Online Career Tips

By: J. Mason
Online Career Tips Staff

It’s nerve wracking putting yourself out there during a job hunt. Most of the time you’re submitting your resume online and patiently waiting for a reply, and sometimes you never get one. If you’ve had a couple no replies it can really wear on your confidence level. So, even it out by having a support group by your side.

[related: Choose Your References Wisely]

Something as simple as a code word through text with your good friend or significant other. Say you’ve had a bad day and the job search was a flop, the word can be a reminder to keep your head up. Or you can be more constructive. If what you’ve been doing isn’t working perhaps try dusting off some old contacts or old co-workers. Ask them if they’ve heard about any potential openings, or networking sites you can join. The motivation from the support can really help things turn around.

[related: Find a Great Career Match by Entering in the Skills You Have]

Just think, you tend to work harder when you’re in a content or happy place. Don’t let yourself dwell on things that didn’t work on, instead use each experience as a stepping stone to something different and potentially better.

By: J. Mason
Online Career Tips Staff

There’s nothing more satisfying than getting offered the job you really wanted. Once you get the confirmation call you get so giddy that you accept and jump off the phone. So, what if a couple weeks pass without getting the official offer letter in the mail? Make sure you ask a couple questions before hanging up on that call.

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By J. Thompson
Online Career Tips Staff

I recently thumbed my way through a popular book entitled, “A Complaint is a Gift.” It’s written by Janelle Barlow and Claus Moller with a foreword by employee culture and retail customer service rock star, Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com.

[American Public University has online degrees for retail management professionals.]

The book reinforces common business principles, but what struck me as most interesting, were how well these lessons could translate into improving interoffice relationships. No matter how good an environment, there’s always opportunity to improve communication, break down silos, and be more effective in the workplace.

One way to do this is to view your colleagues as internal clients. This only works if you’re committed to providing exceptional customer service much like Zappos.com employees are renowned for doing, and which is why their company is incredibly successful.

Good service isn’t solely predicated on your ability to entice new customers, but in your ability to support them consistently at each touch point and for the long term. It’s critical that you are always prepared to resolve issues promptly and effectively when a client expresses that he or she is not happy.

Here’s why.

According to the book, research concludes that when customers become dissatisfied, only about 1 to 5 percent will complain to management or headquarters. Fifty percent will simply walk away and will not return. The remaining 45 percent are the people who complain to customer-facing staff. Rather than react to a complaint as a negative, it should be viewed as a gift. Moreover, it’s an opportunity to repair the relationship. Often this can build more loyalty. If you lose them, customers are more apt to “speak out to the world” through word-of-mouth and social media.

Isn’t that a little similar to what happens in the workplace? By not resolving needs of dissatisfied colleagues, you run the risk of increasing the amount and the voracity of complaints to others, which can hurt your reputation. So if you ever get a complaint, don’t throw up barriers. Break them down and resolve the issue. We’re all human and there will be mistakes. The bigger mistake is not looking at a complaint as a gift.