What to Say to a Boss Unreasonable Expectations - The Muse

What to Say to a Boss Unreasonable Expectations - The MuseWhat to Say to a Boss Unreasonable Expectations There are many words youd use to describe your boss, but reasonable wouldnt be one of them.You get it- your manager has a lot on her plate, which means its easy for her to lose sight of exactly how much shes asking of you. But, while you can understand why these totally unworkable demands keep cropping up, that doesnt mean you want to keep shouldering the burden. How can you successfully manage up and tell your boss that her expectations are unrealistic- without seeming whiny, lazy, or unreliable? Heres how to politely push back in several common situations. When Your Boss Gives You an Unreasonable Deadline...Your supervisor dropped by your desk to tell you he needs a major report compiled. And, thats not even the worst part He needs it by tomorrow. You know that even if you brewed a gallon of coffee and pulled an all-nighter, theres absolutely no way youll be able to get it done in time. What Youll Want to Say Are you kidding me, you insensitive monster? Sure, Im good at my job- but, that doesnt mean I have a magic method for cramming five days worth of work into a mere eight hours.What You Should Say I understand that this needs to be a priority. However, Ive reviewed the requirements for this project and I know Ill be unable to do a solid job with this given the current deadline. Could we push the due date to Friday?When Your Boss Assigns You Something That Definitely Isnt Your Job...You know you should stay away from uttering that dreaded, Thats not my job spiel in the arbeitszimmer (there are far better ways to send that saatkorn message). However, what about when your manager tries to rope you into a duty thats undoubtedly outside of your job description- like picking up her dry cleaning or bringing her dog to the groomer? Well, then youre entitled to push back a little bit.What Youll Want to Say What is this- The Devil Wears Prada? Im not your person al assistant and its not my job to cater to your every whim and desire. Schedule your own dentist appointment and leave me to do my actual work, you tyrant you.What You Should Say Im sorry, but I cant help you out because I have the charts for the sales presentation and the graphics for the new marketing collateral on my to-do list this week and am planning to dedicate my full attention and energy to those. We decided together during last weeks one-on-one that those were pressing priorities.When Your Boss Keeps Piling on the Work...Your supervisor obviously fancies you a productivity superhero, because he keeps doling out all sorts of tasks and assignments without any sort of concern for the towering pile of work thats already on your plate. Youre feeling beyond stretched thin and you know you need to speak up before your ever-growing to-do list literally suffocates you.What Youll Want to Say Take a look at this, why dont you? No, this isnt my handwritten version of the entire encyc lopedia. Its actually my to-do list. So, why dont you take your seemingly innocent, Hey, are you busy? elsewhere and find somebody with a little less work, please and thank you.What You Should Say I appreciate that you trust me with this assignment. However, I have a lot of work on my plate for this week. Can we sit down and talk through what Im currently working on to figure out what should be prioritized?When Your Boss Assumes Youre Available at All Hours...It doesnt matter if its a weekend, holiday, or your week-long vacation that youve been warning your manager about for months- she still assumes that she should be able to get in touch with you anytime, anywhere.What Youll Want to Say As much as I love your frequent inbox pings when Im trying to enjoy my time off, Id love to remind you that- despite popular belief- I actually do have a life outside of the office. You keep haunting me like a bad dream and my sanity is hanging on by a thread.What You Should Say In order to use my time away from work to truly relax and recharge, I want to remind you that I typically dont check my inbox when Im not in work mode. Ill make sure to get right on top of those things when I return to the office and my normal working hours.Managing up is always tough- but especially when your boss obviously doesnt have a grasp on whats realistic and whats totally unreasonable. While you might be screaming on the inside, it is totally possible to push back in a way thats polite and professional. Use the above examples as your guide, and youre sure to set some healthy boundaries with your manager- without seeming like youre shirking responsibilities.

How to Succeed as a Summer AssociateWhat You Need to Know

How to Succeed as a Summer AssociateWhat You Need to KnowHow to Succeed as a Summer Associate- What You Need to KnowThis week, an incredible panel of experts provided us with insider advice on how to succeed as a summer associate. Our panelists- Donna Gerson, a business etiquette expert, Wendy Siegel, Director of Recruitment and Marketing at NYU Law, and Charlotte Wager, Chief Talent Officer of Jenner Block- answered some of the most common (and difficult) questions summer associates have.For example, did you know thatThe most important question you should ask when meeting with a freund or associate about a new assignment is what the expected deliverable is. If the assigning partner is expecting a five-page memo and you produce a bulleted email, she wont be pleased. At the same time, if an urgent research question has come up and you spend a week doing exhaustive research, that also wont be appreciated.At a law firm, when youre asked for a draft, it means something completely differ ent than what you might expect. If a partner asks for a draft, he wants something fully proofread and edited, in final format. The best way to think about this is that your best written work as a summer associate- no matter how good- will be a draft or starting point for the partner, who will edit it as he or she sees fit. Unless you are given specific orders to do so- such as in an emergency where an answer is needed within an hour- you should never send a rough, unedited version of your work product to a senior attorney.In general, you should avoid checking your work-issued blackberry (and certainly your personal phone) at meetings and even at firm-sponsored social events.If a firm has hired you as a summer associate, the partners and recruiting staff want you to succeed They are investing in you because they think you would be a great addition to the firm. If something isnt going well, it is essential to communicate your concerns with your mentor, supervisor or someone on the rec ruiting team as soon as possible.If you didnt have the chance to join us on Wednesday, you can listen to the full version of the panel online here https//www1.gotomeeting.com/register/892414424. There are many more great answers to some of your most common questions. Be aya to check it outRachel Marx, Law EditorCONNECT WITH VAULT LAW ON TWITTER VaultLaw

