Dynamic Career Solutions

Dynamic Career Solutions – Issue 3 – February 1 – February 15, 2011 2


Contents

Feature Article

11 Job Search Tips for 2011 Pg 4

Expert Career Tips and Advice

Career Catch-22 Pg 7 How do you get experience if nobody

will hire you without any?

Impressing a Potential Employer Pg 9 How to Answer Tricky Interview Questions

I'm Experiencing Job-Search Burnout Pg 13 How to handle the frustration of a long-term job hunt

Online Recruitment Pg 16 State-of-the-art Job Search Strategies

Just for fun

How humor can help you at work Pg 19

Flexing your funny bone can significantly enhance

your professional prospects

For advertising opportunities in our magazine contact us at:

Phone: 604.971.3357

Email: [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]

http://www.dynamicbioresumes.com/


11 Job Search Tips For 2011

By: Kaitlin Madden

It's 2011 and it's time to take control of your job search. This year, it's no longer up to companies to hire you, it's up

to you to get hired. Forget about how the economy is doing. Reflect on last year if you must, but then forget

about that, too. This year, your focus will be on finding the right job for you and doing everything you can to

be the best candidate for that job. The competition may still

be tough, but you're going to be better than the competition.

Here's how to turn the tables in your favor.

1. Narrow your search. Stop applying

to jobs that you're not qualified for or

don't really want. It's a waste of time. Be honest with yourself when evaluating job

postings. If you had to start the job tomorrow, do you have all the skills

you'd need to succeed? Or are there areas of the job description that you

don't have experience in? While it's always great to be willing to learn, most

companies want to hire someone who can jump right in and get started without

being trained from scratch. Focus your time on creating great applications for

jobs you are well qualified for instead.

2. Know exactly what you want.

Narrowing down your job search may force you to ask yourself tough questions

like: What kind of job am I really after? And, what skills can I offer an employer?

If you're unsure of the answer, make one list of the job skills you excel at and one

of the skills you like to use most. Use these skills as search terms in your job

search.

3. Re-evaluate your skill set. If you

feel like you've looked at every job posting on earth and you still can't find

one your skills match up with, then it's time to get some new skills. The good

news for those who are unemployed is

that it's the perfect opportunity to go

back to school. You won't have to divide your time with your job obligations, and

there's also the possibility that the economy will have recovered a bit by the

time you graduate school -- giving you a double leg up. There are even

government funding and programs available for out-of-work job-seekers

that want to enroll in training or continue their education.

4. Set goals. Yes, your overall goal may be to get a job, but setting short-term,

specific job search goals for the year will help you grow and force you to

continuously evaluate your progress. Improve your networking skills, for

example, by making January's goal to join a professional organization and

February's to attend a college alumni event. Holding yourself accountable for

achieving these goals will boost your self-esteem and motivate you to

continue searching by providing you with new leads and information.

5. Try something new. If you're stuck in a job search rut, add a new strategy

to your repertoire. Instead of only job searching online, try working with a


recruiter and setting up informational

interviews with industry contacts, too. A

multi-faceted approach will get the best

results.

6. Get a leg up on the competition. If

you come across a job that seems perfect for you, do something that will

subtly help you stand out from the

crowd. When you find a job posting you want to apply to, find out the name of

the hiring manager or someone who works in the same department, and send

the person an e-mail directly. It's 2011, which means almost anything can be

found online, including names and e-mail addresses. A LinkedIn search on the

company should turn up a list of employees and their titles, from which

you can select the most appropriate person. Then, search the company

website or press releases for the company's e-mail format.

7. Get a hold of your online reputation: When an HR manager

searches your name online (and they will do it) you can either take control what

they see, or you can leave it to the powers of the crawl search gods. Search

results that are professional, consistent and that establish you as an expert in

your field will be far more impressive than Facebook pictures from

Thanksgiving. Things like a Facebook or

LinkedIn profile and a Twitter feed will all show up on the first page, so signing up

for these sites and populating the accounts with up-to-date, professional

content will make a great impression.

