US Unemployment Rate - A Look Back

US Unemployment Rate - A Look BackUS Unemployment Rate - A Look BackUS Unemployment Rate A Look BackSince early 2014, the US unemployment rate has seen a slow and steady decline.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in January of that year the US unemployment rate welches 6.6 percent. Since then, the US unemployment rate has steadily been on the decline.In December 2014, the national unemployment rate was at 5.6 percent, marking the lowest unemployment rate since June 2008. Later in the year, the number of unemployed individuals in the United States dropped by 383,000.In the first half of 2015, the national unemployment rate ranged between 5.3 and 5.7 percent.Effects of the Recession on the USThe negative impact of the 2008 recession on the US labor economy has been well-documented. During what become known as the Great Recession, many companies were forced to reduce employee hours, downsize their workforce or implement hiring freezes. Since that difficult economic peri od, many industries have recovered, with some industries working at full capacity.Lowering the Unemployment RateSeveral industries have thrived and are likely to continue to thrive, even through a difficult economic period. The healthcare industry is one of the top markets for those seeking employment as Baby Boomers continue to age and require more intensive medical attention.In fact, the BLS projects that the healthcare industry will add the highest number of jobs among all industries. Between 2012 and 2022, healthcare jobs are projected to increase by 10.8 percent, which translates to 15.6 million jobs.Industry Growth and DeclineAdditional industries at the top of the list of projected job growth include retail workers, office and administrative beistand professionals, food preparation and service, customer service and transportation, according to the BLS. On the other side of the spectrum are employment projections that the BLS sees slowing down, including manufacturing, Federal government jobs, agriculture and utilities. The BLS projects the overall labor force participation rate is projected to decline from 63.7 percent in 2012 to 61.6 percent in 2022, continuing the trend from the past decade. Slower labor force growth is expected to limit potential economic growth, impacting the rate of growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) through 2022.Advancement in TechnologyAnother industry that is on the rise and shows no signs of slowing down is the field of technology. Computer programmerjobs should increase by about 8 percent by 2022, while software developers are projected to see an increase of 22 percent by the same year. Engineers are also consistently sought after by companies around the world, with a higher than average growth rate across most of the sub-specialties.A fast-growing sub-sector within engineering is civil engineering, which plays a crucial role in the design and construction of large construction projects within city planning, including the planning of roads, tunnels, dams and bridges as well as systems for water supply and sewage treatment.

