How To Use Your Blog and the Long Tail Effect to Help Your Job Search

How To Use Your Blog and the Long Tail Effect to Help Your Job Search 3 There are many ways to use your blog while searching for a new job. Here's one blogger's experience using the long tail effect on the road to your next job. This is a guest post by Digital Eve Israel blogger Sharon Gefen of Devarim Ketanim. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines. A couple of months ago, I found myself looking for a new job. It was sad, and somewhat annoying, as these things usually tend to be. An open call to my readers Obviously, I did what any sensible social media user would do, and I blogged about it (Hebrew), specifying my fields of expertise and an open call to my readers to ping me if they hear of any relevant leads. I also posted a little note about it on Facebook.eval I didn't expect much to come out of either post, but I felt that utilizing my blog for this matter was the right thing to do, using my blog as a vehicle to raise some awareness about my job search, while potentially reaching the largest audience available to me without putting up a billboard on the highway. And indeed, nothing happened, and other than some sympathetic comments from friends and regular readers, both posts were promptly ignored.eval A week later, a friend suggested that I do more on my blog for more than just make a one-time post about my job search. So I put up a permanent note at the top of my blog advertising my job search using a very cool WordPress plugin called Show Notification, useful for posting announcements like this. And still, nothing happened. The long tail kicks in But after a while, the long tail effect started working its mojo… Slowly but surely, some emails started to show up. Total strangers, people whom I never even knew that read my blog, emailed me with tips, suggestions, and actual leads that turned into job interviews or potential freelancing collaborations. The funniest result of this so far was a conversation with someone who got to my blog via a humor blog I participate in: “So wait, you're telling me that you got to me through the Cold Fusion for Dummies blog and you still want to work with me?” His response: “Sure. This shows you're committed and have a great sense of humor. I need someone like that in my team!” Conclusion I still haven't found my dream job, but that note is still up there, and the emails are still coming in… So far, my experience has impressed me on two different levels â€" the first is that one should never estimate the power of blogs as a medium for connecting with people far beyond your expectations. The other was simply the surprise at how many strangers are willing to help out with leads, advice, and even just a kind word. My advice: looking for a job? got a blog? use it to shout out to your readers, and you will probably even find yourself reaching out far beyond your immediate circle of regular readers, and finding many interesting opportunities in the process. About the author Sharon Gefen is a web designer who is currently looking for a job, as well as taking her first steps as a freelance designer working mostly with the WordPress blogging platform. She's also a veteran blogger, and is hugely fascinated (both academically, and just for fun) with what makes social networks “tick”. For more information about Sharon, check out her blog Devarim Ketanim (Hebrew), her LinkedIn profile or read about her services (Hebrew). This article is part of the 2008 JobMob Guest Blogging Contest. Blogging yet?

10 Best Executive Resume Services in Los Angeles, CA

10 Best Executive Resume Services in Los Angeles, CA What is the most important thing to capture on your resume? The right industry buzzwords? The highest-ranking keywords?Those things are important. But if you are an executive or senior professional in L.A., you know that you need a compelling personal brand to make a blockbuster impression.That’s why you need a professional resume writer.Executive resumes require a high level of care. If you are at a senior level in your career, you need more than just a letter-perfect recitation of your job history. Your resume needs 5-star treatment.All of the following Los Angeles resume writers have top-notch, high-level services just for VP, director, and C-level job seekers.Best Executive Resume Services in Los AngelesIf you are in a hurry and don't want to read our detailed reviews below, here is a list of the Best Executive Resume Services in Los Angeles:Find