8. Start a website: If you want to take your Internet presence one step further,

starting a website will showcase your skills and talents in a thorough and

interesting way, and it'll add to your

professionalism and give you credibility. Plus, it's not as costly or as time-

consuming as you might think. Domain names (i.e. YourName.com), can be

registered on sites like GoDaddy.com or

Bluehost.com for around $10, and web

hosting can cost as little as $3 per month. If you're not particularly tech

savvy, premade blog templates give you

a professional look with minimal hassle. Wordpress.com has tons of template

options and also provides great technical support for novices.

9. Stay current: You should always be

in the loop, even if you're out of work. Read trade publications, comment on

industry blogs, and stay on top of any emerging technologies or policies that

may impact your career path. This will

not only help you have a great conversation with an interviewer and

keep your professional edge, but it may also give you new ideas about where and

how to look for a job.

10. Sell yourself: An interview is no time for modesty, especially in times like

these. When you land an interview, go prepared with at least five examples that

demonstrate your best qualities. That

way, when an interviewer asks, "Why should I hire you," you can talk about

how you're such a quick learner that you taught yourself Photoshop in a week and

how your entrepreneurial spirit lead you to start your first lawn-mowing business

at age 16. Be sure to leave the interviewer with the phone numbers of

references who will back you up with glowing recommendations.

11. Keep that glass half-full approach, all year: A job search will

always have its frustrating moments, because things don't always happen

when or how we want them to happen. But instead of letting setbacks ruin

motivation, take them as lessons. Your lack of interviews may mean it's time to

re-evaluate your career path or skill set,


which could lead you to a more fulfilling

career. This type of positive attitude will be much more productive in helping you

find your next job. The bottom line is that job searching will be tough this

year, but landing a job -- even your

dream job --can still be a reality. A proactive job search is your best bet, so

take the necessary steps to ensure you get the job you want.


Career Catch-22

How do you get experience if nobody will hire you without any?

By: Beth Braccio Hering

It's an age-old dilemma facing job seekers ranging from new college graduates to

workers trying to transition into a different industry: Employers want to hire people with

experience, but how do you get that experience when nobody wants to hire you because

you don't have any?

While getting a foot in the door may be difficult, it's

not impossible. Here, experts show how to put your best self forward to convince employers that

you can do the job.

Examine transferable strengths

Lacking history in a given field doesn't

automatically translate into being an undesirable applicant. Oftentimes, things

learned in one workplace are valuable in another.

"I can think of more than one instance in

which a candidate was able to sell

himself for a specific role despite having little or no experience and who then

moved on to being a fantastic fit for the position long term," says Julie Rulis,

talent acquisition manager for Western Union. "It's much easier for companies to

train their employees on technical skills versus core competencies like leadership

skills, analytical abilities, motivation, ambition and problem-solving. These

traits span multiple industries and functional areas."

David Couper, a career coach and author of "Outsiders on the Inside: How to

Create a Winning Career ... Even When You Don't Fit In," suggests looking at

how your past field and your desired one

might be comparable. "Processing insurance claims is similar to processing

medical claims. If you wanted to move into health care from financial services, it

would be reasonable to make this comparison."

Look outside the workplace

Employment is not the only thing that shapes a candidate. "Do an analysis of

activities you have taken part in outside of work and list the skills you have

used," Couper says. "These activities could include anything from chairing a

PTA committee to upholstering a chair at home. A coaching client of mine got

experience in fundraising for charities through his extreme cycling hobby where

he raised money to fund major

competitions. He leveraged that experience into a full-time job in

business development with an advertising agency."

Create a functional résumé

Your task is to show a prospective employer what you can offer, not what


you lack. Thus, ditching a regular résumé

dedicated to career history in favour of a functional résumé that focuses on

abilities may be helpful.