Free Salary, Cost of Living, and Paycheck Calculators

Free Salary, Cost of Living, and Paycheck CalculatorsFree Salary, Cost of Living, and Paycheck CalculatorsComparing job offers isnt apples-to-apples. The number on your paycheck is only one of many factors that go into your actual pay. Benefits like health insurance and retirement contributions also add to the bottom line. And then theres cost of living a small fortune in a mid-sized city might not stretch very far in a coastal metropolis. To figure out how much a job offer is really worth, you need to have some basis for comparison. Online salary calculators and cost of living calculators are an easy, free way to get that information. Even if you are not job searching right at this very second, its a good idea to stay up-to-date on what you should be earning, based on your location, position, and experience. That way you have a sense of what to expect when you start to talk salary with your current or potential employer. Of course, if you are contemplating a job change, these tools are even mora useful. Salary calculators can help you determine how much a job offer is worth and how far your paycheck will go in a specific location, based on the cost of living in that area. Again, remember that when you are evaluating what you earn, there are many factors to take into account. Salary is important, but benefits can help make a modest paycheck go much further- especially things like bonuses, child care, paid time off, and comprehensive health insurance. These salary calculators and surveys will help you find out salary information for your current job as well as positions youre interested in. Free Salary Calculators Glassdoor.coms Know Your Worth ToolGlassdoors Know Your Worth tool provides a free, personalized salary estimate based on the current job market. Salary estimates are based on users title, company, location, and experience. The tool also provides tips on how to increase pay. PayScale.coms Salary SurveyTake PayScales Salary Survey and generate a fr ee salary report with a salary range based on your job title, location, education, experience, skills and mora. Evaluate a job offer or compare your salary with that of your peers. PayScale also offers a variety of free tools, including a career path explorer, career goal tracker, and cost of living calculator. The site also offers reports and guides with free advice on salary negotiation, college tuition ROI and leveling up skills for a changing job market. Quartz at Work Career CalculatorWith this calculator, you can get information on how much a job offer is worth. Enter the salary, stock options, 401(k), and company perks to get an estimate of the total value of the job offer. LinkedIn SalaryLinkedIns salary calculator provides median salary for job titles in specific locations throughout the U.S. Free for LinkedIn users who anonymously contribute their salary, the tool shows base pay plus equity and bonuses, and customizes information based on skills, education, industry, compa ny size and more. In addition, LinkedIn users in the U.S., UK, and Canada will get personalized insights about jobs where the could make more money while they are searching for jobs on the site. Indeed Salary SearchSearch salaries from millions of job postings with this free tool, which offers one-stop shopping for job search and salary comparison. Look up salaries by job title or employer and see how your pay compares. Salary.comFree salary reports covering virtually every occupation, as well as information on salary, benefits, negotiation, and human resources issues for U.S. and Canadian markets. Salary negotiation tips, small business solutions, and cost of living comparisons are also available. For a fee, you can customize your salary report to analyze your worth based on your personal details. Benefits Calculators As well as salary, its a good idea to spend some time researching how benefits can add to the appeal of certain positions. Benefits calculators are designed to ca lculate your total compensation package (base pay, plus benefits, plus bonuses) to help you better understand and compare what your earnings will provide. Salary.com Benefits WizardThis free tool allows users to calculate the value of their total compensation package. Use this calculator to create a customized report and compare your pay against industry averages. Cost of Living Calculators Its well known that certain cities and certain areas of the country are just more expensive to live in than others. When contemplating a move, you need to evaluate how your costs and income will differ, based on your new location. Cost of living calculators help you determine how much your current (or potential) position would pay in a new city and to compare the cost of living between two different cities. Bankrate.com Cost of Living CalculatorUse this calculator to compare the cost of living in two cities. You can estimate how much youll need to earn in a new location to maintain your curre nt voreingestellt of living. PayScale.com Cost of Living CalculatorUse PayScales Cost of Living Calculator to determine how much your current salary is worth in a new city and to compare the cost of living between two different cities. The resulting report is broken down by categories like housing, groceries, utilities, etc. Find out whats likely to cost more in your new home. Paycheck Calculators Free Paycheck CalculatorsWhen you start a job, the amount you will take home in your paycheck depends on deductions for federal, state, and local taxes. There are paycheck calculators to help you determine how much your paycheck will be after deductions. Check out these free tax calculators and other tax tools available to analyze your paycheck. Salary Data and Wage Projections TheOccupational Outlook Handbook, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics,includes national and state wage projections as well as data for seven major occupational divisions. The divisions literally incl ude hundreds of occupations. In addition, you can also find a list of the fastest-growing occupations and another list of the occupations that are expected to have the most new jobs.

