I’ve spent a great deal of time in an office and running a freelance business from home. It would be nice if you could just focus on the tasks at hand but if you were to only do that, things would quickly get out of control. If there isn’t someone to manage the office, operations will come to a halt.
I want to share a few of the trials and tribulations you’ll experience when you’re put in the managerial position at work. Here are some issues that will require your attention when managing an office:
Keeping Stocked With Office Supplies
Consider widely used office machines, like fax machines or printers. These two items alone will quickly run out of their supplies if you have a team constantly printing. Popular brands for the office, like Xerox, have introduced a lot of paperless options but it still means you need to keep stock of Xerox ink for your device. Now imagine if you have one on each desk for each employee!
Then you have things like stationary, office furniture that’s been broken, monitors, cables, and the like.
A grasp on inventory management is a skill you’ll quickly learn when managing the office. It’s crucial that you’re able to keep a count on what comes in and what goes out. This includes the items used as part of the daily work routine. It’ll be a challenge keeping up with these items but you’ll want to, especially considering the amount of funds you’re dumping into the business.
Team Collaboration
If you’re lucky enough to be in an environment which gives employees creative control then you can relax (a bit), since they’re self-managed. However, the chance of undertaking this role is quite slim. For that reason, you need to be a leader and have the ability to delegate and manage team collaboration on projects.
Managing the team may include:
Choosing the right tools and resources for team projects
The ability to handle conflict when it arises
Developing the right set of tasks and milestones to keep it moving forward
Understanding the strengths/weaknesses of the team members to find their appropriate roles
This is one of the reasons why team building was such an integral part of school. An office environment requires your ability to act like a team or, if you’re on the opposite position, to at least have some kind of control over its members.
The skills required for team collaboration and management will come to you in due time. Stay focused on the objectives and you will naturally learn what’s needed as you progress in your leadership role.
Time (Read: Employee) Management
Who called in today? Who’s taking their place? Did they make sure to clock out?
These questions will run through your head every day when you’re managing the office. It’s hard enough keeping track of your time let along a group of others. You’ll hear the whole gamut of time management obstacles, whether it’s that they don’t have enough time or one of the systems wasn’t working.
Again, you must step up and lead these individuals. You can’t expect them to remember every small detail of their work routine let alone the fact that some may have it out for you and want to disrupt your work flow.
Systems are what keep the machine running, such as:
Keeping an up-to-date spreadsheet of payroll (or using automated tools)
Creating schedules that are fair for each individual (which fits their availability)
Scheduling the appropriate days (far into the future) for those wanting time off
Creating a fallback plan in the event an employee is a no show
Yes, this does mean you may need to step out of your position to fill the role. It’s something you’ve taken upon yourself when accepting the position. However, if you strive to develop concrete systems for managing time then you will effectively gain this control over the employees.
What challenges (and triumphs) have you experienced while in the managerial role?
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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.