Day in and day out, I get e-mails from prospective clients in need of resume assistance, which I welcome as a service provider in this area. But a lot of times, after I get this message, I have to start an elaborate dance with them because they have put their job search in complete jeopardy. Related: 3 Areas Job Seekers Make The Biggest Mistakes What’s that, you say? It’s true. Call it comfort. Call it laziness. Call it being too busy or tired to work on looking for a new job when they get home, but many people continue (astoundingly) to conduct job searches from their current workplace. On my end, I can see that the person sent the message from their work account, and now I have to be careful – just in case the boss IS reading the e-mail when I reply back. So, I send a discreet e-mail in return, asking to take this resume service discussion offline to a personal e-mail account. Sometimes, if the person sends an e-mail with a phone number, I call the number and see if I can reach them to ask for that personal address. But I don’t leave a voicemail… simply because I don’t know who is checking their messages (possibly an assistant?) – which could also let the “cat out of the bag.” The point is that I don’t want to be the one to blow the job seeker’s cover. And I shouldn’t have to be. Nor should anyone else, for that matter. Job seekers need to be careful about getting reckless in their quest for a new job. It’s just plain good sense to take ANY job search offline and only do it during your time using your own resources, not that of your employer. So, why should you care? Do you REALLY think someone is reading your e-mails? Do you think this post is a little paranoid? Think again. Many employers have implemented spyware and keystroke monitoring software without the employee’s knowledge. The program could be sitting on your desktop, or on the company server that taps into your desktop. And yes, there are bosses who do read those messages, or set up flags with certain words that would trigger a report that goes onto the supervisor’s desktop about those keywords. Some job seekers are very aware of this software, but think that their company is too small to have spyware installed. Guess again. I once worked at a 35-person office. Thought I was safe until I was at a conference out of town and the big boss was bragging to some board members that he had just installed spyware on all the employees’ computers. So, I found out before I did something stupid that caught his attention. You’d better believe that from that moment on, I kept my work e-mail squeaky clean. So, sending an e-mail to a resume service provider, with a nice subject line of “Resume Assistance” isn’t the smartest move you can make. It boils down to basics: Don’t conduct job searches from work, stupid! Many people have gotten waaaaayyyyy too comfortable sending out personal e-mail messages from their work account. It could turn out to be the biggest tragic mistake any job seeker could make, if they care about being discreet in their search. And once the boss knows you are thinking about leaving, they might just show you the door first. This post was originally published on an earlier date.
There you are: sitting on the beach, covered in sunscreen, reading your favorite book, drinking your favorite drink under the cool shade of an umbrella. Life doesn't get any better than this. Suddenly, a door slams, a phone rings, a printer turns on. You jolt back into consciousness. You're at work, sitting in your cubicle, without even a hint of sunshine streaming in from outside.
When you're working a full-time job, finding time to enjoy the warm, bright summer weather can be a challenge. This is especially true for young professionals, as many of them are used to having summers off (or, at the very least, having a flexible summer schedule). But there's no need to feel trapped behind your cubicle walls. Go out and enjoy summer!
Here are a few tips for making the most of your summer while working full time.
1. Grab Some Foldable Chairs
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Keep a couple of foldable camping chairs at the office so you and a co-worker can catch some rays during lunch—whether it's in the park or the parking lot.
2. Keep A Beach Bag In Your Car
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Keep a bag full of summer supplies for your favorite summer activities. Having a bag (or, in my case, a backseat) full of towels, sunscreen, and swimwear keeps you prepared for anything. Friends hitting up the pool after work? You're covered. Once the clock strikes five, you can head to your destination of choice immediately.
3. Plan An Office Outing
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Plan an office field trip to the beach, the park, or the pool. Just do something fun so your brain can recharge and refresh!
4. Organize Group Walks
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Get a bunch of co-workers together and go on regular walks around town during lunch. (Or you could suggest a quick jaunt over to the ice cream shop.) This is a great way to get some fresh air, sunshine, and exercise.
5. Eat Lunch At The Park
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When you find yourself eating out, hit up places with a deck, porch, or patio of some sort. Obviously, eating out every day isn't really a feasible option for most of us, so look into alternative ideas as well. Pack a lunch and hit the park for your own little picnic.
6. Organize Office Sports
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Whether it's setting up an official office sports team or just hanging out with your colleagues a few times a week, playing sports is a great way to get out and enjoy the weather. Have a field nearby? Try setting up some slow-pitch softball games. Or see if you can get a basketball hoop for the office so you and a few co-workers can shoot some hoops at lunch.
7. Join A Professional Group
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During the summer, professional networking groups often have fun events like harbor cruises, pub crawls, and outdoor mixers. Find a professional group in your area and make networking fun this summer.
8. Have An Office BBQ
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Get your grill on! Talk to your boss about setting up an office BBQ. Ask everyone to contribute their favorite dish, side, or drink. Fire up the grill and relax! Hey, it's summer after all.
9. Wake Up Early
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Yes, yes, I know...waking up early is an incredibly painful and unbearable experience for some of us, but waking up even an hour earlier has its benefits—especially in the summer. Go for a morning run, putter around in the garden, or watch the sunrise with a loved one. Talk about starting the day off right!
10. Strategically Use Your Time Off
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Strategically use your vacation days around holidays. This way, you can make a potentially long weekend longer without having to use too much of your precious vacation time. Half days are also pretty awesome. It's amazing how much you can do with four extra hours! If you want an early weekend but don't want to burn up your vacation days too quickly, try taking a half day on a Friday instead of using a full day off.
11. Bike To Work
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If you're one of the lucky few who live within walking or biking distance of work, take advantage of it! Not only will you get plenty of fresh air, but you'll also save money on gas, which is always a plus!
There are plenty of easy ways to enjoy summer when you work a full-time job. So this summer, try out a few of these ideas and make the most of the sunshine and warm weather—while they're still around!
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