If you Want to Succeed in this Job Market, Youve got to Sell Yourself

If you Want to Succeed in this Job Market, Youve got to Sell Yourself If you Want to Succeed in this Job Market, Youve got to Sell Yourself Personal BrandingWho are you? What do you stand for? Many people who are actively seeking jobs do bedrngnis know the answers to these questions. In order to make sure you stand out, put in the time and effort that it takes to figure out these things about yourself. Dont just come up with a vague idea create a specific image for yourself and be prepared to articulate it when its time for those big interviews. Your goal should be to make your potential employer see you the way that you want to be seen.Developing this image, also known as your personal brand, is notlage the same thing as being a unique individual. After all, employers know that each applicant they look at will have something that makes him or her different. If you can market yourself through the personal brand that you have created, you will stand out because employers will recogn ize your ability to know yourself.In order for your personal brand to be truly successful, it must be recognizable, consistent and meaningful. In other words, by the end of the interview your potential employer should know not only what it is that you stand for but also why you stand for it.Co-BrandingLike it or not, social media is a big part of our world today. And contrary to what many people think, the personal, public identity you create through social media is not entirely disconnected from the working world. It is becoming more and more common for employers to look at somebodys social media profiles to help them make their decision when hiring.As a job seeker, you can use popular websites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to your advantage. Use your public identity to reinforce and expand your personal brand. The public identity and your personal brand should overlap to some degree, but they should not be entirely identical. Think of social media as a tool for showing how a spects of your personal brand spill over into all aspects of your life.For example, if you brand yourself as someone who can persevere even when everyone else gives up, post social media updates about pursuing your fitness goals. While this may seem completely unrelated to your professional life, it shows employers who see the post that your personal brand is not just a facade that you put up on interview day. Let your personal, public identity highlight real-life examples that you are striving to live out your brand every day.In addition to social media, blogging is another way to create your personal identity in cyberspace. Blogging is an excellent way of showcasing your communication skills. This is especially true if the job you are applying for requires top-notch writing abilities. Even if the job youre pursuing has nothing to do with writing, the ability to draw people in and get them talking- through comments on a blog, for example- is a skill that many employers value.Bloggi ng is also a good way to network with others. The larger your list of people that follow your blog and vice/versa, the more marketable you are to employers. For example, imagine that youve just applied for a job at an advertising agency. Employers who look at your blog will see that youre capable of creating a constructive narrative with a captive audience- something extremely valuable to them. Networking with others through a blog can also lead to contacts with people who are successful in the industry that you are interested in.Know Your Gifts and StrengthsIn order to be successful in todays job market you have to know what your strengths are and be able to sell these strengths to potential employers. One of the most frequently asked interview questions is Why are you the best person for this job? If you know your gifts and strengths and can articulate them well, then you will be able to answer this question easily.Every job posting lists certain characteristics that applicants ar e expected to have. Nevertheless, dont take it for granted that all the people applying for the job have all of those characteristics. During your interview, give examples from your personal and/or professional life to show why you have all the characteristics listed. But dont stop with the content listed in the job posting instead, use the list of desired qualifications to talk about related abilities that you have, which can complement those desired by the employer.ConclusionOverall, the best advice to succeed in todays job market is to sell yourself. Find out what makes you different and articulate this point in your interviews and throughout your career. Dont delude yourself into thinking your value is self evident. Unfortunately, to many employers you are just another face in a long line of applicants. Make yourself memorable, marketable and multi-faceted so you can land the job and build the career youve always wanted.

Increase Your Sales Productivity

Increase Your Sales ProductivityIncrease Your Sales ProductivityAs a sales manager, its your job to keep your gruppe producing. In fact, the status quo isnt enough and most sales managers need their sales gruppes to do even better, to keep their bosses happy. If you want to improve your teams numbers, you need to provide them with the tools to accomplish the task. That includes both physical tools (a good CRM program, solid lead lists, brochures, and other marketing materials) and mental ones (sales training, coaching, and general guidance). Tools Getting the physical tools your team needs may mean butting heads with senior management since these tools will inevitably cost money. As a general rule, if you can show the management team how spending this money will benefit them (by getting your team to make more money for the company), youll have an excellent chance to prevail. However, if the money just isnt available, youll need to compromise. For instance, you might acquire a fre e CRMfor your sales team that isnt quite as full-featured as the one you cant afford.?? Most of the physical assistance you give your sales team will come down to helping them save time. CRM software automates certain tasks and keeps customer data organized, so its easy to find information quickly. Giving lead lists and marketing materials to your team spare them from having to build these items on their own. As you take administrative work off your sales team, you give them that much more time to sit in front of prospects and sell which usually makes for a considerable improvement in their numbers. Ideally, you could provide your salespeople with an administrative assistant to juggle paperwork and generate form letters, while your team focuses entirely on selling. However, if thats not possible, at least try to give them the technology to speed up administrative work. Sales training is important and helpful to every salesperson, no matter how senior. There are always new ways to do things and new tools to master. At a minimum, your salespeople should receive regular training on your companys product and service offerings. Mindset Mental assistance is a bit trickier. If a given salesperson is having difficulties, youll need to figure out what is causing the problem before you can try to solve it. Are they weak on cold calling? Do they have trouble closing? Maybe their territory is not as fertile as it once was. The best way to find out is to be familiar with your teams metrics. Know how many contacts theyre making per day, how many appointments theyre generating from those contacts and how many of those appointments result in actual sales. If a salesperson is struggling to meet their goals, you can review these metrics from the past few weeks and binnensee which numbers are low. One-On-One Its also a good idea to have regular one-on-one meetings with each salesperson. These can be brief, assuming there are no glaring performance problems. All you need is a few minutes to take their emotional temperature and give each salesperson a chance to air any grievances. Think of it as preventative maintenance. By talking regularly with your sales team and reviewing any questionable metrics on a regular basis, you can head off any developing problems before they start.

