Friday, August 29, 2008

Want to Give Your Career a Burst of Energy? Get a Mentor!

Throughout our careers, we often come across challenges in the workplace - both technical and political - that are tough to deal with. Could be a personality conflict. Could be a struggle to deal with internal political dynamics. Could be confusion or lack of clarity about how to move forward in our careers. The possiblities are endless.

What we often forget is that is not necessary to go it alone. Each and every one of us can benefit from having a mentor - somebody more experienced than you, who possesses wisdom that only experience can provide, and who is willing to provide you with guidance and helpful advice in return for the opportunity to strengthen his or her own leadership skills.

A mentoring relationship can be formal or informal. It is important, however, that your mentor be on a similar career path, have goals congruent to yours, and have time the he/she is willing to invest in the relationship. You also want to choose someone with a track record of success and a strong position in your organization.

It is not generally recommended that your direct supervisor be your primary mentor; it is difficult to give impartial advice to someone in whose success you have a direct vested interest.

So, looking for a power boost to your workplace success and career progression?! Get a mentor!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Wall Street Outsourcing Higher Level Jobs to India

According to a 12 August 2008 article in the New York Times, "after outsourcing much of their back-office work to India, banks are now exporting data-intensive jobs from higher up the food chain to cities that cost less than New York, London and Hong Kong, either at their own offices or to third parties."

"The jobs most affected so far are those with grueling hours, traditionally done by fresh-faced business school graduates — research associates and junior bankers on deal-making teams — paid in the low to mid six figures." The jobs tend to cover industry analysis, compiling data and charts for marketing materials, and research-related jobs. According to the article, off-shored jobs "are more likely to come from the investment bank and trading divisions of Wall Street firms, rather than the sales side, which produces analyst reports about companies and industries."

"Cost-cutting in New York and London has already been brutal thus far this year, and there is more to come in the next few months. New York City financial firms expect to hand out some $18 billion less in pay and benefits this year than 2007, the largest one-year drop ever. Over all, United States banks will cut 200,000 employees by 2009, the banking consultancy Celent said in April. "

For more information, see the article at this link.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Is Your Job Keeping You Up At Night

From Consumer Reports Health.org Alert: "Is your job keeping you up at night? Working long hours hinders sleep more than any other lifestyle factor, according to findings by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.

The researchers analyzed data from nearly 50,000 people about their daily activities and sleep routines. While everything from socializing to long commutes compromised sleep time, the people who slept the least were those who spent the most time on their jobs.

People with the shortest work weeks slept the most. Poor sleep has been linked to a number of health woes, including obesity, so shut off the laptop and get your Zs."