a career. Online venues allow users to post their resumes to be viewed by prospective employers anywhere in the world.

Whether online or onsite, career services can provide training seminars for every career related topic available. Preparation plays a large part in the search for a career. When comparing the interviews of those who have taken time to prepare versus those who have not, those who came ready made a much better impression. Their manner is more relaxed and answers to questions confident and believable. Those who were not prepared are noticeably nervous, leading to awkwardness and a sense of unease. Using other skills learned from a career services department, one can adeptly maneuver their career search with ease.

While some are blessed enough to know just what they want to do for a living, others are not so sure. Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions of an individual’s life and is not something to be taken lightly. However, for a number of reasons simply choosing a career can sometimes be agonizing. One resource that can kickstart the search for the right profession is a career quiz. This type of assessment is used to point out what vocations might be a best bet for an individual. Although it is often called a quiz or a test, there are actually no correct answers as it is more of a measurement of one’s dominant character traits.

A career quiz can easily be found online or through other resources such as career centers. While they cannot delineate a specific career that will be most suitable for an individual, they can help narrow the field to either a type of profession or an industry. A career quiz is something that allows a person to read broad, general statements and mark whether it is something they agree or disagree with. For example, one can mark whether they agree or disagree with the statement that working alone is better than working in groups. In some cases, quizzes allow a range of answers from very inaccurate to neutral to vary accurate.

In the end, the answers from a career quiz are tallied giving a summary of the test results. Sometimes a career quiz will break down into categories such as introvert or extrovert and thinking or feeling. Others will explain a system of personality traits, occupational styles and how a person is likely to perform their job responsibilities. A general list of viable professions are also given allowing an individual to see which, if any, might be of interest. Those interested in a particular industry such as the medical field can take career quizzes that will point to which types of occupations they would best be suited for.

While some career quizzes are very general, others can be quite specific. For those who want a more in depth look at their options, a career quiz offered by a career counselor or career center may be more helpful. Professional career quizzes also exist online, though a fee may be involved. Different quizzes may yield somewhat different results but in general, the same vocations are likely to keep popping up. Once an individual has a good idea what professions they may be most suited for, they can begin researching career information for each option.

Have you recently been asked by your employer to relocate?  If you have, you are facing a decision that more individuals are finding themselves faced with each year.  With many companies finding it difficult to financially survive in high cost living areas, many are choosing to relocate to areas where it is cheaper to operate a business.  If you find yourself being asked to relocate, there are a number of important questions that you should ask your employer before officially making your decision.

One of the many questions that you will want to ask your employer, if you have been asked to relocate, concerns the pay.  As previously stated, many companies are choosing to relocate to areas where it is cheaper to operate a business.  This often involves lower pay for employees.  That is why it is important that you determine what your pay will be. As a current employee, you shouldn’t be asked to take a reduction in pay, but there are no guarantees. 

Another question that you will want to ask your current employer, if you are asked to relocate, involves your current position.  Are you working in management or do you hold another high position?  If you do, it is important that you determine if your position will stay the same or increase.  Relocating at the urging of your employer shouldn’t mean that you receive a reduction in status or a reduction in salary, but, as previously stated, there are no guarantees.  That is why it is important that you make sure you find out as much as you can about your new position before you officially decide to uproot your life or the life of your family.

In addition to asking about keeping your current position, should you decide to relocate for your job, you will also want to inquire about your expected duties. As previously stated, many companies use relocation as a way to save money.  This may also involve eliminating positions and having the remaining employees carry a larger workload.  If you would be expected to perform more duties, you may want to negotiate yourself a higher salary, but the decision is yours to make.  As a reminder, these are all questions that you should ask before you make the decision to relocate for your job or not.

Another one of the many questions that you will want to ask your employer, should you be asked to relocate for your job, concerns relocation expenses.  If you are not given a relocation option, you may want to find out if your employer will cover the cost of relocating for you or your family.  This financial assistance may not be great, but it may be enough to help cover your travel expenses or the costs of hiring a moving company.  Most employers will notify you upfront if they plan on assisting you with the cost of relocating, but, if not, it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

In addition to asking your employer the above mentioned questions, you may also want to take the time to learn as much about your relocation destination as possible.  You will want to focus on points such as the current real estate market and crime.  If you have children, you will want to examine the local school districts.  If you have a spouse, you may want to examine the current job outlook, to see if they would be able to find employment in the area, and so forth.

Are you unsatisfied with your current job?  If you are, you may be interested in changing employers.  While it is more than possible for you to find, apply for, and be awarded a new job, did you know that is not your only option?  Have you ever thought about starting your own business?  If this is a thought that has yet to cross your mind, you may want give starting your own business some serious consideration.

As nice as it is to hear that you should examine starting your own business, you may be curious as to which points you should take the time to examine.  If you are serious about starting your own business or at least learning if running your own business is something that you are capable of doing, you will want to continue reading on.  A few important points that should be taken into consideration by those who are interested in leaving the traditional workplace to start a business are outlined below.

One of the many points that you will want to take into consideration, when looking to start your own business, is the startup costs associated with doing so. Whether you would like to open up a gift shop or if you would like to sell your professional writing services, it is likely that you will need to make some startup purchases.  The startup costs associated with starting your own business will all depend on the opportunities that you choose.  Although there is likely to be some variance, it is likely that you will need to purchase a computer, internet service, a business phone, business phone service, a fax machine, a copier, an office desk, and other office furniture.  If you have an ideal credit score, you may be able to receive financial assistance to get your business up and running.

Another factor that you need to take into consideration, when looking to determine if you should leave your current job and start your own business is time.  Should you be interested in starting your own business, it is important to remember that you will likely not see success right away.  Many businesses, no matter what the type, take time to see profits and success.  You have to market your business to the general public, set up your online website or your storefront location, and do so much more.  That is why it is important that you not only have enough money to get your business up and running, but you will also want to make sure that you also have enough money to support yourself and your family until you are able to start making a profit with your own business.

Another one of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when trying to determine if you should start your own business, is insurance.  At your current position, do you have health insurance?  If you are married, would you be able to get health insurance through your spouse?  If you would be unable to do so, health insurance is something that you will want to take into consideration.  Even if your health is fine right now, you never know what could happen, especially if your health insurance is also used to help cover the rest of your family. Should you decide to start your own business, you should be able to purchase insurance for yourself or for the rest of your family.  With that in mind, it is important to remember that insurance costs money, quite a bit of money to be exact.

What is nice about starting your own business is that you, literally, have an unlimited number of options. For example, did you know that you can sell a product or a service?  Popular startup businesses include gift shops, cleaning services, accounting services, and so forth.  In addition to the type of business that you would like to start, you also have a number of different options when it comes to operating a business. Many entrepreneurs run online businesses, storefront businesses, or even both.  In all honesty, the decision is yours to make.  With that in mind, the decisions that you do make can have a huge impact in determining whether or not your business, should you decide to start one, is a success.