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Workaholism and Burnout

In western culture it is easy to get caught up in the fast paced hype of current trends. It seems that there is not enough time to do that which we set out to do. Our tasks lists are longer than our meals with our families. Sitting down to enjoy our families or nurture ourselves is becoming a thing of the past. Unless we stop, look, and listen to how we are really doing or feeling deep inside. I am a single mother of a teenager and I know from first hand how to be an over responsible workaholic. Being a single mom puts me in a position of being the super woman. I have to cook, clean, organize, pay bills, go to work, take care of my daughter, be the absent father, among other things I am suppose to be or do because of my position of being a single parent. I dove into my career as an entrepreneur twelve years ago. I am in the service oriented business. My passion was to meet the needs of my clients and for twelve years I did exactly that. What I did not plan on was over working led me to burn out. I was forced to work so that I can provide and live a good life for my daughter. I thought that money was easier if I worked hard and was never home. I even worked two other jobs to make ends meet. What I found out is that my body can only do that for so long and then I got some sort of illness. This is when depression set in for me and it seems to be the highest emotional illness among single parents. I wanted to be the tough mom and the one who could "do it all" and prove to the world that I can do anything! Well, that was all wrong. The workaholic and burnout came together and I crashed. I hated my every day life, and I hated going to work, and I hated what I use to love to do. Personally and professionally I thought I had it made. Wrong again. My focus was on meeting the needs of my clients and I neglected myself and everyone else around me, including my daughter. She did not deserve that but I felt I had no choice in the matter. we all have choices and I finally took a long look at what I had been doing with my life and how it affected the lives of those around me. Yes, I would have done things differently, but I guess it was my time to learn that over working and burnout became a blessing. Why was it a sign of a blessing? Well, once I realized that I was an over doer, I took that break I needed and realized I am a better person for having gone through all what I did. I want to help others who work too much and I want them to get the help they need before they feel guilty or regret some of the things I did. My motto: "Live with No Regrets". My advice to avoid burnout is to read articles now before it happens. Look for the signs written. If you have lost your lust for life and you are negative every day, get some help. Depression either has set in or you need to get help for your depressed thoughts. When you are depressed it affects others even if you do not think it does. My only wish is that whether you are a single parent or not, over working and burnout usually go hand in hand please do not wait until its too late to get the help you need. Stop, look, and listen to the real you on the inside. Above all remember there is a higher power that cares enough about you that, "this too shall pass."


Competency Based Interview Questions: How To Give Perfect Answers

The use of Competency Based Interview Questions is becoming increasingly common and not just within the largest corporations. Smaller and medium sized companies are using these tools as a means of improving their recruitment decisions.


Using Keywords in your Engineering Job Search

After making sure the grammar and spelling is correct, the next most important step is to compose the Cover Letter and Resume to match the job postings qualifications. The best method to accomplish this is by infusing the documents with keywords and keywords phrases. Much like the action verbs which have been the standard for resumes, keywords have become just as important.  Keywords and Keyword phrases are normally nouns that are job-specific, profession-specific and/or industry-specific. The buzz words can be related to skills, technological terms and descriptions of technical expertise (including hardware and software in which you are proficient), job titles, certifications, names of products and services, and industry buzzwords and jargon. They may also include types of degrees and names of colleges and company names. Awards you have won and names of professional organizations to which you belong can even be used as keywords.

A list of keywords and keyword phrases can be created using several techniques. Some of the more common techniques are:

*Boomerang Technique - Bounce the keywords and phrases used in the job posting back to the employer. Too many resumes are written for the general public and not specific to the job. This does not mean that you need to rewrite your resume every time, but that you should modify it by adding specific terms and phrases. Read the job posting closely, and you will find the verbs and nouns they are looking for. Most job postings are loaded with industry- and position-specific buzzwords. Take your cues straight from the source and include those same words in your resume.

*Industry Specific Terms - The engineering profession has its own unique terms that few outside of the field would either know or understand. Even within the various fields of engineering there are specific terms. One such term is Building Information Modeling (BIM), which is a building design and documentation methodology that creates a reliable, coordinated and consistent digital representation of a building for design decision-making, construction document production, performance testing and actual construction process. Computer-Aided Design or CAD software, another industry keyword, is instrumental in maintaining the BIM model. Another term is Low Impact Development or LID also specific to engineering, but also specific to a few fields in engineering. The same is true for LEED certification, which is important in renewable and environmentally friendly or green design. To find more keywords, research industry trends and visit professional association websites to uncover current buzzwords -- especially those used by the hiring company or industry leaders.

*Your Own - Again you can list your own Keywords that may or may not show-up in the company literature or industry sources. One such phrase maybe Project Management. Project Management means that you have the knowledge, skills, and experiences to manage all aspects of a project.

There are two main areas to use these keywords; written and oral.

*Written - This includes the Cover Letter, Resume, Thank-You Letter, Career Profiles, and other job search communications. The keywords used here are specifically tailored to the job by letting the employer know that you are the "right" candidate for the job.

*Oral - This is mainly done at the job interview, but also includes any other oral communications you may have with the prospective employer. The objective is to reinforce the employer"s perspective that you are the right person for the job.

Making use of keywords and phrases along with a well written resume maybe the strategy you need to win that next job. Research what buzz words are specific to the job posting and the industry, and reiterate those words to your prospective employer.

 






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