Recently in career Category

It's been a bit since I've had something to say. More than anything, I've been tired. The family moved into a new house, both my wife and I got sick, and my son...well...he continued on with his life of awesomeness. But I digress.

It's annual review time again! Like every year before this, I struggled to fill out my portion of the review. It used to be an issue of an inability to (a) remember what the hell I did the last year, (b) not focus on my failings, and (c) not come across as an arrogant asshole. Now, there's still the issue of remembering what I did, but I find myself walking the thin line of honesty and self-promotion. I've never been a self-promoter. Not my style. But over the last year, I've worked towards being able to allow myself to take credit for my success, and also take accountability for my mistakes. And doing so, I've made very few mistakes.

Isn't that where it's at? I mean, no one likes to admit they're wrong. But if you don't ever do it, you'll never see why you're making mistakes, and you'll never correct the behavior to move forward.

Each of my reviews I've had since taking my current position have gone really well. This one is no different. The raises have been sizable (esp. considering the current market), and more importantly, the feedback and communication has been transparent. I know where I am, I know what my boss thinks of me, and we are working together. It's a good feeling to know that we're all on the same page.

This originally appears as a guest post at the Home Office Warrior.

In walking to the parking garage with a co-worker recently, the conversation turned to telecommuters. At some point, the mention of the “office camaraderie” and friends at the office was mentioned, and how those working from home were missing out. In my usual fashion, I made a sarcastic comment, “I’d like to think that I am more qualified and better at choosing my friends than HR. Furthermore, I’d hope that HR has the job description in mind more than my preferences on music and cigars.” We got to our respective vehicles, and went about our lives. But the conversation still stuck in my head. Where did the idea of the “office friend” come from? Why do people think it is so important?

I recently did a guest post on the Home Office Warrior about the idea of the "work friend" and what it means now. Go ahead...read it...then come back. I'll wait.

Ok. Now that we've taken care of that, it's time for some good ol' fashion annual review time! Since I am taking the first week of June off to move the family into our new, non-sinking house, I have to complete it early. Now mind you, I never really know what to put on there. I know I do a good job, and I bring a lot to the team. But self-promotion? Not my strong point. There is a reason I do math for a living, and not sales. But I digress, being that (a) it's a job requirement, and (b) it's part of the process that determines me getting a raise.

So I fill it out. Twice.

It's nice to be home. I finished up a 3 day business trip in Cleveland, and reminded myself why I live in the south. It's cold there. Really cold, for me at least. I don't know how you Canucks and Madison folks deal with that. Also, they have a no-smoking rule for ANYTHING indoors, which means no cigar club. Boo! But, I also realized a few other things while traveling.

1. Travel Light: Yeah, everyone says that. But now with most airlines charging you for checking bags, it's more important that ever. So if you plan on doing any business traveling, spend the time and find a nice travel bag that you can put both work clothes and casual clothes in. Remember, Downy Wrinkle Release works WONDERS.

2. Research the hotel: They all have WiFi now, right? Yep, but not all for free. My hotel, which was a nice, expensive, downtown hotel, had a T-Mobile hot-spot in every room. Luckily, they're also my cellphone provider, so I already had a data plan with them. For others, not so much. Many hotels are looking towards paid WiFi, because (a) they don't have to maintain it, and (b) many business travelers bring their own, in the form of mobile broadband cards.

3. Reseach the area: It was cold, so I didn't do much. However, I did find a decent Italian place, and I would have gone to a baseball game if it weren't freezing. That being said, hotel rooms are boring. And so is the hotel lounge. So find something, ANYTHING, to do.

4. Research your companions: Simple, but often overlooked. If at all possible, find out who the other people there will be. Many times, some more experienced co-workers may recognize a name or two. It could be a client that needs special attention, or someone from another office who likes to drink and go to strip clubs. Either way, finding out what your fellow travelers are into could either find a person to pay attention to, a partner in crime, or a list of the people to stay away from.