My Profession (that's us!) Kelly Donovan Associates Market-Connections Resume Service Employment Boost Write In Color Shinebright Se an's Resume Shop Resume Cover Letter Help Rapid Resume Los Angeles ResumeAnd now for the detailed reviews...1. Find My ProfessionFind My Profession is not just a top-notch executive resume service available in Los Angeles. We are a global company headquartered in the US on a mission to master effective, ATS compatible resumes that convert into offers.A major perk of Find My Profession is that we are not a one-person shop.Collectively, our team of elite resume writers has experience in 85+ unique industries/professions. This allows us to assign you a professional writer (in the United States) based on your unique background and experience.We are also not a resume factory. We will never use “ghostwriters”. You will have your resume writer’s name, email, and phone number for direct communication.With 100+ 5-star reviews and a 60-day interview guarantee thatspeaks for itself, you can sleep easy knowing that your satisfaction is our #1 priority.Pros:Find My Profession commits to w orking with each client until they are completely satisfied. Don’t worry about having a limited number of edits, or a set amount of time with your writer.Cons:Find My Profession is a virtual/online company. While we provide services in your city, we don’t have a physical office.Also, with a focus on more senior positions, our entry-level resume service may be a bit pricey for recent graduates.Turnaround: 3-5 business days. Can expedite to 2 business days.Cost: $695-$895Phone: (831) 888-0967Don't take our word for it, check out some of our 5-star reviews.Trustpilot2. Kelly Donovan AssociatesKelly Donovan Associates promise an ROI-producing investment when you purchase a resume package from them. Their custom packages typically include three rounds of interviews, personal brand development, and a LinkedIn profile makeover. Up to five rounds of editing are included, and when you are completely satisfied, Kelly will have an executive recruiter review it to provide feedback.Pros: Y ou can call to get a free 30-minute consultation to get started.Cons: Kelly is all the way out in Lake Elsinore, but if you like working virtually, that won’t be a problem.Turnaround: Not stated.Cost: $1200â€"1900.Phone: (909) 235-63833. Market-Connections Resume ServiceMarket-Connections Resume Service’s slogan is “great resumes win.” Los Angeles-area writer Mandy Fard has three decades’ experience assisting job seekers and writing resumes. All resumes are written by her and are proofread twice by another certified resume writer and ATS-tested. Mandy has a large gallery of samples on her website for you to browse through and reviewers speak very highly of her resumes.Pros: If you buy a resume package, you will get a free Visual CV, a handy networking tool.Cons: The turnaround time is a little on the long side, but that is to be expected with a writer who is a lone operator.Turnaround: 10 working days for a first draft.Cost: $474â€"754.Phone: (310) 621-90604. Employment Bo ostEmployment BOOST, located downtown, has been featured in CareerBuilder, U.S. News, and Investopedia. Their deluxe package includes a resume, cover letter, review by an executive recruiter, a LinkedIn profile, and one hour of coaching. This company is a larger nationwide company who not only services Los Angeles, but the entire United States as well.Pros: You can call them 7 days a week and they offer a 90-day guarantee.Cons: It would have been nice to see some executive resume samples on their website.Turnaround: 3â€"5 business days with rush service available.Cost: $599.Phone: (888) 468-64955. Write in Color ResumesWrite in Color Resumes founder Melody Godfred is a former litigation attorney who loves to write and loves to make you look your best on paper. Her writing team has vast experience with executive job seekers and will make sure your resume communicates a strong, consistent brand identity. All resumes are written from scratch and the process begins with a long phone int erview.Pros: Send them your resume and they will give you a free critique.Cons: There is no pricing disclosed on the website, so you will have to call for a quote.Turnaround: Not stated.Cost: Not Stated.Phone: (424) 250-05736. ShinebrightShinebright was started with the belief that everyone is born with unique talents and gifts. With this belief, co-founders Meike Hennon and Shannon Philip created a company to help executives unlock