Top 6 Coworkers To Beware by Dave Caruso

Frenemy

This manipulator seeks to gain your trust by pretending to be your ally and friend. They will call you after work or suggest going to lunch in an attempt to share with you their gripes about management and other coworkers. This is in an effort to loosen you up and get you to make similar derogatory statements about others or share any inside information you may have learned about someone. This person cannot be trusted to keep what you have told them in confidence, and will usually begin to share your statements with others in an attempt to cast you in a bad light and make themselves look better.

Rumor Mill

This is the person who gets satisfaction from broadcasting every juicy morsel of gossip they hear about others of a personal or business nature. Examples would include talking about romantic involvements among employees, possible business changes such as layoffs, or why someone was fired.

Backstabber

The Backstabber has no qualms about throwing someone under the bus if it serves to advance their career in some measure. They will create the false impression that they work in the company’s best interests and report to management every error or conduct violation that they see in anyone around them.

Corporate Sociopath

This individual seeks advancement in the corporation by any means possible without regard to the impact it may have on others careers. They are remorseless and incapable of feeling empathy for anyone in the way of their climb to the next rung on the corporate ladder. They are usually emotionless and driven workaholics that are both humorless and robotic in their interactions with others.

Sycophant

The Sycophant is the “Eddie Haskell” of the organization who uses flattery on those in positions of power around him to ingratiate himself. This is usually a person with weaker skills than their teammates and therefore uses charm to try to level the playing field.

Teacher With Pets

The Teacher With Pets is in a leadership role and shows favoritism to some of her direct reports. She is motivated by personal perceptions of individuals rather than by maintaining an unbiased results based approach to measuring performance. This creates discord and disfunctionality among the team as signs of favoritism become more evident.

If you are working around any of these types of coworkers, the best advice is to maintain a professional and dedicated work ethic within your position in the company. Work to live but do not live to work since your job is only one of the many aspects of your life. Always remember that “loose lips sink ships” (or careers) and keep your friends close and your “frenemies” closer.  To quote Eleanor Roosevelt,

“great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.”

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How to Handle a Performance Review at Work

Most people look forward to job reviews about as much as they do a root canal. No matter how well you think you’re doing, there’s always the possibility that your supervisor will see things differently and call you on the carpet for your actions-or inactions. But there are steps you can take before, during, and after your evaluation to boost your career and actually help you look forward to reviews in the future.

Before the Review

Get on the boss’ calendar. While most people don’t enjoy a performance review, they are crucial to your career. So if your boss doesn’t conduct them on a regular basis (annually or semi-annually), the best thing you can do is ask for one. Why? First, you really do need to know what your supervisor thinks of your performance so that you can continue the good stuff and change the bad stuff. Unless you want to spend the rest of your career exactly where you are, that is. Second, reviews are typically when employers hand out raises and promotions. Not a bad incentive to schedule one today.

Come prepared. Sure, performance evaluations mostly consist of your manager telling you how she thinks you’re doing, but it should include some two-way communication. You should be prepared to share important information-such as your sales numbers, praise from satisfied clients, and projects you’ve spearheaded-so that you can lay out the positive contributions you’ve made.

During the Review

Stay calm. You may feel as jumpy as a kid in the principal’s office, but you need to force yourself to stay cool and professional at all times. And if the boss turns the conversation into a list of all the ways you’ve fallen short over the past year, don’t argue. It is okay, however, to respectfully point out the strengths you’ve brought to the organization. This is where your list of accomplishments comes in handy. And remember to never, ever take what your supervisor says personally. It’s business.

Iron out a plan for the next year. To avoid any surprises in future reviews, you need to know how your success will be measured. Ask your boss to work with you on a plan for the coming year (or six months) so that you both know how your progress will be measured. If there are markers in place-and you meet them-you’ll never fear a review again.

Ask for her input. You want to make sure your manager knows how committed you are to doing a good job for her. It may become crystal clear what skills she thinks you need to work on, but if not, ask her to share with you the areas in which she believes you need to improve. You’ll not only score major points for asking, but this may be the most valuable information you get out of your review.

Thank him. Especially if you feel like you’ve been raked over the coals, you may not want to express gratitude. But think about it this way: your boss has just given you very powerful information. He’s told you where he believes you have room for improvement, and, assuming you can make changes in those areas, you’re on your way to serious career growth. More money, more responsibility, a new title-it all starts with knowing where you stand with the head honcho.

After the Review

Determine a course of action. You should come out of your review with an action plan for the coming months, and there’s no time like the present to begin working on your goals. If your boss indicated that you need to acquire more skills to advance, begin looking into that computer or marketing class now.

Start looking around. If your review was more of a blood-letting than a constructive conversation between employer and employee, you may have to face the fact that your boss either doesn’t like you or doesn’t like the work you’re doing. If you think you can change one or both of those things, by all means, give it a try. If you don’t think that’s a possibility, start putting out discreet feelers for other opportunities.

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Financial Planning Career – Planning Someone Else’s Retirement By Jeff Melvin

Show me the money with a financial planning career! If you’re considering a career in financial planning then you better enjoy working with numbers and people, more specifically, people and their money. Arm yourself with information found in this article to assist you in making an informed decision.

What is a Financial Planner?

A financial planner is someone who acts as an adviser to his or her clients. They find out what the client’s financial goals are and use this information to create a plan. This plan gives clients a roadmap to follow in achieving their financial goals (such as retiring by a certain age, having a certain amount of money saved for something etc.). Contrary to what some believe, a financial planner is a lot different from an accountant, as financial planners advise how to use money, whereas an accountant keeps track of the money.

Financial planners are considered “jacks of all trades” because they must know a lot about the financial world. They must be well versed in stocks, savings bonds and other forms of investments. This does not mean that they do not consult with others, however. Good financial planners also consult with a client’s other advisers (lawyers, accountants etc.) to fully understand a client’s situation so that they can offer good information. Because of the variety of things they must do, a financial planning career is very intriguing for those who like variety in their day-to-day activities.

What Does it Take to Become a Financial Planner?

A financial planner should have a bachelor’s degree that includes coursework in mathematics, statistics, economics, & business. A degree is not a requirement, but in nearly all instances a planner will need the Series 7 and Series 66 or 67 license to conduct business on a client’s behalf. These licenses allow them to act as a representative of a securities organization and give financial advice.

What is the Pay?

Financial planners, like many others in the corporate/business world, are usually very well paid. Many financial planners earn at least $55,000 a year, with some pulling in as much as $100,000 or more per year. How much you make will depend on whether you’re working for a financial firm or going it alone. Typically, as long as you have a good client base, freelance financial planning is more profitable.

Cautions About Financial Planning Careers

A career in financial planning is not for everyone. Some people are cut out for the work, but others are not. Some of the cautions about financial planning include:

• The high level of stress. You are responsible for other people’s money. You need to be prepared to deal with clients who may be angry with you if their money doesn’t work for them as well as they want it to, or if, by some chance, you make a mistake and they lose money.
• Keeping up with trends. The finance world is constantly evolving. As such, you need to be able to stay with the times and be aware of what’s going on so that you can smartly advise clients. This can add to the stress level.
• If you don’t like “sales” then you may want to avoid this career field. Even if you start with an organization they may or may not provide you with any leads. Building your client base will be your responsibility.

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