With all that said, Yahoo is the home page on my computer. And for such a big Web site, you'd think it could change its front page every so often, but no. Every day I turn on my computer, and every day some story headlined "What to do when you hate your job" stares back at me. I've avoided it for days, since Friday, but I read everything, so finally I had to open it up and digest.
I'm very thankful I finally caved. Here are two thoughts that a writer named Marty Nemko gives readers. The first one is a reason why you may hate your job, and the second is one of the things to do after you realize you need a new gig. After each, I'll give you my comments.
"You're overwhelmed. Maybe the work is too hard, or there's just too much of it. Possible fixes: Hire a tutor or take a short, pragmatic course to help improve your knowledge. Ask for help--it sounds obvious, but many people don't do it. Trade some of your most onerous duties with a coworker who finds them easier. Avoid needless perfectionism and put aside the things that can wait (possibly forever). You can even hire a "virtual assistant"--usually, a live person in India--for $6 to $15 per hour, at sites like Brickwork India and Your Man in India."
Am I the only one who finds it hilarious that Yahoo Finance would recommend hiring a "virtual assistant" to help you do work? So for $6 an hour, I could have someone in India write a review of the new James Blunt disc because I would rather die than listen to it? This all feels unseemly, like you're hiring child laborers. Do you think they sit in a dirt-floor warehouse somewhere in India with a sign on the ramshackle building that says "Your Man In India"? Too funny. I have a visual.
"Secure good references. If possible, get reference letters before you leave, so you can hand them out on the spot if necessary. Before asking your boss for a recommendation, set the stage by first finding something nice to say about him or her or the company. Reminisce about projects that worked well."
So if I ever want a new job, I'm going to start talking to my boss about our good times together. "Hey, Rick, remember that time we played Setback and drank way too much Guinness? Wasn't that awesome? How about when we played Setback and drank way too much Busch?" Rick won't know what to do besides give me the best reference ever.
I guess that's all I got. So if you're looking for a new job, make sure to read good ol' Marty's little story. It's full of gold. Gold, Jerry, I said gold!
1 comment:
The funny thing is... I actually read that article and I was pretty much thinking the same thing about the personal assistant in India. I couldn't believe they would actually put something like that on Yahoo! Finance. I'm pretty sure it's against most company policies to send their confidential information to people that don't work for them... especially people in India.
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