Top Social Work Resume Tips!

Top Social Work Resume Tips Pay attention to the particular demands of the role youre applying for, and make certain you include the vital certifications on your resume. Perhaps its your networking abilities. It is possible to also check websites like Volunteer Match to see whether there are opportunities near you. Continuing education is the very best approach to stay current on the best practices in your favorite career. Understanding Social Work Resume Being aware of what employers are seeking and what details apply to your precise industry is essential. The most important aim is to supply innovative ideas and offer assistance to the community service departments. When listing your employment history, include achievements applicable to the sort of work you are searching for. Ask friends, colleagues, loved ones, professors and job counselors to assist you with content. It is far easier for a hiring manager to discover that value in a brief paragraph than attempting to pi ece it together from a lengthy history of expert experience and education. As someone trying to find a job for a caregiver, before youre able to start tending to the requirements of the less fortunate, you must present your resume the care it deserves. In the event of our instance, the candidate included their abilities in care planning, counseling and crisis intervention all skills that are quite useful in regards to helping and addressing clients. Social work is an extensive industry that has many diverse facets. The resume objective for a Social Worker should be able to elicit interest and an excellent first impression. If youre aiming for advancement or a specialized region of Social Work make sure to find the proper Certifications before applying. Thus, the resume for Social Worker fulfills the goal of passing on the crucial info to the recruiter. Keep in mind, the employer wants employees which will help grow the company. If at all possible, you can even include skills specifically mentioned in the work description, so the hiring manager immediately knows you have them. To acquire a job as a social worker, you are going to require a lengthy collection of qualifications in front of a hiring manager will take you seriously. View your search for a marathon as opposed to a race, and youll begin to come across effects. You are like a wind, all of the time you are searching for something new and better. If you will do something wrong, wed enable you to repair it Try to think about the absolute most impressive thing youve done in social work, and place it on display. Whats more, some firing managers are seeking skill. As an issue of fact, the very best job seekers have a tendency to have resumes which are sometimes on the more subtle side in place of overly eye-catching. Before going out on a work hund for a new position in the specialty of social work, you must make certain your resume is all up to the undertaking. New graduates might bedrngnis be as particular if they havent spent a great deal of time in a particular area, but more experienced professionals often understand the things that they like and dislike. Definitions of Social Work Resume Be sure that your email address is ideal for a social services position. For additional information, or to apply at this time, you must visit the website below. Your email is likewise an important inclusion and also should be one which you check regularly. You might prefer to create headings including Skills, Strengths or Interests and collection info and facts that is going to be highly pertinent to the task youre looking for. You have to be visible on LinkedIn and other social networking platforms. Uploading to our resume database requires you to make an account. Outlining any experience utilizing computer computer software applications including Microsoft Office is important too. Also this kind of resume format well called skills-based resume format and you underst and why. The combination format grants you the ability to be flexible in regards to showcasing your qualifications. The perfect format for your resume is shown in the example that you will just need to adjust for your own personal situation. There isnt a one-size-fits-all format that encompasses every sort of career. There is not any way a completely free cover letter which you didnt write will find that across. One of the main functions of a cover letter is to demonstrate how you and company are a good match. With the aforementioned samples of objectives for the social worker position readily available to utilize in crafting yours, you will certainly have the ability to think of an extremely effective one for your resume. The very last thing you desire is to confuse the organization since it will result to rejection.

Who Is Lying to Us About What It Wanted when You Are Asked for a Resume and a Writing Sample?

Who Is Lying to Us About What It Wanted when You Are Asked for a Resume and a Writing Sample? For tasks like payroll preparation and advantages management, its crucial collect and organize data. With the very first package, you simply get a resume. For instance, when youve got to sell something that has many features like computer programs. Youll know whether you have what is necessary to sell products. Perhaps there are those that are born with the capacity to sell. The resume should present your value. A client can tell immediately in the event you dont have confidence. To provide you with the best resume, we must get to know you. The 5-Minute Rule for What It Wanted when You Are Asked for a Resume and a Writing Sample Cover letters can only be gotten in a package with the resume. Its important to select a font and font size thats legible and leaves enough white space on the webpage. Your resume is down to a page. A reassuring smile should do just fine You have t o know everything. The very best thing about its that it provides one-on-one support from professional writers. Again, utilize the resume objective to jointly use the reason you were unemployed for a very long time. Not everybody has the goods to be a Salesperson. State why you would like to work as a Salesperson for the organization. Jodi Yamashita Collector Jodi has worked in collections and client service for the past ten decades. Some employers may request a GED score. Spend some time matching your qualifications to the job to make sure youre including the ideal key phrases and abilities. So you opted to get started applying for employment, and you needresume help. If you wish to find the job, you must sell your abilities. Along with helping your resume get selected, its also going to help the hiring manager landsee how your abilities and experiences make you a perfect candidate for the particular job. Among the responsibilities is transcription. Or, perhaps it is a technical position and you would like to underscore your research abilities. Youre going to be given training.

