We work in a contemporary world. A world where things are changing — whether it's when and where employees are working, how employers are handling their human resources or the constantly changing trends — the world of work is moving and shifting. And as wacky as that world can be sometimes, it's also fascinating if you have the right guide.

This blog is designed to be just that — a companion on your journey through the changing world of work. Here you'll find tips, tools and information on topics as diverse as the workforce itself: the aging workforce, working women, professional etiquette, generational diversity, the talent crunch, and more. So whether you're an employer or an employee, and whether you're beginning or close to finishing your career, I hope you find the information here useful for navigating the contemporary world of work.

Thanks for reading and have fun!

Melanie

No.  This isn’t another Celebrity Apprentice post (we’ll save that one for after Thursday’s show).  Rather, I wanted you to read an article on Trump University called America’s Most Wanted Jobs.

The Donald agrees with what we’ve been saying – jobs are available, but people don’t necessarily have the skills to fill them.  His contention is that if you’re serious about finding work, look carefully because there is work out there. 

You don’t have to be a contestant (or celebrity) on Celebrity Apprentice to find work.  According to Trump, you just have to know where to look.

Recall a post I did in January about tattoos — and whether or not visible tattoos could hurt your career advancement.  If you didn’t read it, here’s a link to Workplace Ink: 

Well here are some interesting statistics.  According to a Harris Poll:

• 32% of Americans between the ages of 25 and 29 have a tattoo
• 25% of us have tattoos if we’re in our 30s
• 12% if we’re in our forties
• 36% say the tattoo makes them feel rebellious
• 31% say it makes them feel sexy

As hiring managers get younger, tolerance for tattoos will likely increase.  I’m not saying that visible tattoos will help your career — you should still think twice before making such a permanent statement.  A visible tattoo could hurt you today.  But stay tuned — things will likely change.

Is there a correct answer to this conundrum?

You’re sick… sneezing, blowing, coughing — you know the drill.  You’d like nothing better than to spend the day in bed watching day-time TV, but you’ve got important stuff to do at work.  Should you:

• Stay home, rest and get well soon?
• Go to work, be a martyr and infect everyone else?

The answer for your individual situation might depend on your boss or your company culture.  But think carefully about whether or not demonstrating your never-ending loyalty by coming in sick makes up for infecting your co-workers.

But what do you think?

I just read an interesting and enlightening article in a recent issue of Workforce Management (on Workforce.com).  Called Kill the ‘HR Speak,’ the article is about the confusing terms HR uses to try to get its point across.

I’m a big fan of HR.  They are a strategic partner in today’s world of work where qualified candidates are hard to find and keeping high potential employees is a challenge… then throw generational challenges into the mix!  They have a tough job and their partnership with the business is vital to the ultimate success of the company.

But enough with…

• the HR babble,
• the made-up words to follow flavor of the month fads and
• cute, ‘creative’ code names for secret projects.

Communication is the name of the game — let’s try to speak the same language.

A good friend and colleague just got back from a VERY frustrating meeting.  It wasn’t the subject matter that frustrated her.  Rather it was the behavior of the attendees and the person who called the meeting that made her crazy.  Here’s why:

• People in the meeting were constantly looking at their blackberries — rather than paying attention.
• Several brought their laptops to catch up on email while pretending to be engaged in the meeting subject matter.
• A few cell phones rang (perhaps I need to post a lesson on turning phones off, or at least setting them on vibrate!).
• The presenter didn’t know how to set up his PC to project his slides on the screen, so time was wasted getting the meeting started.
• Then, the presenter forgot his power cord, so his PC went dead in mid-meeting.

Our lives are busy and you could consider our time very precious.  Don’t waste it with poor meeting planning and even worse meeting etiquette.

I’ve been doing some research for a panel I’m moderating in a few weeks at an IT gathering.  The subject is — you guessed it — the talent shortage.

Some of the IT statistics I’ve found are a bit scary (if you’re an IT manager) and could be considered encouraging if you’re looking for IT work or if you’re a student.

So if you’re a potential employee I have some advice:

• Keep your skills current — take personal responsibility for learning new things.
• Specialize, if possible. The higher-end network analysts, architects and systems analysts are what many employers are seeking.
• Study business and management — I’m finding that most employers want a well-rounded IT professional who understands the business, can communicate well with internal customers and has management potential.

Does anyone have more to add to this advice?

Not much controversy on this week’s Celebrity Apprentice, but I believe there are some lessons to be learned.

• Omarosa and Piers need to get over it!  You could argue that Omarosa has been a bit too personal (and family) with her vitriol for Piers, but his integrity hasn’t been particularly squeaky-clean throughout the challenges.  Not sure who is right with this battle.
• The tortoise and the hare fable might give these celebrities some words to live by.  Slow and steady often wins the race — when it is appropriate.  Don’t let that slow stuff get in the way of execution, but there is a lot to be said for thoughtfully and carefully completing your tasks.  Trace still shines as the ’sleeper’ winner!
• Marylou clearly talks too much — she has talked too much throughout the program.  Whether it’s from nervousness or from lack of confidence or from arrogance, keep your mouth shut when you can.  Listen — and you’ll learn a whole lot more than when you’re babbling! 

I know it’s still all about ratings, but we can learn from what we watch on this ‘I love to hate it’ program.  

I have to admit that when I was writing yesterday’s post, I didn’t know enough text message jargon to give examples.  So I found a helpful site — on Webopedia — that lists all the text message abbreviations.

Some are not appropriate for the office and many either contain or are euphemisms for four-letter words.  But as a proud baby boomer, I found reading the list quite interesting.

Check it out — you might learn something!

In another helpful DiversityInc.com piece, email is the subject.  I love the title:  R Yr Biznes E-mails Hrting Yr Career?

If offers some terrific tips on email at work — including:

• Keep it short
• Adhere to your corporate culture
• Avoid religious references
• Always proofread

Can’t argue with any of those!  But let’s add two more:

• Do not REPLY TO ALL when your answer has no relevance to anyone on the distribution list.
• Avoid shortening words and using confusing letters for phrases — like BTW, AAF, LMK.  Not everyone understands them.

Do you have more email etiquette tips?

In January there was an interesting article on MotherJones.com about the pros and cons of working from home.  Called Practical Values:  Works Well With Others, the article taught me a lot about telecommuting.  It also got me thinking whether or not I would do well doing all my work from home.

When one telecommutes, boundaries dissolve and distractions abound.  When I do have some work to do at home, I’m tempted to clean out my closet, bake brownies, take a nap, walk the dogs — just about anything can distract me from the task at hand.  I guess I don’t have the discipline required to be a successful telecommuter.

But perhaps I could develop the discipline.  I believe what I would miss most is the social interaction.  The article cites research by Stephen Humphrey at Florida State.  It shows a correlation between social interaction and job satisfaction and productivity.

So I think I’ll stick to driving in every day.  Could you work at home — full time, all day every day?