How to Make Your Boss Like You - The Muse

How to Make Your Boss Like You - The MuseHow to Make Your Boss Like You I want to be good at what I do, and I bet you do, too. Though the motivation may differ- a promotion, a raise, the Employee of the Month award, or to simply feel good about yourself- theres no denying that the desire to succeed is a powerful one. But in order to be successful, there are certain people we must work harmoniously with- the most important one being your anfhrer. When it comes to your career, your manager plays a key role in your growth and achievements. And lets face it- if we dont get along with said anfhrer, the role she begins to play is roadblock. And while there is, unfortunately, no secret formula to making your supervisor think youre great- and thus eliminating that barrier- below are some things you can do in every job that should earn you a big thumbs up. 1. Admit When You Make a MistakeNo one is perfect- slip-ups happen from time to time, and thats OK. Acknowledging you messed up will show accountability, help you learn, and prevent your boss from being blindsided when the error surfaces on its own (which it will). 2. Proofread Your EmailsYour performance is a direct representation of your manager. If youre shooting off shoddy emails, it can reflect badly on her and your team. Taking those extra seconds to read your message may also help you from sending a response laced with sass and frustration. 3. Meet Your DeadlinesYour manager, and likely others, are relying on you to finish your tasks in a timely manner. Getting things done by the time youre supposed to will make managing you a breeze. And lets be real- you know you loathe the people who constantly keep you waiting (in work and in life), so dont be one of them. 4. Let Your Boss Know ASAP if Youre Going to Miss a DeadlineWe already established you arent perfect (see number one), so we get it- sometimes a deadline cant be met. No matter who the finger of blame should be pointed at, your manager needs a heads up so she can plan accordingly. 5. Ask Questions When You Have ThemYou cant know it all- no one can (except maybe someone as successful as Adele). If you are unsure of something, its better to ask someone than to do something incorrectly or sit there and avoid it all day. 6. But, Do Try to Figure it Out Before You Reach Out for HelpShowing initiative and problem-solving skills are characteristics that will cause every manager to breathe a sigh of relief. But dont spend forever doing it- know when its time to throw in the towel. My golden rule? If you spend more than 30 minutes trying to find the answer, raise your white flag and let someone come to your rescue. 7. Save Any Grievances You Have for One-on-one MeetingsYou most likely arent going to agree with everything your boss says and does (if you do, lucky you). But instead of calling her out in front of the whole team, address her in private. No one likes to be thrown under the bus, especially in front of the people they manage. And w hen you do meet with her, make sure youre going about your feedback correctly. 8. Bring Solutions, Not ProblemsIf you have a problem, simply complaining about it is leid going to help change it. So when you address your manager in that one-on-one meeting, come to the table with suggestions, or at least the willingness to brainstorm some with her. 9. Acknowledge When Youre at CapacityWhile its tempting to say Yes to everything in an effort to prove youre a hard-working superstar, everyone has a threshold. Once you cross it, the quality of your work (and your work-life balance) will start to diminish. And that doesnt benefit anybody.10. Be a Team PlayerNeither your team nor your company can reach their full potential if you arent playing your part. And that limits your opportunity for success, too. The car cant run if one of the wheels is stuck in the mud. Dont be that wheel. 11. Take Work Off His PlateManaging you and your teammates isnt your boss only job. He has his own tasks, proj ects, and career goals, too. There are likely some items on his to-do list that you can do for him. Take a look at your workload, and if it isnt too heavy, offer to help make his list a little shorter. 12. Treat Her Like a rolleWhats that you say? Your boss is human, too? Yep And though the majority of your interactions involve her ensuring you are on task and have everything you need, its not her only concern in life. (Believe it or not, she probably has a guilty pleasure TV show she binge watches on the weekends, too. Scandal, anyone?) Make a note of personal things she mentions- her dogs name, a book shes currently reading- and ask about them when the time is right.13. Take Initiative to Further Your LearningJust because youre out of school doesnt mean your education has to end. Show you want to better yourself by signing up for a class, attending a workshop, or watching YouTube videos about cool Excel tricks. Want to hit the tanzerei out of the park? Take it one step further and share what you learn with your team. 14. Offer to Mentor or Train a New Team MemberTeaching somebody the ins and outs of a position is tough work. It can even be a job in itself. So when your supervisor hires a new team member, offer to get him or her up to speed. This will allow her to continue focusing on the big picture and dedicating enough time to supervise the whole team.15. Learn From Your MistakesThere arent many things more frustrating than having to tell someone something over and over again. When you make a mistake, take the appropriate steps to prevent yourself from making that same blunder in the future. Write it down, add a task to your process, put a reminder in your calendar- whatever it takes, learning from your slip-ups is a true sign of growth (and also keeps your boss from pulling her hair out). 16. Know When to Stop TalkingYour voice is important and it should be heard. After all, youre a valuable part of the team. But that doesnt mean you should be the team ch atterbox. Allow others to speak up, too, and make sure youre not just speaking because you like the sound of your voice.17. Show Your AppreciationYes, managing you is part of his job. And yes, his paycheck probably benefits because of it. But he is still taking time out of his busy schedule to ensure you have what you need and to provide support when you need it. When he does something you appreciate, say thank you and tell him how he helped you. Better yet? Sing his praises and write a recommendation on LinkedIn. Every supervisor has different management styles, and your boss may value some qualities in his or her employees over others. This will change with each job you have, but if you try to do (at least most of) the things above, youll receive your boss seal of approval. And while this seal may not be obvious (I mean, you arent going to get a trophy for being a good employee), it will show in the ways that count- more responsibility, a positive performance review, opportunities to manage others, and occasionally that big promotion. Photo of man talking to his boss description courtesy of Shutterstock..