"If an applicant lacks experience, his résumé should highlight examples of

professional skills, such as problem-solving, time management or other skills

related to the particular industry and position he desires," says John Robak,

executive vice president and chief

operating officer at Greeley and Hansen, a leading national niche firm

headquartered in Chicago that specializes in innovative engineering solutions.

"Most importantly, the job seeker should outline how his skills will be beneficial to

an employer as well as detail the ways in which he can apply these skills in the

position he is seeking."

Couper adds that having a cover letter

that includes a referral from a

personal contact may go a long way. "Having a

recommendation from someone the employer respects will help to counteract

any negatives he may see in your background."

Sell yourself in the interview

Armed with a solid sense of what you bring to the table, the interview is the

time to make the connection clear to the hirer. This involves not only knowing

your strengths, but also how those abilities fit with the company's goals and

needs.

"It's really important to spend time

understanding the role before the interview takes place so the applicant

can position him or herself accordingly

and be prepared for any questions that come up," Rulis says.

If the interviewer does bring up lack of

experience, experts suggest trying to redirect the conversation back to skills

you do possess. What not to do: lie.

"Don't pretend," Couper warns. "The

interviewer knows if you have experience or not. For example, a hiring manager I

knew would ask candidates if they had experience using Microsoft Excel. If the

candidate did not know what a pivot table was then the manager knew that

he did not have in-depth knowledge."

Show dedication

Finally, it is critical to demonstrate to

employers that your interest in their industry is more than a passing thought

or an attempt to land any job. Ways to do this include:

Researching a company before an interview.

Consistently reading up on the field.

Attending professional conferences. Talking (and networking) with

appropriate people.

Or, go a step further:

"For those job seekers that lack

experience, complete an internship or volunteer your time within the industry

you are seeking employment. These options will help a job seeker build

relevant skills, demonstrate commitment to the industry and gain some

experience."


Impressing a Potential Employer

How to Answer Tricky Interview Questions

By: Kate Lorenz

Does the thought of going on a job

interview cause your palms to sweat and

your body to break out in hives? Stop

itching; you're not alone.

The vast majority of job seekers admit to

emotions ranging from mild uneasiness

to downright panic leading up to their

interviews. The good news is there have

been no reported cases of job seekers

who died of nervousness during a job

interview. So relax and follow these

simple tips for keeping your anxiety at

bay before and during your interview.

First, take the proper amount of time to

prepare for your interview. Being well-

prepared will boost your confidence and

lower your anxiety. Experts recommend

that you spend at least three hours

preparing for each interview.

You should draft answers to the most

common interview questions and practice

speaking them out loud. You also should

read up on the company with which you

will be interviewing and prepare some

questions of your own. This lets the

interviewer know that you are truly

interested in the company and the

position.

As a final step in your preparation, make

sure you have good directions to the

interview site. Some job seekers make a

dry run to the interview site to ensure

the directions are correct and to estimate

the amount of time they will need to get

to the interview on time.

Going into a job interview is often like

entering the great unknown. Although

every interviewer

is different and

questions vary

from industry to

industry, there are some questions that

are common across the board. Reading

through the following questions and

developing your own answers is a good

place to start in your preparation. Once

you have done that, remember practice

makes perfect! Nothing impresses a

potential employer like being ready for

whatever is thrown your way.

Why should we hire you?

Here's the chance to really sell yourself. You need to briefly and succinctly lay out your

strengths, qualifications and what you can bring to the table. Be careful not to answer

this question too generically, however. Nearly everyone says they are hardworking and

motivated. Set yourself apart by telling the interviewer about qualities that are unique to

you.

Why do you want to work here?

This is one tool interviewers use to see if

you have done your homework. You

should never attend an interview unless

you know about the company, its

direction and the industry in which it

plays. If you have done your research,

this question gives you an opportunity to

show initiative and demonstrate how

your experience and qualifications match

the company's needs.

What are your greatest weaknesses?