Training and Preparing for a Human Resources Job

Training and Preparing for a menschenwrdig Resources JobTraining and Preparing for a Human Resources JobAre you interested in pursuing a job in the field of Human Resources? With the right training, planning, experiences, and a careful job search, you can obtain a Human Resources job. These tips will help you learn about the industry, develop your skills, and search for (and ultimately land) a job. How to Gain Skills, Knowledge, and Training to Land an HR Job Certain skills are essential for an HR employee. No matter what type of HR position you seek, you will want to hone your communication skills. HR professionals need to possess strong presenting, einstellungsgesprching, negotiating, mediating, training and critical listening skills. They can pursue training in all of these skill sets, but potential HR staff people generally have talents that lead them in the direction of this particular skill set. They need to have finesse with people and relate effectively to a broad range o f individuals across the strata of their organization. HR staff must be able to convey difficult messages to employees about layoffs, firings, and demotions. They must interact calmly with irate staff who might feel that they have been mistreated by their organization. HR staff also need strong writing skills for memos, policy handbooks, training materials and other communications. HR professionals specializing in benefits and compensation need strong quantitative and analytic skills to manage those areas. Undergraduate and graduate programs that help students develop these skills are located worldwide and online. Most professionals in HR have at least a bachelors degree with common majors including human resources, business, and psychology. You can certainly work in the field of HR without a degree, but, increasingly your competition for the available jobs has a degree Many HR managers go on for a masters degree in human resources or an MBA with a concentration in human resources a s they advance their career. Increasingly, with the rising amount of litigation especially in the US, many HR practitioners now have law degrees. How to Gain Experience for a Career in HR If you are currently in school, you can begin networking and learning about the HR industry. Conduct informational interviews with friends, family, alumni, and staff from your college or university who work in the HR department to learn about the field and make contacts. When you meet an interesting and friendly person, ask if you can job shadow them during a school break or arrange an internship to receive additional training in HR. Ask the HR department at your school if they hire student workers. Take an HR course at your college and choose projects for other courses that relate to HR to pursue additional skills and training. Seek leadership positions on your unigelnde that involve recruiting, interviewing, training and orienting other students. How to Find Your First Job in Human Resourc es Common entry-level positions include human resources assistant, interviewer, and recruiter. Search indeed.com or simplyhired.com by keywords like HR or human resources assistant, benefits assistant, interviewer, recruiter and human resources representative to generate a list of openings and apply to as many as possible. Here are job search tips to help you find an HR job- fast. If you have a family, alumni or LinkedIn contact at any of those organizations, let them know that you have applied and then, share with them a copy of your application materials. Your contacts might be willing to put in a good word on your behalf. Networking is a great way to find potential job opportunities. Reach out to all of your family, friends, Facebook and LinkedIn contacts and ask them to introduce you to an HR professional at their firm for an informational consultation.Contact the career and/or alumni offices at your college and ask for a list of alumni in HR for informational interviews. These meetings could lead to interviews if you make a favorable impression.Expand your network by joining professional organizations like the Society for Human Resource Management. Volunteer to help organize and staff meetings, workshops, and conferences. Tap the membership directory to identify additional networking contacts. Join LinkedIn groups for your college and the HR profession and participate actively in discussions. Reach out to group members for advice.Consider applying to jobs working for employment agencies as a way to gain experience in the recruiting/employment aspects of HR.You can also use temp agencies to land temporary assignments in human resources with client firms. If you dont have any related experience and are experiencing difficulty landing a first job, you might want to focus on a post-graduate internship to get your foot in the door. Interviewing for Human Resources Jobs Carefully review your resume and be prepared to reference your accomplishments and the challenges you have met in each role. You will be interviewed by HR professionals who will most likely employ behavioral interviewing techniques. You will be asked to provide examples of how you have applied key skills and personal qualities to your work, co-curricular, volunteer and academic roles. To answer these questions, first, assess the skills critical to carrying out the job that you are targeting. Then prepare mini stories detailing the situations, actions taken, and results generated utilizing each of those skills. HR staff will be particularly attentive to how well you follow accepted interviewing protocol, so make sure you have dressed appropriately. (The fallback position is business formal unless the person scheduling the interview suggests a recommended style of dress.) Also, remember to send an effective thank you letter after the interview. In addition to expressing your gratitude for the opportunity to meet with them, your letter should assert your continued or enh anced interest in the job and briefly explain why you believe it is an excellent fit for you. If you really want to make a favorable impression, write slightly different letters to each interviewer noting something of interest that they shared with you or addressing a concern that they may have voiced. More About HR The New Roles of the HR ProfessionalPlease Dont Let HR Be MisunderstoodHow HR Thinks