What to Consider Before Drinking Alcohol at Work Events

What to Consider Before Drinking Alcohol at Work EventsWhat to Consider Before Drinking Alcohol at Work EventsTo drink or not to drink at work-related vorstellungs is a question almost every employee has to ponder for one occasion or another. Whether the business occasion is lunch during an interview, the company holiday party, or a staff networking event on Friday afternoon, alcohol is usually an option. While many employers make careful decisions about de-emphasizing alcohol at company events out of concern for employee safety and other potential legal issues, alcohol is often an option. Employees need to make wise decisions about whether to drink alcohol at a work event- and if drinking- how much. Decide How Much to Imbibe Before Attending the Event Make your decision about what to drink and how much to drink before you are faced with the choices atthe event. Set your limit before the event. This will help you resist the temptation to change your mindwhen you are actively atte nding the party. It is very easy to get caught up in the general merriment and revelry and drink (and eat for that matter) more than you actually intended. Avoid Having Drinks Beforehand Never get in the mood for an event by drinking after work at a tavern or starting with a drink at home. These practices will undermine your focus on a safe, enjoyable workplace event with coworkers. Many employees follow the rule of two glasses of wine or two beers over an evening, and this generally works for employee safety and sobriety. You need to decide what will work for you. How Drinking at Work-Related Events is Viewed By HR Professionals In a survey that was conducted by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), 501 Human Resources professionals were asked how drinking is viewed in their organization across arange of work-related activities. HR professionals reported that they found drinking is acceptable 70 percent at a holiday party40 percent at a meal with a client or cu stomer32 percent at a retirement party28 percent at the celebration of a company milestone22 percent at a meal with a co-worker4 percent at a meal during a job interview14 percent said that drinking alcohol at a work-related event was never acceptable. Each employee needs to know their own organizational culture and how acceptable behavior is defined to make the decision about whether to drink alcohol at company events. The Alcohol Decision You Need to Make Take behauptung factors into consideration when you make your decision about drinking at a company event or activity. You best know yourself and your organizations culture so these are the important factors for you to consider. Take your first cue from your company culture and the behavior of your coworkers. Do successful employees, managers, and executives drink alcohol at company events? If so, having a couple of drinks is fine. At one software development company, the weekly happy hour on Friday is deliberately called 2Bee r Friday to send an important message that drinking too much is unacceptable with coworkers and while driving.Take your second cue from your knowledge of yourself and the effect of alcohol on your actions. Does one drink make you giggly? Do two drinks make you slur your words or lower your guard and chatter excessively? Does alcohol make you sick or feeling as if you have an upset tummy? If so, you may not want to drink alcohol at company events. This is a perfectly rational decision and you need to ignore any coaxing by coworkers to have just one. If you are uncomfortable attending the event, for any reason, please dont use alcohol to decrease your anxiety. This is a set up for a disaster, especially if you are not used to drinking alcohol. Its just as easy to carry water or a soft drink in your glass at the party and no one will know the difference unless you tell them- not that its anyones business but your own. This question comes regularly from readers, by the way. People wonde r if coworkers are negative about employees who dont drink alcohol at company events. The answer depends on a lot on your company culture. As an individual, consider the effects of drinking too much on your relationships with your coworkers, your professional reputation, your managers ongoing regard, the office gossip mill, and your own view of yourself. You dont want to be the person who everyone is talking about the day after the party. And, know that your coworkers have long memories. You will hear about any gaffes you make again and again- and for years. Set your limit and stick to the limit you set. Dont risk your professional reputation for a third or fourth drink at a company event. Its not worth the possibility that you will be remembered for your actions when you drank too much at the company event. You want to be remembered as a sternbezogen professional who is always appropriate and contributing. Trust that this is best.

