When Should I Leave My Job?

This is a hard question to answer with general remarks so in this response I'll share what has prompted me to leave jobs that I have held in the past.

1. Consistent high performance for two years or more without a resulting promotion.
2. My mentor that brought me into the company was fired (with much animosity) shortly after I had taken the job. I requested and was granted a severance package.
3. A change in management resulted in reporting to someone that I did not respect.
4. Poached by a head hunter for a much more lucrative and challenging position. Although still successful I was bored and needed to move to grow.
5. Relocation to an area to be near family.

As you can see not once did I leave a job for more money although I would not have left a position until I found a position that offered a significant increase in income and responsibility.  I took only one lateral move and that was to move closer to family when my children were young.

If you do decide to leave here's some advice. Do not accept a counter offer.  They know you are discontent and it will make future advancement difficult.  Do not tell anyone that you are looking.  I once shared this confidence with a coworker that reported it to our manager.  The irony was I was not ready to leave at that time.  I am of the mind that you start looking for another job the day you start a job. Be it either within or outside of your firm.  If you are not ready to leave you do this by keeping a network of potential employment decision makers and headhunters close at hand.  

Hope this helps!

Tip for Working From Home

When I work from home the work is always right in front of me unfortunately it does not mean that I am always focused on work.  The many distractions lead to focus and discipline problems.  To solve my problem I did a personal time management study.  I wrote down how long I worked and on what task each day for a week.  The results showed that after 90 minutes my mind drifts and within two hours I have allowed myself to become distracted by non-work related items.  I also tend to do those things that I like best not what is urgent.  My solution is to work only 90 minutes at a time this has left me much more productive and to list items that must be completed before the end of the day.  

Holiday Stress Reduction

Christmas is over and now is the time to reflect on 2012.  One of the most remarkable things that happened to me is that I had a stress free Christmas!  I achieved this by putting up a minimal of decorations, taking my time cooking and serving dinner late (9:00 pm), not overspending my gift budget and focusing on spending the day with my family.  Now I know if you have young children this is difficult to do but consider the value of having a happy stress free Mom on Christmas versus a stressed out Mom that is pushing her endurance.  Maybe incorporating one or two of my suggestions can make a difference.  However under no circumstances should you exceed your gift budget.  It is the sure way to start off the new year stressed about money,

My Favorite Season

MY PRECIOUS YET TACKY TREE

I just love the Christmas holiday season.  You can justify buying gifts and you have a chance to alter your home without regard to taste or fashion since it is only temporary.  I believe in the big gaudy Christmas tree with ornaments and balls that do not match.  I love the fresh smell of pine in the home even though it is a pain to clean up afterward.

But although I tend to indulge myself and others I am always mindful of being frugal.  Since I am a jeweler I make many of my own gifts.  I also request gifts that are not expensive to spare my friends and family the cost and guilt of spending too much.  This year I  have requested dog grooming, a trip to the museum with lunch, a hair cut and my name made into a graffiti mural.  I have always told people what I want for Christmas so that I never had to feel disappointed.  And since my requests are so reasonable I usually get a few small surprises in there too.


May you have:
A world of wishes at your command.
God and his angels close to hand.
Friends and family their love impart,
and Irish blessings in your heart!



Happy Holidays & We'll Be Back In The New Year!

How Do I Get Recognized At Work?

Young women always ask me how do they get noticed at work.  Given that they are new to the work force it is hard to differentiate themselves from their more experienced peers.  This is an easy one, take on a project that no one else wants to do and do it exceptionally well.  You will not have any competition to be compared against and your boss will be grateful that he/she did not have to do the task.  It is probably something that is boring and tedious but don't despair it will give a solid boost to your career and how you are viewed within the organization.

Help for 1st Time Home Buyers

In Howard County MD the MIHU program helps first time home buyers with moderate incomes to purchase a home.  It can be very expensive to live here and this program makes it affordable to live in a county where the two largest cities were named (Columbia/Ellicott City) the best small town to live in several times. 

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Moderate Income Housing Unit Program Activity Update

October was an open enrollment month for the homeownership component of the Moderate Income Housing Unit (MIHU) Program. This is one of four annual opportunities for individuals and families interested in affordable homeownership in Howard County to submit an application.  As is HCH’s custom during open enrollment periods, a MIHU Workshop was held on Wednesday, October 17, 2012, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Columbia Gateway building in Columbia. The workshop gives an overview of the MIHU Program (rental and homeownership) guidelines and opportunities. Unlike the homeownership component of the MIHU Program, the rental component is available year round, allowing applicants to submit rental applications directly to the participating MIHU rental communities.

The Moderate Income Housing Unit (MIHU) Program is an inclusionary zoning program that requires developers of new housing in specific zoning districts to sell or rent a portion of the dwelling units to households of moderate income.  A household of moderate income is defined as one whose household income does not exceed 80% of the Howard County median income for purchasers and 60% of the Howard County median income for renters.  The Howard County median income for 2012 is $101,771 (for a family of four).  All types of dwelling units are available for purchase or rent, from apartment-style dwellings and condominiums, to townhouses and single-family detached dwellings.  The purchase price and rental rate for each type of MIHU is calculated according to an affordability formula established by the MIHU law.

For more information about the MIHU program, please visit www.howardcountymd.gov and search “MIHU” or call 410-313-6318. The next open enrollment period will be in January 2013.

Lying For Your Company

I was posed with an interesting question.  What do you do when your boss tells you to lie to a customer/client?  I'll make this easy for you, sometimes you are the Captain of your ship and you control your destiny and other times you have to get in the boat and row. However I would still try to diplomatically avoid this situation.  You may want to ask your manager what he/she is trying to achieve with this falsehood or what do we gain from this lie. If the manager can see there is little gain hopefully it will alter his/her decision.  Another question you may want to ask is what will the customer do if they become aware that they were lied to and who will be held responsible for this ethical breach?  If these two questions do not bring your manager around you probably don't have a choice but to support him/her.  I can tell you that I was once in this position and my manager flat out told me that I would be the one held accountable.  As I dusted off my resume I was grateful that he did not lie.  If this is the case  you should aggressively look for work at another company or another department to avoid further ethical considerations.  The bottom line is if you are asked to lie what is next, what if he/she lies to you, or what if things go wrong and you are targeted as the source of the misinformation.  I know you have heard the phrase "being thrown under the bus."  I assure you it will happen sooner or later.