Every new employee in my office tries to impress the management with “new” ideas. As someone more experienced, I like to point out what we’ve tried before that works and doesn’t work — but my boss just reacts with frustration. If we chase down every naïve, half-brained idea, we’ll waste time and money. Why am I not being appreciated for being the voice of reason?
That is so strange, because I love when my staff points out all the ways new ideas won’t work — said no boss ever. With your attitude I bet you’re also not the first colleague asked to grab a drink after work unless it is the aggrieved office get-together. There’s a difference between being thoughtful and rigorous when executing an idea — and stifling creativity and innovation with negativity or analysis paralysis. Just because something was tried before doesn’t mean it was done well, and maybe a fresh attempt on the same concept will be better this time. Or maybe the timing was wrong, and now it is right. Generally, three types of employees exist in the workplace: those who generate ideas; those who look for solutions and help execute plans; and those who are looking for a new job. Which one do you want to be?
When applying for a job online and attaching your resume, do you attach the cover letter separately or include it in the body of the e-mail?
Have you ever watched those video clips of behind-the-scenes processing at the Post Office — with thousands of pieces of mail flying through routing and sorting machines at breakneck speed? Well, that’s a metaphor for online applications — now that anyone with an Internet connection can respond to and apply for an infinite number of jobs, zillions of resumes are flying across the Web. There’s nobody on the other end relaxing and opening attachments to read thoughtfully. That means you need to grab the hiring manager’s attention immediately, and use the body of your e-mail as the cover letter — and just because it’s not a traditional business letter doesn’t change the rules and etiquette. Think of the lead paragraph of a news story that captures the who, what, when, where and why — except you’ll do it in three short paragraphs. A common mistake is to write a generic cover letter that’s not addressed to an individual and doesn’t target the specific company and position or why you want to work there. Generic letters are more likely to be treated as you treat mail you receive at home addressed to “Resident.”