Networking Rule #1 Be a Giver, Not a Taker

Networking Rule 1 Be a Giver, Not a TakerNetworking Rule 1 Be a Giver, Not a TakerIts easy to get stuck in a selfish mindset when youre trying to advance your career. And in this fast-paced world, the proliferation of social media could be feeding your greed.According to Steve Tobak, who is a consultant and author, social media is at the root of selfish networking because it reinforces bad behavior. It makes sense. After all, the way we interact zugnglich is often one-sided We log on to create an image of ourselves as influencers, and we log off without listening to others.But when networking is done right - with mutually beneficial lebensgefhrteships in mind - its truly incredible what acquaintances will do for each other. You just have to take selfishness out of the equation. Here are seven steps to get started1.Walk in the door with a generous mindsetIts better to be a giver than a taker. Keith Ferrazzi, author of networking bestseller Never Eat Alone, lives by the mantra that t he currency of real networking is not greed but generosity.When you step into a networking event or pick up the phone, you should be thinking about how you can help the other person, how you can add value and what great things you could do together that you couldnt accomplish alone. Your attitude wont go unnoticed, and as a result people will gravitate toward you. 2.Highlight the mutual benefitI get a lot of calls from people pitching partnerships with my company, but, astonishingly, most of these callers never address how they can help me in return. A good partnership is mutually beneficial. Any time you reach out, make sure to emphasize what you can bring to the table.3.Be transparentIf youre looking for a job opportunity, be honest from the start. Recently an old acquaintance contacted me claiming he wanted to partner with my business. After 10 minutes, however, it became apparent that he had other intentions. I finally asked him if he was looking for a job. Reluctantly, he respo nded, Yes. I turned him down, but if he had been upfront from the beginning, I wouldve been more inclined to help.4.Think quality over quantityYour career isnt your Facebook profile nobodys counting your friends, so dont play a numbers game with networking. Rather, look for opportunities to add value. Dont just collect stacks of business cards carefully select the people you want to network with. Its impossible to build meaningful connections with hundreds of people. Networking is like marketing - targeting is everything.5.Set clear goals for each interactionIts easy to get caught up in the business of networking without really knowing what your goals are. Im more interested in the prospect of new connections if they can clearly relate what theyre trying to achieve and what their ethos is. Spend some time understanding your own career goals before reaching out to others.6.Make it easy for others to help youYou can be generous when youre the one being given an opportunity, too. Make the introduction as easy as possible. Give the person making the introduction a packet with your rsum, a cover letter, a personal story and a sample introduction. When you do all the heavy lifting for your intermediary, hell be eager to make a warm introduction and root for you.7.Show your appreciationDont let your generosity slip once you get what you want or when things dont go your way. No matter how it turns out, always follow up and thank the intermediary who made the introduction. You never know when youll need his help again, so keep the friendship going.Above all, never complain if the introduction doesnt pan out. Thats your problem, and it will undoubtedly rub the other person the wrong way.In the world of business networking, its essential to adopt a philosophy of helping others without an expectation of getting something in return. Remember Its not a transactional relationship. If you enter every situation with a generous mindset, you can turn a room full of people into a room full of job opportunities.Robert Glazer, founder and managing director of Acceleration Partners, is a customer acquisition specialist with an exceptional track record in growing revenue and profits for fast-growing consumer products and services companies. Read more from Robert on networking and business tips on Acceleration Partners Digital Marketing Blog.