their full potential. They both bring a unique background to resume writing. Shinebright has earned its spot on the top 10 Los Angeles executive resume services list.Pros: Shinebright is not just a resume writing service. Having a full-service career coach walk through your resume and career goals can be very beneficial. They have glowing online reviews about their career counseling and resume writing service.Cons: Shinebright has a few different coaches and writers that you may end up working with. That could be a problem from a quality standpoint since everyone has different writing styles. They also do not have a turnaround stated, which could be a potential issue if you need an executive resume fast.Turnaround: Not stated.Cost: $725Phone number: (310) 425-30157. Sean's Resume ShopSean's Resume Shoplocated in Downey, CA is founded by Sean who is a member of the professional association of resume writers and career coaches. Sean comes from a background in project management in the oil and gas industry and has gained expertise in resume writing and job searching through participation in a number of professional recruiting events as well as attending over 28 career fairs.Pros:On the website, this company claims to offer 24/7 assistance online or over the phone. He is also willing to travel through the greater L.A. area in order to meet for one-on-one meetings.Cons: We were not able to find any resume samples on this website.Turnaround: Not stated.Cost: $385+.Phone: (732) 778-80808. Resume Cover Letter HelpResume Cover Letter Help partners with executive-level professionals to produce a targeted and polished resume. Resume writer Erin Riley Khorram is a law school graduate who was once Associate Director of Career Services at Chapman University School of Law. This service consists of resumes and cover letters only. The company does not do LinkedIn profiles.Pros: Erin will provide multiple drafts if you need them and use a second editor to ensure your resume is letter perfect.Cons:We were unable to find any resume samples for this company. Therefore, we have no idea what the finished product will actually look like.Turnaround: Not stated.Cost: $575â€"725.Phone: (714) 323-61589. Rapid ResumeRapid Resume is owned by a scholarly and well-respected veteran of the resume writing industry, Dr. Saba. With a PhD in Communications from USC, his expertise is highly appreciated by his customers. More than one reviewer says they have never met a better writer. You must make an appointment to visit his Los Angeles office, but he has scheduling flexibility seven days a week.Pros: Customers emphasize the sheer quality of the writing with Rapid Resume.Cons: It would have been helpful to have even a ballpark cost available on the website.Turnaround: Not stated, but one reviewer mentions a 24-hour turnaround was available when she was in a pinch.Cost: Not stated.Phone: (310) 470-847410. Los Angeles ResumesLos Angeles Resumes promises to be responsive, fast, and thorough as they collaborate with you on your resume. Their executive package, geared to executives working for large, matrixed organizations and Fortune 500 companies, includes a resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. You can schedule an introductory call directly on their website.Pros: Los Angeles Resumes has a large and handsome gallery of samples for you to look through.Cons: No pricing is disclosed on the website. You will have to call for a quote.Turnaround: 5 business days.Cost: Not stated.Phone: (213) 443-8417This List Serves The Foll owing Areas Near Los Angeles, CaliforniaPasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Santa Monica, Inglewood, Downey, Compton, Lakewood, Long Beach, Torrance, West Covina, Malibu, Beverly Hills, El Segundo, Redondo Beach, Carson, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calabasas, East Los Angeles, Azusa, Diamond Bar, Pomona, Chino, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, San Bernardino, Redlands, Riverside, Moreno Valley, Hesperia, Victorville, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Fullerton, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Westminster, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Irvine, Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente, Hemet, Yorba Linda, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, IndioBest Executive Resume Services In AmericaNot worried about finding a local company? Want to work with the best of the best? Check out the Best Executive Resume Services.