Controller Perks Up for Second Job Offer

Controller Perks Up for Second Job OfferController Perks Up for Second Job OfferWhen Doreen Livorines commitment to move to warmer weatzu sich led herbei to take a job that wasnt the right fit, she prepped herself for her second job search in a year.Doreen Livorine, a Michigan native and former director of finance in both the automotive and utility industries, decided it was time to relocate.Id worked and lived all my life in Michigan, said Livorine, 52. After her husband passed away four years ago, shed been eyeing certain locales. I wanted to move somewhere that was warm year-round, and Id narrowed my choices down to either North Carolina or Houston, Texas. She signed up with Ladders in early 2008 and searched for standorts in the accounting field in the geographic areas shed chosen. It seemed a stroke of good luck when she was asked to interview for a position as a senior accounting leader at a large energy company based in Houston.As an accounting professional, I liked doing acco unts receivable, accounts payable, cost inventories - all that type of work, she said.The company agreed to reimburse her for travel expenses, to assist her in selling her Michigan home and to help with some relocation expenses, Livorine said. She flew into town and had whirlwind interviews with 15 people, then flew home, excited about the opportunity.Her Michigan house sold quickly, too, and in April 2008 (within a week of accepting the energy companys offer) was relocated to temporary housing in Houston.Too quick a decisionHowever, by August 2008, Livorine was beginning to think the fit wasnt right. Instead of drawing on her many financial and accounting skills, Livorine said the position involved co-ordinating with other accounting groups within the energy company.I would simply make sure that the other departments were correctly reporting and sending those reports to the head office on time, she said. It was a sign, really, that I wasnt in a good position, she said. I didnt rea lly take the time to understand what I was getting into.The second job search of the yearSo for the second time in a year, she began her search again. Livorine rented an apartment, moved her things out of storage, and set about finding the perfect position for her. She signed up with Ladders.com again in October 2008, and used many of the same tools and parameters that had helped her quickly find her a job the first time.Since I used Ladders.com previously, she said, I was able to repurpose much of the same tips, expertise and knowledge from the site. During her first search, shed been told her resume wasnt up to snuff and had applied the advice given to her by the resume professionals to help spruce it up.Livorine said she was also very impressed by the number of top recruiters and headhunters using Ladders, including many who contacted her after seeing her credentials and job-search requirements on the site.They have an entire recruiter list section that I didnt even have to use, she said. The top recruiters with the best jobs are already using Ladders, and they reached out to me.Livorine began to receive calls quickly and fielded seven interviews in six short weeks, she said. After that, a series of second interviews followed.A fresh start with better perksOn the day before Christmas, Livorine was offered an incredible opportunity with Maximus Coffee Group, a coffee procurement, processing, packaging and distribution company that was expanding its operations in the Houston area.As Kraft Foods Corp. wound down operations and prepared to close its Houston-based processing plant - which previously processed Maxwell House Decaffeinated Coffee and Minute Rice - industrial engineer and grandson of Maximus Coffee Group founder Carlos de Aldecoa Buena stepped in and purchased it for his company, Livorine explained.Livorine was offered a position as a controller and is in charge of the companys financials, cost accounting, inventory and the other accounting respon sibilities she loves. Livorine also now has 11 direct reports, and is pulling in a salary thats even higher than what she made with the energy company.I told the recruiter that connected me with the job that Id be happy making what Id made back in Michigan, she said. The cost of living here is much lower, and I knew Id be happy, but Maximus came back and offered me a 25 percent increase over thatLivorine said her future is bright with the company. The operation is growing, and in addition to providing decaf, instant, roast and ground coffees, it is also still processing Minute Rice for Kraft and developing new business with companies like Sara Lee and Folgers.Maximus also has improved the overall job situation in Houston by purchasing a plant that would have been shut down, and has since increased the number of staff.I know it was tough, but Im so happy now in my current position, Livorine said. She said if it werent for the experience of taking the wrong job, shed never have ended up with the perfect position.Everything happens for a reason, you know? she said.

