But I don’t have time!

Time is a scarce resource! (For the record, I am not just realizing this now).
Instead of blaming the lack of time (which is a very disempowering statement), I should take ownership over my decision. For example, last night, I chose to watch Glee instead of write my blog post for Fireside HR. Was it the right decision? Maybe not but it was my decision and I have the power to make the same or a different decision the next time.

Remember when it was called a weblog?

A few weeks back I received an out of the blue email from a fellow HR professional, Stephanie Andrews of Alberta, asking if she could be one of our featured bloggers. I was flattered – readership has grown in the last few months and we were starting to cross borders. But most of all I was a proud mama… our colleagues were coming of age and feeling more and more comfortable participating in the Web 2.0 world.

Quitting time…

Well, it was bound to happen sooner rather than later. Marry the fact that jobs are becoming more available, with the fact that employees are disengaged in their current jobs more than ever before (according to the Conference Board), with accessible social media and what do you get?
Public resignation letters.

Business trip etiquette: just some thoughts

I am going on a trip to a conference as well for training to two separate companies. I am interested to know what people believe is the correct dress code. As many may know, I work for a yoga apparel company where I wear stretchy pants, tank tops, flips flops, runners, and so on all day long. Now if I am going as the guest to a conference, does that mean I need to go shopping and wear clothes I wouldn’t otherwise?

I cried at work, and it’s ok

I am very passionate about what I do.  Everything in life is either full on or just off.  When I make mistakes, I am very accountable to fixing them.  When someone gives me feedback I take it as a gift and not a personal attack.  I am committed to my work, just like everything else [...]

Do you love your job?

With summer now upon us, I am finding it harder to keep my nose to the grindstone and focus on the tasks at hand. And in talking to friends, I have realized that this really is the time of year that people start to have qualms about their position and are sometimes itching to move on to a new opportunity.

Approaching HR from the sidelines

I’ve recently accepted a full-time position at the Robson Square Provincial Courthouse where I’m working as a Registry Clerk.  It’s ultimately an administrative position.  Although I’m not directly serving a human resources function, I think I’ve made a wise career choice by joining the team. On the upside, this government job offers stability – a [...]

Unemployed? …. Do Not Apply!

A recent article posted at Huffington Post brings up the question of whether or not the unemployed should be excluded from applying for vacant jobs.  The article reports that some companies in the US are not only discouraging the unemployed from applying for jobs, but also blatantly stating “Must be currently employed” in their job [...]

Why fill an entry-level position with a lateral mover?

When I gave the valedictory speech at BCIT’s last June, there’s no way I could have anticipated that I would still be searching for a full time entry-level position in HR one year later.  Last summer, I was surprised to meet HR practitioners who had been terminated during the height of the recession, and were [...]

LinkedIn connections… is it about quality or quantity?

In life, it’s usually quality over quantity, all the way.
But what about LinkedIn connections… are you better off focussing on quantity or quality?

Want to learn HR? Blogging is where it’s at

A recent online poll by HR Executive Online shows that 90% of HR professionals are reading blogs with 48% saying that “HR blogs give me new, fresh ideas about the HR profession and where it’s heading”. I’ve definitely found that reading HR blogs is a great way to keep a pulse on what’s going on out there on a timely basis, get a different take than on what you can read in a textbook, and 9 times out of 10, it’s a very entertaining way to learn valuable HR lessons.

The best business school (and cheap, too!)

I heart Dragons’ Den, the best “reality” show around. It features 5 highly successful entrepreneurs (the “Dragons”) who have experience building companies, have money to burn, and are looking for the next great idea to invest their venture capital.

This show is so great, it should be mandated viewing for all HR professionals. If you’re looking to brush up on your business know-how, then tune in. Here is a recap of what I’ve learned so far in my free business school.

The secrets to my success?

I’m always reading up on stories of how people have achieved their career success. Most recently I was reading up on wise words of advice from top business people in the November 2009 issue of BC Business magazine.
Not long ago I stumbled upon a very authentic blog post which starts off with the blogger Michael G. Brandt telling a very personal story of career lessons he learned the hard way. He then shares his own secrets to success as a result of his experiences.

These are a few of my favourite things

I missed out, big time, on a blog topic so readily available to me – Canada’s Thanksgiving Day, back in October.  Well call me an opportunist, I’m hopping on the American Thanksgiving bandwagon for today’s theme:  Things I’m thankful for in my job! 1.  I work with a great group of people.  I empathize with my fellow [...]

Arguing or finally talking?

I looove the movie Jerry Maguire.  It’s one of those movies I watch whenever it’s on TV, along with The Wedding Singer or The Sound of Music.  Everytime I watch it, I unpeel another layer and discover that I love it even more, especially for its classic quotes from Tom Cruise (aka Jerry Maguire): “Show me [...]

Knock Knock! >> Who’s there? >> Your CFO!

I previously covered some ground about whether or not non-HR people can or should work in HR. The conclusion: yes, they can and they should. However, I would much prefer to invite them in and hand them their agenda, not have them forced upon us.

The career satisfaction test – would you rather be working or watching The Bachelorette?

It’s a trick question, really… no job can beat Season 5 of The Bachelorette, featuring Vancouver’s own Jillian Harris. But back to the topic of career satisfaction.  I just caught this news story that appeared in the June 10th edition of The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.  The story:  results from a survey last year of [...]

Running HR with no HR experience = running with scissors?

… to work in HR The March 9, 2009 issue of the Canadian HR Reporter published the results of a survey to HR professionals regarding whether or not there was any value to having HR experience.  In one particular question, respondents were asked if it was a good or a bad thing to have someone [...]