Career Coaching Getting Help Is for Wimps - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Career Coaching Getting Help Is for Wimps - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I just finished working with a client who landed a new job that better utilizes her talents while offering greatly improved income, promotional opportunity, and company  environment/culture. At the end of our multi-month journey together, she said to me without prompting I couldnt have done it without you. Her comment was personally flattering and reaffirmed what I do every day as a career consultant/coach. I have spoken to thousands of employed and unemployed people about their career situations. The vast majority, including executives and professionals, seemed to believe that  a $25,000 to $100,000  MBA or other traditional education was their best career investment. In some instances that might be true  but not for the majority of them. Few people have an understanding of  what career coaches do. Some have worked with a poor career coach (all professions have poor performers)  and hence do not have any faith in their abilities. As mentioned in my book Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!), A career coach can help with establishing clear goals, developing self-marketing strategies, improving self-selling skills, enhancing resumes, upgrading interviewing skills, negotiating better compensation agreements, and maintaining overall accountability actions/progress. Some experienced career coaches understand how the job market works and leverage their knowledge for the benefit of their clients. The goal of  my book is to  dispel a multitude of career myths canonized as conventional wisdom in the last century. I  challenge you to consider this: In the 21st century, getting help in your career is  not for wimps. It is for intelligent, motivated people who want more from their careers. What types of help  are available to you?  Here are a few short comments to help  put each  in perspective: Career Counselors Most work for individuals and can be an excellent resource for occupational testing and goal setting. A small % work in university career centers. Most  have little or no time to help with job searches. Corporate Outplacement Companies They work for employers, but serve individuals who have lost their jobs. They mean well, but they tend to provide cookie cutter answersand not as much support as most people need. Career Marketing Companies They work for individuals who pay for their services. In theory, they help their clients market themselves. Many offer warmed over outplacement programs, so shop carefully before purchasing. Life Coaches, Business Coaches, Executive Coaches, etc. Life coaches help individuals mostly  with personal  issues. Business coaches help businesses improve their performance.  Executive coaches work for employers to improve manager/executive performance within their organization. Resume Writers They work for individuals and can be an excellent resource for resume revisions. However, many will write your resume in a vacuum and most dont know where to direct you in pursuing jobs effectively. Independent Recruiters They work for employers, not individuals. Job seekers who say I am looking to meet good recruiters mistakenly think that the right recruiter will help them get a job. Not so. Staffing Agencies They work for employers, not individuals. Job seekers sometimes view them  favorably because they will  meet with them and give them a screening interview. Unfortunately, most of their  jobs are low paying. Internal (Corporate) Recruiters They work for employers, not individuals. Job seekers want to talk to them, but they dont want to talk to job seekers. A dont call us, well call you sort of thing. If you have read the preceding information, then you may  see the gaping hole that needs to be filled for individuals who want to take charge and improve their career satisfaction. This hole  tends to be filled by career marketing companies and individual career coaches. Its 2013, not 1993. If you want to improve your personal brand,  MBAs marketed on billboards and transit buses may not be  your  golden ticket.  In the 21st century, everyone can benefit from having the right coach and many high performers have multiple coaches. Check out some career coaches and get started working with an experienced one. Youre worth it! Author: Richard Kirby  is an executive career consultant, speaker on career strategies, and author of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!). Richard Kirby’s earlier experience includes managing engineering, human resources, marketing and sales teams for employers that ranged from a Fortune 100 to a VC-funded entrepreneurial startup. For the past 11 years at Executive Impact, Richard has helped hundreds of executives and professionals successfully navigate today’s transformed 21st century job market and achieve better employment for themselves. Richard’s expertise includes career assessments and goal setting, personal marketing/branding, resume enhancement, strategic networking and job interviewing, and “contrarian” job search methodologies. He is a Board Certified Coach (in career coaching) and a Certified Management Consultant (recognized by the ISO).

4 Tools That Can Reinvigorate Your Job Descriptions

4 Tools That Can Reinvigorate Your Job Descriptions Ah, the noble job description. It plays such an important role in drawing candidates to your open positions, and yet, (how do I say this gently?) … many of them suck. OK, so maybe that wasn’t so gentle but it is true. And now that we’ve addressed the elephant in the room, let’s talk about how to fix them (see, we’re all about solving problems here). If you take an honest look at your descriptions and think that they too might (…gulp!) suck, then consider these factors as you work to re-write them. Then, let’s zoom ahead and look for a few companies that can help improve your job descriptions. 