by Angela Copeland | Sep 18, 2015 | Advice, Media
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Translating an Academic Resume for the Corporate World.”
Over time, one theme keeps coming up in the questions I receive from readers. After spending years going to school to receive a master’s or doctoral degree, many recent graduates find themselves with a long resume.
Unfortunately, their experience is exclusively academic in nature. The same holds true for those completing postdoctoral research. Compounding the problem, these graduates have virtually no experience interviewing for corporate positions.
This experience can be both frustrating and a huge blow to one’s self-esteem. The graduate spent years developing their experience and knowledge, and suddenly are at a loss for where to turn. The issue is often compounded because many people in their close circle are in a similar situation. The options for assistance are limited.
The good news is the steps you need to take don’t involve going back to school. They aren’t costly, and anyone can do them.
To read the rest of my column, and to find out how to transition from academia to corporate, visit the Memphis Daily News website here.
by Angela Copeland | Sep 11, 2015 | Advice, Media
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Work Stress is Bad for Your Health.”
If you’re feeling stressed at work, it turns out it may actually be bad for your long-term health. Researchers from Harvard and Stanford found that work stress can be as bad for you as secondhand smoke.
Joel Goh, Jeffrey Pfeffer and Stafanos Zenios teamed up to analyze 228 studies to come up with their findings. They looked at 10 factors, including things like low job security, long working hours, low levels of fairness at work and high job demands.
They then measured how those factors influenced multiple things: self-diagnosed physical and mental health, doctor diagnosed issues and death. Surprisingly, the analysis was able to predict our future health issues as much as if we were exposed to secondhand smoke.
In fact, over 120,000 deaths and $190 billion in health care costs every year are attributed to stress from the workplace.
It’s interesting to think about how seriously we take smoking, but how normal work stress seems. When stressed, many people turn to thinks like cigarettes, food and alcohol. Those behaviors can lead to increased health problems.
To read the rest of my column, and find out how to reduce your work stress, visit the Memphis Daily News website here.
by Angela Copeland | Sep 4, 2015 | Advice, Media
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “The Secret to Retaining Your Best Employees.”
It’s that time of year again. Time to celebrate Labor Day, the holiday dedicated to recognizing the achievements of American workers. With an unemployment rate hovering around 5.3 percent, many employers are asking the same question: “How do we retain our best employees?”
They have good reason to wonder. It’s hard to find great employees. Then it can be difficult to convince them to quit their current job to move to a new city in order to join a new company. It’s both a big risk to switch jobs and a huge pain to move.
So, what is it that employees want? Are they looking for free lunches and after-work kickball teams?
Although those things are nice, fortunately, the answer is more straightforward. Each time I begin working with a new job seeker, they inevitably tells me why they’re looking. And, the reasons aren’t what you’d expect.
To read the rest of my column, and to find out how you can retain your top employees, visit the Memphis Daily News website here.
by Angela Copeland | Aug 28, 2015 | Advice, Media
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “The Art of Interoffice Communication.”
With so many generations working together today, communication has never been more confusing. Our communication vehicles include email, phone, social media, text – not to mention real life, face-to-face conversations and handwritten letters.
Using the wrong communication method can hinder your ability to effectively share your message. It can cost you an interview, a promotion or an important project.
To read the rest of my column, and to find out how to put your best foot forward, visit the Memphis Daily News website here.
by Angela Copeland | Aug 21, 2015 | Advice, Media
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Know When To Cut Your Losses at Work.”
Typically, we think of sunk cost in terms of investing or economics. It’s the concept that money or some other cost you have already lost can’t be recovered. In business, the idea of sunk cost might come in to play when a project has failed. Management eventually decides that no amount of additional work will save the project. It’s best to cut their losses and walk away while they can.
The same idea can also apply to your own career. Consider this example – you’re midway through a master’s degree program you aren’t interested in and know you’ll never use. You continue on with the program because you’re already halfway through.
Another example is the length of time you stay at a company. If you’ve been at the same job for 10 years, you may want to stay longer even when things are bad. This is due to the feeling that you’ve been there so long and invested so much that you shouldn’t leave.
To read the rest of my column, and learn the important questions you should ask yourself, visit the Memphis Daily News website here.
by Angela Copeland | Aug 14, 2015 | Advice, Media
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Job or No Job.”
In the job market today, millennials are one of the groups most likely to be unemployed. Last week, ABC Family premiered a new reality TV show to shed light on this issue, “Job or No Job.”
According to ABC, “Job or No Job” follows one young adult per episode on his or her journey to land a first job. Each job seeker will go on three interviews to find out if he or she lands a job offer. Author and CEO Jane Buckingham guides each of the candidates through the interview process, serving as career expert and job coach.
To read my entire column, and to find out my take on the important job search lessons that can be learned from this show, visit the Memphis Daily News website here.
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