A Resume Template for Employees with Experience

A Resume Template for Employees with ExperienceA Resume Template for Employees with ExperienceExperienced employees- those with three or more years in the workforce- should tailor their resumes to highlight the skills, knowledge, and accomplishments that less experienced candidates may elendlagehave gained yet. You can include this information in five basic sections that include your skills, any achievements or awards youve earned, education, work history, and miscellaneous information.Your Skill SetTheskills sectionof your resume should include any special abilities that are necessary to succeed in the position for which youre applying. They might include computer skills, job-specific abilities, legal skills, foreign language fluency, writing skills, or legal research platforms.Achievements, Honors, and AwardsYour resume should also include any achievements, honors, and awards that youvereceived throughout your career. These might include publications, court victories, writing award s, speaking engagements, and employment-related awards.Your EducationList theeducational institutionsyou attended, along with the city and state of the school and the degree or degrees you earned. The date you graduated is optional if youre over 40.Cite any academic distinctions youve earned, such as cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude or Deans List. You might also list your grade point average if it was very good, generally 3.5 or higher. You can also list a high class rank or law review membership ifyou attended law school. Your Work HistoryYou should present your job listings in reverse chronological order, beginning with the most recent position you held. If some of your jobs are relevant but others are not, you can divide this section into two parts Relevant and Other.You can also emphasize your skills in this sectionif youve worked predominantly in fields that are different from the job youre now applying for, particularly if theyre valuable transferable skillsand may set you exotisch in theworkplace.Miscellaneous InformationFinally, list any other information that helps to set you apart from other candidates, such as legal practice specialties, continuing legal education credits, software certifications, professional association memberships, community service, pro bono work, bar admissions, and press mentions.A Sample Resume TemplateYou can use this resume template as a guide to make your own custom resume. (Astudent or recent graduate resume templatemight be more useful for those with less than three years of experience in the workforce.)Contact InformationPlace your contact information at the top of your resume.First and Last NameStreet AddressCity, State, Zip CodePhone NumberE-mail AddressWebsiteObjective (Optional)Your resume can include a short statement summarizing your job-hunting objectives, career goals and what you have to offer to the employer. Be sure to customize your objective to each job to which you are applying. The resume objec tive should highlight why youre the perfect candidate for the job. An objective is not required in a resume and, if space if tight, you can eliminate this section.Career HighlightsThe career highlights section of your resume outlines key skills, abilities, achievements and experience relevant to the position you seek. This section might include your practice areas, bar admissions, court victories, awards, technology skills, and other information that helps you stand out from the competition and demonstrates how you are the perfect candidate for the position.Work HistoryThis section of your resume outlines your work experience. In reverse chronological order (most recent first), list your job title, the organizations you worked for, the location of each employer and your dates of employment. Under each employer, you should list a minimum of three bullet points describing your work duties and achievements. It is best to frame each job responsibility as a result or accomplishment. For example, instead of developed new client relationships, you might say, brought in two of the firms top ten clients, increasing revenues by 10 percent.?Company Name, City, StateJob Title 1 (Most Recent)Dates of EmploymentJob Responsibility/AchievementJob Responsibility/AchievementJob Responsibility/AchievementJob Responsibility/AchievementCompany Name, City, StateJob Title 2Dates of EmploymentJob Responsibility/AchievementJob Responsibility/AchievementJob Responsibility/AchievementJob Responsibility/AchievementCompany Name, City, StateJob Title 3Dates of EmploymentJob Responsibility/AchievementJob Responsibility/AchievementJob Responsibility/AchievementJob Responsibility/AchievementSchool Name, City, StateGraduate or Law DegreeDate of GraduationAcademic distinctionsGPA (optional)School Name, City, StateUndergraduate DegreeDate of GraduationAcademic distinctionsGPA (optional)Other TipsYoure not writing your entire biography. Keep your resume as short and succinct as possible without l eaving out anything pertinent. One page should do it if you have less than 15 years of experience. Otherwise, stay within two pages.Keep the font simple and dont try to squeeze information into two pages by shrinking it- you dont want to go any smaller than 12 pt.Also dont forget to proofread your resume. In fact, you might want to ask someone else to read your resume over for you with fresh eyes before you submit it.