1. Textio Website: textio.com Pricing: Free (for some of the service) Quick snapshot: Evaluation and recommendation engine for your text-based job descriptions The essence of your job description is the written word. But, what so many companies miss is that they let their lawyers or compliance team write what should be an enticing, appealing call to action. But, creative writing isn’t usually a lawyer’s best skill, right? So, enter Textio, which has analyzed millions of job posts and provides guidance on how to improve yours. It can examine factors in the text itself like gender tone/diversity (i.e., does your language appeal more towards men, for instance), reading difficulty or repetitive phrases and then generates an overall score for your job description based on best performing ones. According to Textio: On average, hiring teams with a high Textio Score recruit 25%  more people qualified enough to interview and 23%  more  womenâ€"and they do it 17%  faster. Much of the initial upfront evaluation of Textio is free. And, they provide some really great tips on their blog, too, so be sure to check that out as well. Now, once you’ve written a compelling job description, it’s time to think about the visual aspect. One study has shown that the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text, and 65 percent of the population learns better through visuals, so images are clearly key to engaging people. Let’s examine a few vendors who can help visually as well. 2. Visual.jobs Website: visual.jobs Pricing: Charge per job design Quick snapshot: Creative agency that designs images and infographics The team at Visual.jobs starting off by examining the history of job descriptions for an e-book, and they realized that not much has changed in the last 20 years or so. So, they set out to improve job descriptions themselves by designing them visually. The company, which is part of CKR Interactive, will evaluate your job description needs and design an attractive image to correspond. Most companies use them as infographics, social content posts or for printed flyers at job fairs, but be aware that the image is a static one if you place it on your website. 3. Ruutly Website: ruutly.com Pricing: $100/month for 10 jobs (other options available) Quick snapshot: Integrated technology to give your jobs a visual pop Ruutly, a Toronto-based company, takes it a step further and has built a technology that brings a visual design to your online job descriptions. The tool integrates with your ATS and can effortlessly push out visual job descriptions for a few specific requisitions or all of them, depending on your needs. We’re building relationships with companies that want to blow their candidate experience and employer brand out of the water,” said Ryan Porter, CEO of Ruutly. Where as Visual.jobs produces a static image, Ruutly creates a living, breathing design that can easily be incorporated into new requisitions as they open. The designs highlight key aspects of the job such as work location, salary information, main responsibilities and desired experience. Their main value proposition? We’re bringing better quality applicants as they learn the company’s brand story, understand what’s important about the job and connect it to their skills in an easier-to-understand way, said Porter. 4. TMP Website: tmp.com Pricing: TBD, based on company needs Quick snapshot: Recruitment agency that offers strategic support and technology services TMP, one of the top global recruitment agencies, offers a myriad of services, which now includes visual descriptions. TMP’s visual description product is baked into their Talent Brew careers website platform, and automatically takes your pre-determined, text-based job descriptions and converts them into a beautiful design, complete with icons, logos, different fonts and colors. Much of this can be customized, and according to TMP: Clients using our Advanced Job Descriptions have a better qualitative conversion rate. So it takes fewer applications to get the most qualified candidates. Which means your recruiters spend less time vetting applicants, and more time choosing between highly qualified applicants. Their visual descriptions product, however, requires you to purchase TMP’s entire Talent Brew platform. So, if all you want is the visual job description component, TMP may not be a great fit. But, if you’re in the market for an agency partner and an upgraded careers website, then check these guys out. The essence of the job description still has to be well-made from the inside out. It’s up to you to determine what bits and pieces should go into the mix, and then these four companies can help you make them more appealing for your job seekers.

A Guide to College Resume Writing

A Guide to College Resume WritingYou might have heard of a few easy and effective methods for creating an impressive and highly effective resume but you are not very sure about which one to choose. It can be a daunting task to come up with a college resume and since a lot of people would want to break into the professional world, it is important that you should first understand the basics of resume writing before you can start writing one.Writing a resume can be intimidating especially when you are trying to write a career oriented one for college career advancement. What makes a good resume? It all depends on your personality and goals in the future.If you have just graduated from college, then you must use your resume as a way to seek for a job as soon as possible after you graduate. Remember that you need to start from scratch as far as your skills and experience are concerned so you can find a job as early as possible.If you want to take your career even further in the future, th en you can apply for some higher education or higher studies as this will enable you to enhance your current skills and knowledge and also get better qualifications. As such, it is important that you should understand that when you look for higher education, you should be able to demonstrate your strong passion towards it and also be able to prove that you can make a great contribution to society.When it comes to your college career, it is also important that you should put your best foot forward and show your achievements and skills so employers can see your worth. Students who have prior academic records can put these up on their resume but remember that you should always check it twice and only put things that you can put on your resume and show that you are capable of handling your responsibilities.One way to go about this is to create your resume to contain facts and figures. Try to impress employers by citing and demonstrating your accomplishments. If you cannot display your e xpertise, then it is better that you find a reputable company that can provide you with a resume for your college career.When it comes to creating a resume for your college career, you should take advantage of the many free tips and techniques that are available online. Although, these are free, it is important that you do not waste your time on them because they could just end up being a waste of time.Do not forget that your resume has to reflect your own experience and skills, not those of another student or another company. This is why it is best that you follow some simple tips for college resume writing.

