Just as there are bad employees, there are bad bosses. And yes, even stupid people can climb up the corporate ladder. What qualifies as a bad boss?
Perhaps, bad isn’t quite the right word. The better word would be ignorance. These are ignorant bosses who do not know better.
If the boss you are working under "passes" these tests, then he or she qualifies as a bad boss. These are the six most notable traits of bad bosses.
(Let's assume, for this article, that your boss is a man.)
1. Negative
He is always negative about everything. Not just about you. He can be negative even with the most positive things - as if there is nothing in this world that will make him happy.
If you feel he is just negative about you, watch properly. In all likelihood, he is negative somewhere else, too. He does not know how to look at things from the right view – work or otherwise.
2. Selfish
Here, goal means the collective goal, not his own selfish goal. The goal of your unit and company he is supposed to help achieve.
If he is always plotting to move up even at the expense of the people under him, he must be a very ignorant person. He does not know that the better his team, the better he is in rising to the top.
3. Rude
I am not just talking about lying. Your boss is likely not to just indulge in lies, but he is also likely to spread gossip, talking behind everyone’s back.
Even if he speaks well about you, beware. If he speaks ill of someone to you, he is likely to speak ill of you to someone else. He is likely to be rude, too!
He even calls you stupid. How can someone who uses his mouth like that be smart? Why would anyone be willing to be led by him?
4. Unethical
He is most probably unethical in his conduct and the way he runs his unit is detrimental not just to his team, but also to your company.
He takes credit from the team. He is not afraid to present to the boss. But when it is a tough presentation to a client, he will figure out an excuse to get out of it. You often wonder, why doesn’t his boss notice? He will create excuses when he makes a mistake and punishes others for the same mistakes. Leading by example is not in his vocabulary.
5. Lazy
Don’t ask him to do anything. He will act smart and look busy. He knows no effort. He will tell everyone to do everything and one wonders what he does. But he gets away with it from his bosses as he is very good at putting up an act for his bosses. He thinks he is working smart. But you know he is a bad boss because he does not even know his own role and work. His motto is, “A boss doesn’t have to work,” which is dead wrong! He just doesn’t work because he doesn’t know how.
6. Ignorant
He confuses his perception for reality. It seems like he is in a world of his own. He thinks he is smart. He thinks he works hard. He thinks he has employed the worst people in the world. If he has a chance he would change so and so and such and such. But he makes no effort at all. He has a warp sense of reality. Everybody is at fault and everyone needs him. When in reality the company is better off without him.
Does your boss have all of these qualities? Or even half? Then, he (or she) qualifies as stupid for all his ignorance. Does he also have toxic leadership qualities? If he does, you should think twice about your future under him.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.