How To Handle Grief In The Office

How To Handle Grief In The OfficeHow To Handle Grief In The Office Ive been thinking about how we deal with grief at work, ur own and that of colleagues. What do you say to someone you work with, but may not know mora than to say hi to in the coffee room? What if you offer sympathy and they make a scene? Or you make a scene? Most of us have, or will go through deciding how to handle interoffice grief at some point. I took a look at recently published, There Is No Good Card for This What To Say and Do When Life Is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love , to see what experts counsel. I figured it welches yet another full-of-the-obvious self-help book. But the authors had me at This is not chicken soup for the soul. Its whiskey for the wounded. Okay then, with that attitude they might have actually something to say. Or, theyre just great copy jockeys. Weve all paid good money for books based on pithy cover lines, only to find 300 pages of zilch. Co-authors Emily M cDowell, founder of a multi-million dollar greeting card company for real people in real situations (including Empathy Cards) and Kelsey Crowe, Ph.D., founder of Help Each Other Out , empathy bootcamps , both understand those of us who are concerned about doing the wrong thing and freeze. They feel your pain, but the bottom line is intractable. Say something. Do something. Do not ignore them. You dont have to say it in person if you feel tongue-tied, says Crowe, A notenzeichen or cupcake on the desk or even email will be appreciated. No one knows the right thing to say, just find a way to do it.I can vouch for the dont ignore it advice. While in my early twenties one of my siblings died in a car crash. When I returned to work, not one person said anything. It hurt my feelings, at the time, deeply, but I do understand it is hard. Just do it. There are a lot of options in There is No Good Card For This if you need help figuring out what to do. You might even say something like, Im sorry youre going through this. I dont really know what to say. Or, just Im sorry.Suzanne Wickham, Senior Director of Publicity, HarperOne, doesnt subscribe to the idea of expressing condolences in person, feeling it can be awkward in an office setting. But she always sends a card, writing, Thinking of you.These cards never really say it all, but they helped me a lot when my dad passed away. Whitcomb thinks offering solace should always come first. She recalls an entire lunch with a book reviewer listening to him talk about his late wife. He brought it up, and I listened, says Whitcomb. We did zero business that lunch which was fine. Its more important to be a compassionate human being. The lets go for coffee or a meal thing can slide sideways, however. A lunch, arranged to give a recently bereaved co-worker an opportunity to express his feelings, was highjacked for two hours by another guest waxing on about the death of his father years before. Everyone at the table was stunned int o silence. Even so, Ive come to think we have to accept individual reactions to what is meant as kindness, even if it seems off the wall.About ten years ago, I went to a colleagues office to see how she was doing and if I could do anything for her. (Dont we all ask that dumb question?) She got furious, yelling, How the heck do you think I feel? My dad just died. Crowe says its not uncommon for those in mourning to become angry when you inadvertently ask a clumsy question. My co-worker responded to How are you feeling? with understandable anger. I should have said, Im sorry or How are you feeling today? rather than leaving the question open-ended. Lesson learned. She apologized to me years later. NPR News correspondent and author of the etiquette book, Basic Black, Home Training For faulen Times, Karen Grisby Bates, recommends doing whatever is comfortable for you, your co-workers and appropriate in your office culture. Emily Post would probably roll over, wherever she is, to he ar Grisby Bates pronounce it acceptable to write a message of sympathy on social media. With the caveat that only if the loss was announced on social media, can you respond in kind. I have seen a lot of memorials on Facebook, says Grisby Bates, and it is fine to write something there. But only if the family or person has introduced the subject themselves online.At the end of the day, all you need is empathy for another human, which comes down to imagining what it would be like to be in their place, and acting accordingly. Eric Anderson, co-owner of SE2, a Denver-based communications agency focused on public issues, lost his mother a few years ago. A card, signed by the entire staff when he got back to work, touched him. One woman suggested seeing a Chris Farley movie because it always cheered her up. It was a graceful acknowledgment of my mothers death without being maudlin, he says. They made it personal to me. Both Crowe and Mcdowell recognized the need for help when trying to exp ress empathy from experience. Their own struggles with the situation seeded the idea for the book and card line. Even though co-author, Emily Crowe is a cancer survivor who experienced re-entry to the working world, she says she got involved with the project because she was so bad at expressing empathy herself. She knew at first hand the importance of acknowledging loss. Her mother died while Crowe was in her early twenties after years of estrangement. There wasnt anyone to express sympathy, says Crowe, but I knew that I wanted someone to say or do something. I knew how it felt not to be recognized as grieving.