Hired! Making the Industry Switch

Hired Making the Industry SwitchHired Making the Industry SwitchHired Making the Industry SwitchMid-career job seekers trying to break into a new industry often complain that it feels as if theyre fighting the momentum of their previous work history.Ladders member Dan Rozelman was contending with three generations of family history when he switched industries, first shutting down his plumbing business to sell manufacturing equipment, then to manage a staff selling glass to window manufacturers.Sales was always my forte, he said.Through Ladders, Rozelman recently found and accepted a sales management job that moves him toward the career goal he set for himself, though in a part of the business much different from the one in which he abfluged.Rozelman, 33, started his post-college career with a two-year stint selling truck parts across most of the Midwest before coming home to start his own plumbing business in 1998. He specialized in new construction installing the plumbing for all t he houses in a new development or new commercial or residential buildings.The jobs averaged around $150,000 but ranged as high as three quarters of a 1000000. Business was good, but his goal was to build it to the point where he could work full time on the business rather than having to go out on the job sites himself.My great-grandfather, my grandfather, my father and two uncles were all plumbers, so I knew that world, he said. My grandfather and father worked hard every day. My dad still does. But we live in Cleveland, and let me tell you New construction putting the furnace in during January is no fun.I was doing a million a year in new construction running two crews, Rozelman said. I could have run 15 crews, but I couldnt find the right people to oversee the work to the level it needed to be done, to the point that I could be in the office every day rather than supervising on the job site.The inability to scale finally frustrated Rozelman enough that he decided to get out of t he plumbing business and focus on sales instead.Looking back, that was the best move I ever made, because the Cleveland housing market started to crash right after that, Rozelman said. A lot of the guys I knew are out of business its possible I would have been, too.Taking an inventory of his own skills, Rozelman decided his nine years in the construction business had given him enough understanding and insight that he could operate in any business closely related to it.My strengths were in talking to contractors, owners of contracting companies, supply houses, Rozelman said. I knew the lingo understood what was going on I knew what the end users of the product had to deal with on a daily basis.It took six months of research and applying to online job postings related to construction equipment and capital equipment, but he landed a job at a company selling manufacturing equipment to manufacturers of windows for residential buildings.I didnt just apply to everything I saw. I mostly app lied for things that looked right for me, he said. I got a lot of interviews and tried to make most of what I said specific to the type of sale and challenge I was applying for. I talked about how I would spec a job with the engineers, and sell the job and present it. I could say, I know youre selling to the end user, and in my position, I did this. This is what drives their decisions, and this is what their purchasing patterns are and how they work with engineers, and this is what theyre concerned about.There was a certain amount of luck in landing the job, he admitted. But in 18 months he outstripped the expectations the company had set for him.His territory covered 19 states, and the average sale was close to half a million dollars. Long-term capital equipment isnt a high turnover business, though, so the customer he sold a welding or fitting machine to one year might not buy again for six years.There wasnt a lot of opportunity for growth, was the big thing, Rozelman said.It took about another six months, this time using Ladders as his primary source of job postings, newsletters and advice on resume format, to find his current job as sales manager for Cleveland-based, which manufactures double-paned insulated glass for window manufacturers.I wasnt looking for something too specific an industry or business that was growing and had some opportunity to move up, he said.He relied only on online job ads and resumes sent by e-mail. When he got an interview, he relied on his knowledge of the construction business, sales practices from previous jobs and his ability to handle a negotiation to answer any questions.They did say, What do you know about glass? Rozelman said. I said, If I can learn all the ins and outs of the capital equipment to make vinyl windows and break into some of the customers I broke into during that year and a half and get the letters of thanks I got from some of my customers on those complicated sales - no offense, but glass has got to be a breezeRozelman supervises three other salespeople covering a territory about 300 miles in every direction from Cleveland, including parts of Indiana, Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York.The money is better, the work is interesting, and theres a growth path.The president and vice president are only going to be in the company another five years or so, and my boss, the vice president of sales, can probably step up to the vice presidents job, and I can move into his, Rozelman said.Plus, theyre looking to do a major expansion into the East Coast, and Id be responsible for helping to grow business and pull in the manufacturers reps on the East Coast, Rozelman said. Its a good opportunity.