Stop Feeling Guilty! . . . Some Alternative Business Career Advice
Here’s some astute alternative business career advice you won’t get from your boss.
Are you sitting at your desk dreamily imagining yourself on a South Seas vacation? Or maybe on a rollicking holiday with the family? Or maybe you would just prefer to stay home and watch some DVDs.
Wanting to take some time off should not make you feel guilty. In fact, in her new business career advice book, “Time Off for Good Behavior,” Mary Lou Quinlan writes that seven out of 10 people fantasize about leaving work for a few months.
What’s more, she has some good alternative business career advice that taking a break can help you feel less burned out. It can help you organize your life goals. Most people don’t realize that taking time off-guilt free-isn’t as difficult as it might seem.
So don’t feel like you’re condemned to remaining chained to your desk. Here are six alternative business career advice options you can check out:
1. Make a plan. Think about why you want time off. Do you just need a few days to relax? Or are you looking to completely re-assess your career?
2. Figure out how much time off you’ll need to come back fully refreshed.
3. Count your days off. Figure out how many vacation days you have. Add in any remaining sick or personal days.
4. Check out company policy. You may be eligible for a sabbatical with full or partial pay. Or you may have the option of re-entering the company after an unpaid leave.
5. Talk to your employer. If the company doesn’t have a policy or doesn’t spell out the details of flexible time off, now is the time to find out what the company can offer you.
6. Negotiate for what you need.
The point of this alternative business career advice is that you shouldn’t be afraid to take some needed time off. It may be just what you need to get your life back in focus and prioritize what really important.
Furthermore, if you are a valued employee, your boss expects you to come forward with recommendations that show how the company will benefit from your time off.
Taking the time to spell out your ideas in a way that shows both concern and awareness of your expectations can result in a mutually advantageous arrangement.
City Slicker’s Business Career Alert: Small Towns Are Hot!
Serious job seekers may be surprised to learn that their most exciting business career growth options could best be uncovered in small town America.
The Milken Institute, a private think tank, annually ranks the job growth in cities, according to Time Magazine. 11 of the top 20 cities had populations well under 1 million.
The study showed that many smaller regions share characteristics that act as job magnets. These include lower costs, tax breaks for employers, funding for entrepreneurs and a deepening pool of skilled and educated workers.
Many are college towns, seats of government, or home to a big company that nourishes others. Thanks to the internet and to satellite technology, a company in Iowa can be as connected as one in Los Angeles.
So, if you thought all the job opportunities are to be found in large cities exclusively, the evidence shows the contrary is true. And if you’re looking around, this may be the right time to consider that small town environment you always dreamed about.
Job seekers who once thought their business career was in major cities and turned their noses up at small town positions . . . well, times have changed and now they’re eagerly seeking small town opportunities while pickings in the big cities are suddenly slimmer.
How do these towns come up with desirable jobs? How can they fulfill your business career aspirations?
Companies don’t move to these small towns on a whim. It generally takes money in the form of incentives. For example, Arkansas has spent 0 million on roads and airports around Fayetteville over the past decade. Cities like Fort Myers and Santa Fe offer tax abatement packages to big and small business in exchange for creating jobs.
If you’re in the job market, maybe small town America may be your business career advancement choice. Of course, acclimating to smaller-town life can take time, especially for former city slickers. But, for a lot of folks, their biggest concern is that small town job opportunities may suddenly get very popular.
Operations management is a business management career with excellent job opportunities. To learn more about operations management, contact the School of Business Administration at the University of Dayton (business.udayton.edu).
• Provide basis for measuring performance, and performance appraisals
• Provide clear description of the role
• Enable total organization structure to be compiled by allocating tasks across the board
• Remove possibility of misinterpretation by employee or manager
• Allow pay and grading to be structured fairly
• Provide a reference tool in the event of a dispute or discipline
• Provide a reference point for training, development, career progression, succession planning, or counselling
II. Smaller Businesses
Staff in smaller businesses usually cover a wider or more mixed range of responsibilities than in a larger organization. In smaller businesses job descriptions might therefore cover a greater number of listed responsibilities. This should never exceed about 15 because the result can become unwieldy.
III. Compiling Job Descriptions
This is an opportunity as an employer or employee to clarify expectations of the role. Start by writing down all the tasks which the role is expected to carry out. This may be quite a long list, but be careful to distinguish what might be covered by an Operations Manual, if one exists. Wherever possible refer the details of procedures or processes to the “Operations Manual”, or “Agreed procedures”, or “Agreed standards”. It is easier to change a Job Description than an Operations Manual! By looking at the list in Paragraph V below you will find that you will be able to group some tasks under these headings.
IV. Job Description Template
Use the following headings:
• Job Title
• Where based (Business, unit, section – if applicable)
• Position reports to (Line Manager, Supervisor etc)
• Job Purpose Summary (Ideally one line or sentence)
• Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities (8 – 15 numbered points in order of importance if possible)
• Dimensions (The areas to which responsibilities extend e.g. staff, customers, territory, products, equipment, premises etc.)
• Date and any other references necessary
V. Writing Job Descriptions
Group and allocate the list of responsibilities you have compiled in Paragraph III above into the following general areas, in order of importance to the role, if applicable:
• Developing strategic direction as part of a Strategic Business Plan
An example of a Job Description is given below.
OPERATIONS MANAGER – Job Description
Page 1 of 1
26 July 2007
JOB TITLE – Operations Manager
BASED AT – Head Office
REPORTS TO – Board of Directors
JOB PURPOSE – To manage and oversee the day-to-day operations of (Company) production facilities in a profitable manner. Plans and schedules production through all studios, in all company locations, supervises staff to achieve the schedules and oversees marketing and customer service functions.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
Ensure effective allocation of resources across all areas of the operation to accomplish expanding customer driven priorities. This includes work allocation, staff training, problem resolution, evaluating performance, and motivating employees to achieve peak productivity.
Plans and coordinates the business functions of the organization, to include customer service, and marketing and advertising activities.
Participates in the development of operating goals and objectives, recommends, implements and administers methods and procedures to enhance operations.
Monitor profitability of operation by reviewing costs against budgets set.
Monitor marketplace and recommend strategies and business plans to increase (Company’s) share of the potential market, to improve competitiveness.
To monitor performance ensuring the operation is totally customer focused.
Balance market growth with organizational ability to follow through on implementation.
Participates in the development of the Strategic Business Plan
Provide reports for Board of Directors as required