Five Tips for Preparing for Phone Interviews

Five Tips for Preparing for Phone Interviews More and more employers are conducting first and even second round phone interviews for executive candidates  rather than in-person interviews. These meetings should be taken just as seriously as in-person interviews. Will you be prepared? Here are five tips.Practice for phone interviews. Don’t just practice answering questions â€" also practice how you will sound on the phone. Conduct a mock interview with a friend and record it. (You can use a free service like Freeconferencing.com.) You may be surprised at how you come across on the phone. Identify opportunities for improvement.Be aware that not all phone interviews are scheduled in advance. If you get a call from a hiring manager or human resources staffer and it’s not a good time to talk (i.e., you’re in a noisy place), either don’t answer the call and let it go to voicemail, or ask if you can get to a quiet place and call them back in a few minutes.When scheduling a phone interview, make sure you know the exact time of the call (including any time zone clarification), who the call is with, who is calling whom (and on what phone number), and how long to expect the call to last.If you are preparing for a scheduled phone interview, create a cheat sheet of notes you can reference â€" for example, specific metrics related to your accomplishments, questions you want to ask, etc.Prepare for a phone interview like you would prepare for an in-person interview: Research the company and practice answering the questions you expect to be asked.

Three ways to deal with off-days at work - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Three ways to deal with off-days at work - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Niels Hartvig, founder of Umbraco, the worlds only open source Microsoft-based CMS, recently asked what he should do about off-days at work among the people at Umbraco HQ: This morning I thought of dealing with off-days. Probably because I had one yesterday. One of the days where Im going to work and get very little done. Not because I dont want to, but simply because theres some miscommunication between my fingers and my brain. Most programmers and creative people in general that Ive spoke to about this, recognize it immediately yet I havent found anyone who had a formal policy on dealing with these things. Id love to. Were humans were not perfect. If it was ok and if everyone in a company could be open, we might start being able to work out patterns for off-days and see if they could be minimized. Or just be turned better. Whether its going home and getting some sleep, seeing a therapist (paid by work), calling your wife or? I really want to develop some policy around this for the HQ and if it works out, Ill blog again. At least a start is simply saying out loud that off-days are fine and a part of us. Until then, lets try to help each other with our experiences in the comments start the conversation! I think thats an awesome question. Lets face it, everyone has off-days. No matter how much you love your job, there will be days where you just dont feel like it, for whatever reason. Sure you can force yourself to show up anyway, and sometimes it will be fine but most often you waste a day and get very little done. Also, forcing yourself to come in, may mean that you feel even less like working the next day. And yet, most workplaces completely deny this reality and expect employees to be equally productive, alert and (not least) present every work day. I would like to suggest three possible policies to deal with off-days: Suggestion #1 (the easy one): If you have an off-day, say so. The IT support department at the medical company Leo Pharma are a critical part of the organization. If they?re not picking up the phones, Leo?s 4.000 employees have nowhere to go with their IT-related questions and problems. To ensure that the phones are always manned, a huge whiteboard with a space for each support-worker shows who?s on call at any time. The IT department realizes, that people have good and bad days, so they set up a simple policy: When employees get in in the morning, they can place a green or a red magnetic tag next to their name. Green means ?I?m having a good day?, a red tag means ?I?m having a bad day.? So if a co-worker storms in the door without saying good morning, places at red marker next to his name, and sits at his desk scowling at his computer, you don?t have to wonder ?was it something I said?? This policy does two things for the department: It makes it visible who is having a good or a bad day, and people with red markers are given a little space and leeway. If somebody puts up a red marker every day for a week this becomes visible, and steps can be taken to help that person. It makes it legal to have a bad day. We all have bad days, but if you have to hide it and pretend to be chipper, it takes longer to get out of the bad mood. Simple and effective. If you have a bad day you still have to come in, but at least