Co-workers clogging your in-box right before the holiday break! Well, can you read this too before you leave today? OK thanks.
Ingrid's co-workers have her in a bah-humbug mood. She explains....
The deluge is relentless at work as everyone scrambles to dump their
stuff in my department before they take off for the holidays. One of the
worst things about this time of the year for me. What can I do?
Uggh, everybody is sending me questions so I have to write this
column right before the holidays. Oh wait, but then somebody else has to
find a photo for me, and somebody else has to code it, and schedule it
for posting, and share it on Twitter....
Ingrid brings up a really important point: All too often, we think the
world begins and ends with just ourselves. I can't even tell you how
many freelance
assignments I've received on late Friday afternoons. Hey, I'm thankful
for the work, but I like weekends too. Especially this time of year,
let's practice some of that "goodwill towards fellow people" stuff we
like singing about.
But until the world does become a better place, Ingrid, your department
will need to set its own boundaries. In early November, send out a group
e-mail explaining when different members of your team will be taking
time off, and that to have work back by Thanksgiving/Christmas/New
Years, they will need to turn it in by such-and-such dates. When someone
inevitably drops something off at the last minute, calmly and kindly
explain that you'll do your best to meet normal turnaround times, but
you can't absolutely guarantee they'll get it by 4:59 on December 24th,
and that, yes, you too hope to get home for the holidays.
AOL Jobs reader Roy submitted his question in the comments section below. (You can too!)
I was a Sr. Computer Analyst (mainframe) for over 20 years. My last
company was bought out, then we merged with another company, and finally
was outsourced to a very large computer company. I sat in the same
chair, doing the same job, with the same people -- but worked for four
different companies in five years before finally being laid off in 2008.
I couldn't find another mainframe analyst job (I was in my early 50s at
the time), so I decided to get my Masters in Information Technology
degree -- not that I needed it, but I thought it wouldn't hurt me trying
to get another job in the technology field. Boy, was I wrong. I spent
over $30,000 getting the degree, and not a single offer, after sending
out over 100 resumes. So here I am, eight years later, having worked in
two jobs that are below my experience and skill level, making
approximately 1/3 of what I used to earn, thousands of dollars in debt,
no prospects for anything decent because my skills and knowledge are
old, dusty and rusty, and all my investments and retirement plans gone.
I'll be 60 on my next birthday. What did I do wrong? I've given up hope
of ever living a decent life (financially) again. Is there any hope?
Thanks.
Roy, hang tough, and thanks so much for writing in. What you describe
is, sadly, not an uncommon situation for those who have been in the
workforce for an extended time. And it can be particularly challenging
in technology jobs, with the non-stop changes in that field. I wanted to
bring in a specialist to answer your question: my fellow AOL Jobs
contributor John Fugazzie. John is the founder of Neighbors-Helping-Neighbors USA, a free, national, job-search support organization. He says:
"Roy, you didn't do anything wrong; you have been caught up in this
unfortunate economy that is much worse still than anyone will admit. Age
can be an issue too. Today you need to network and meet people who can
help connect you with jobs. Supply and demand of jobs is in the favor of
the employers today, which has lowered salaries substantially. And, many industries are converting full-time jobs to contract work
to avoid having to pay medical benefits and to increase their
flexibility. Unfortunately, the longer you are out of work, the less
likely you are to be seriously considered for jobs. Please review our
website, nhnusa.org, and join our LinkedIn group.
Look for project work and temp assignments too that are closer to the
work you want to be doing; in many cases these can lead to permanent
positions."
Last week's Ask Jack questions
Do you have a work-related question for Jack? Write it in the
comments below (better answers to this week's questions are also
welcome!) or tweet it @AOLJobs with the hashtag #AskJack.
Jack's Job of the Week
Santa, I don't want much this year, but maybe you could fly Roy down to Tampa for this Vice President of Information Technology
job? They do want someone with 15+ years of experience, after all. To
the rest of you, maybe take a day or two off from your job search, and
spend some more time with family and friends. When you're ready, a search on AOL Jobs is just a click away. Happy holidays, everybody!
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