How to Make Job Search Connections in Surprising Places

How to Make Job Search Connections in Surprising PlacesHow to Make Job Search Connections in Surprising PlacesSometimes you can find a connection to help with the next step of your career when and where you least expect to. It can happen when youre actively job seeking and when youre not thinking about changing jobs at all. Thats why its always a good idea to keep your job search radar on, even if youre not actively seeking a new position. A friend or acquaintance might hearabout a job that would be perfect for you. Even better, the position might not have been advertised yet. You could get a head start on all the other candidates without having to do much to prepare other than getting your resume ready to share. Using Connections to Help Get Hired Getting hired through a connection is one of the best ways to get a new job. Employers love referrals because the applicant will have insight into the company before they apply, and many companies have referral programs to encourage em ployees to recommend candidates. There are two types of connections you can use when youre job hunting. Professional connections include people youve worked with, such as clients, vendors, colleagues, and peers in your industry. Personal connections include family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and random people you end up chatting with about your career. There are other connections that cross categories, like alumni from your university. Basically, any of the contacts you have in your life can help you get hired. Making Personal Connections Your personal connections can provide a gold mine of job opportunities. There are people who have been hired because of someone they sat next to on an airplane or a ski lift, or because the other mom they were chatting with at school pickup knew of a perfect position that had just opened up. You never know who might be able to help unless you ask. Some of the places where you can hear of a job opening might surprise you. Just think of a ll the places you go where you might run into someone you know or get to know someone new CafesGymsCo-working spacesPartiesPlaydatesPlaygroundsDog parksSports eventsSpecial eventsAirportsBars and clubsClasses and seminarsSchool functionsVolunteer organizations Watch your social media feeds, too. Your friends may post job openings at their employer or other positions they come across. Remember to be careful about inquiring, and do it via private message rather than replying to the post. Its never a good idea to advertise the fact that youre job searching unless youre out of work and want the world to be aware. The Best Way to Connect in Person It can be uncomfortable meeting new people, at first, if youre not an outgoing person. The mora you do it, the easier it will become. After the first few times, it may even seem easy. Be chatty. Say hi to everyone you know- and to some people you dont know. A simple hello, a smile, and asking how the person is doing can start a conversation . Make it about them initially. Dont make the conversation about you- and the new job youd love to get- right away. Instead, talk about what you have in common- your kids, your dog, the gym equipment youre using, the game youre watching, or the event youre attending. Ask the other person about their job, if you dont know. If you do, ask them how work is going. Thats always a good way to segue into a career discussion. Be prepared. At some point, the conversation should turn to you, and thats when its appropriate to talk about work and what youre interested in doing next in your career. Have an elevator pitch, a quick summary of your background, ready to share. Have your contact information ready. A business card with your email address, phone number, and LinkedIn profile URL is another way to easily share the details or have it ready to send on your phone.Making it easy for people to get in touch with you will increase your chances of getting job leads. Maintaining Professional Connections In addition to building your personal network, dont lose sight of your professional connections. Its almost too easy to stay connected on LinkedIn, social media messaging, and email. Those methods work, of course, but if youre in close proximity to your professional contacts, a chat over a cup of coffee works better. Youll be able to cement and build your relationship, discuss other contacts who might be able to help you and have a real conversation. Not networking in person is one of the biggest professional networking mistakes you can make. As with your personal connections, giving before you get works. Always offer your advice and assistance. People are much more willing to help someone who hashelped them. Theyll also be more likely to remember you if a promising job comes across their desk.

80% of employees get the Sunday Scaries Heres how to stop them

80% of employees get the Sunday Scaries Heres how to stop them80% of employees get the Sunday Scaries Heres how to stop themFor those of us who get weekends off, Sundays are meant to be a day of rest and relaxation. But for employees who dread the first morning back into the office, it can bring the Sunday Scaries, a catch-all term for anxiety about the upcoming week that has become a hashtag, brand, and lifestyle for the worried among us.And there are many of us who feel the low-thrum of anxiety on Sunday night.According to a new LinkedIn poll of over 1,000 professionals, an overwhelming 80% of working employees get the Sunday Scaries. The number jumps up to 91% with Millennials.How to combat the Sunday ScariesWhat causes this weekend anxiety? Work. The work you did do and the work you have yet to do. Worries about workload (60%), balancing personal and professional obligations (44%), and thoughts about the tasks you did not finish last week (39%) were the top reasons employees ga ve for feeling the Sunday Scaries.Going to bed with dread about your job sets the wrong tone for the start of your next day. There is another way, though. Rather than get consumed with existential anxieties about actions you cannot predict, deadlines you have yet to complete, people you have yet to meet, focus on what you can do. The foundation of cognitive behavioral therapy is to change how you think, so that you can change how you feel. Use Sundays as a period of reflection, so that you can get in the right head space for the week ahead.Do what you can to take care of your anxious body. Show compassion towards yourself. If exercise is your favorite form self-care, go for a run, ride your bike, meditate at a yoga class. Make a comforting meal for yourself. Call up your friends and family to remind yourself of the world outside of your worried brain. And when the day ends, journal about it. Write down your worries. When you landsee your fears written down, it can help you understan d what fictions you are telling yourself. One study found that students who wrote about their worries before a big exam boosted their test-taking performance. When you give your fears names and verbs, it helps you put them in perspective.And it may help to end your day on a moment of gratitude. Remembering the small moments of joy in your day can prepare you to face the unknown challenges of the work week ahead. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said that when she started writing three moments of personal joy at the end of each day, she radically changed her perspective about the future I used to go to bed every night thinkingabout whatI did wrong and what I was goingto do wrong the next day.Now I go to sleep thinking of what went right.