you know that its OK. Suggestion #2 (the radical one): If you dont feel like coming to work, dont come to work. I know of a few workplaces in Denmark that have actually introduced this rule: If you really, really dont feel like working you can call in and say youre taking an off-day. The rule is that you dont have to explain or justify yourself. Also, its not a day off or a sick day, so youll have to make up the lost time later. The if you dont feel like working, then dont rule has some clear advantages: Just knowing that you dont have to go to work if you dont want to, can make a bad day better. If you dont want to work, you dont have to demean yourself and the workplace by lying and calling in sick. When you take the off-day, you can return to work the next day with new energy. You dont have to waste time in the office being unproductive. You dont have to bring your bad mood into the office and infect everyone around you. If someone takes a lot of off-days, thats a clear warning sign, that theyre unhappy at work and something needs to be done. Before introducing a rule like this, I think a workplace would need to have a conversation to decide when its OK to take an off-day. You could even write down the rules, ie. Its OK to take an off-day if the very thought of going to work makes you want to kill yourself, but not if its a Friday and the weathers nice and you just feel more like going to the beach. Stephan wrote a comment on Niels original post saying pretty much the same thing, but for school kids: Reminds me of some friends of my parents, who had the following family rule: each child was allowed to have one single I dont want to go to school day per year. On that special day, parents would not ask any question (eg why? are you ok?). They would just write the obligatory excuse note saying something along little John was not feeling well yesterday. Funny enough, knowing that they could decide not to go (but then theyd loose that possibility for the rest of the year) was usually enough, and it was common that at the end of the year, the off-day credit had not been used. And no, you could not carry your unused day over to the next year ;-) Suggestion #3: The really radical one: Give people complete freedom to work whenever they want. What if workplaces completely stopped making rules for or monitoring when people work? What if we just acknowledged that our employees are responsible adults, who are eminently capable of deciding when they are productive and when theyre not? What if we stopped focusing on how many hours people work and instead focused on the results they get? That is the point of ROWE, Results Only Work Environments. This article gives a great introduction to ROWEs: At most companies, going AWOL during daylight hours would be grounds for a pink slip. Not at Best Buy. The nations leading electronics retailer has embarked on a radicalif riskyexperiment to transform a culture once known for killer hours and herd-riding bosses. The endeavor, called ROWE, for results-only work environment, seeks to demolish decades-old business dogma that equates physical presence with productivity. The goal at Best Buy is to judge performance on output instead of hours. Hence workers pulling into the companys amenity-packed headquarters at 2 p.m. arent considered late. Nor are those pulling out at 2 p.m. seen as leaving early. There are no schedules. No mandatory meetings. No impression-management hustles. Work is no longer a place where you go, but something you do. Its O.K. to take conference calls while you hunt, collaborate from your lakeside cabin, or log on after dinner so you can spend the afternoon with your kid. This is what we do in our company our rule is that you work when you want to and dont when you dont. You will never be judged by how many hours you work but only by the results you get and the value you contribute. Another example is sports wear maker Patagonia which has surf boards lined up in the office near the beach in Southern California. Their founder Yvon Chouinard explains why: I?m a businessman, but I?m still going to do things on my own terms. I?m going to break a lot of rules, and we?re going to blur the distinction between work and play. So we have a policy here ? it?s called ?Let My People Go Surfing.? A policy which is, when the surf comes up, anybody can just go surfing. Any time of the day, you just take off and go surfing? That attitude changes your whole life. If your life is set up so that you can drop anything when the surf comes up, it changes the whole way you do your life. And it has changed this whole company here. Nice, huh? Related posts The Top 5 New Rules of Productivity How to Procrastinate Effectively How to turn around a bad day at work Your take How does you workplace deal with off-days? Are people required to show up anyway? Which of the three suggestions above would you like to see introduced where you work? See any risks or pitfalls? Please write a comment, Id love to hear your take. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related