The secret to answering this question is

being honest about a weakness, but

demonstrating how you have turned it

into a strength. For example, if you had

a problem with organization in the past,

demonstrate the steps you took to more

effectively keep yourself on track. This

will show that you have the ability to

recognize aspects of yourself that need

improvement, and the initiative to make

yourself better.

Why did you leave your last job?

Even if your last job ended badly, be

careful about being negative in

answering this question. Be as diplomatic

as possible. If you do point out negative

aspects of your last job, find some

positives to mention as well. Complaining

endlessly about your last company will

not say much for your attitude.

Describe a problem situation and

how you solved it.

Sometimes it is hard to come up with a

response to this request, particularly if

you are coming straight from college and

do not have professional experience.

Interviewers want to see that you can

think critically and develop solutions,

regardless of what kind of issue you

faced. Even if your problem was not

having enough time to study, describe

the steps you took to prioritize your

schedule. This will demonstrate that you

are responsible and can think through

situations on your own.

What accomplishment are you most

proud of?

The secret to this question is being

specific and selecting an accomplishment

that relates to the position. Even if your

greatest accomplishment is being on a

championship high school basketball

team, opt for a more professionally

relevant accomplishment. Think of the

qualities the company is looking for and

develop an example that demonstrates

how you can meet the company's needs.

What are your salary expectations?

This is one of the hardest questions,

particularly for those with little

experience. The first thing to do before

going to your interview is to research the

salary range in your field to get an idea

of what you should be making. Steer

clear of discussing salary specifics before


receiving a job offer. Let the interviewer

know that you will be open to discussing

fair compensation when the time comes.

If pressed for a more specific answer,

always give a range, rather than a

specific number.

Tell me about yourself.

While this query seems like a piece of

cake, it is difficult to answer because it is

so broad. The important thing to know is

that the interviewer typically does not

want to know about your hometown or

what you do on the weekends. He or she

is trying to figure you out professionally.

Pick a couple of points about yourself,

your professional experience and your

career goals and stick to those points.

Wrap up your answer by bringing up

your desire to be a part of the company.

If you have a solid response prepared for

this question, it can lead your

conversation in a direction that allows

you to elaborate on your qualifications.

Imagine your advertisement here!

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I'm Experiencing Job-Search Burnout

How to handle the frustration of a long-term job hunt

By: Anthony Balderrama

If life were a movie and you had just

been laid off, you would buy a one-way

ticket to some serene location and spend

weeks or even months relaxing. You

would unwind and examine your personal

goals and return when you want. You

might spend your days eating, playing

and loving.

For most of us, getting laid off or quitting

a job is immediately followed by a fast-paced job hunt. Even workers who are

fortunate enough to have savings accounts to live off of for a while don't

have enough money to pretend like unemployment is a vacation. Instead,

most jobs seekers attack their job

searches aggressively and don't relent until they hear the words, "We'd like to

offer you the position."

The problem with such a steadfast

approach is that you can grow frustrated quickly. After a few weeks of constantly

browsing job postings, writing cover letters, sending them off, and repeating

this procedure over and over again, you may find you don't have the energy to

keep going. You can't stop, however, because you do need a job. So how do

you avoid getting burnt out? And if you

realize you're in the midst of a job-search burnout, how should you get over

it?

We asked people who have been there themselves or who have helped others get

through it. Here's how they suggest job seekers handle burnout:

"Rejection is humbling and much of our self-worth has been defined by our income. To avoid burnout:

1. Date your next job application and interview. See it as distinct and different from all

the rest, a new opportunity. You only need one job success.

2. Keep up energy levels with exercise. You will shed stress and release endorphins.

Your focus will improve.

3. Socialize with friends and talk about other things. Have fun and laugh!

4. Learn from failed interviews to tweak your resume, presentation and skills. Hone up

on what you are lacking."

- Debbie Mandel, author of "Addicted to Stress"

"Burnout is subtle, and can strike at lots of stages of the job hunt. Here are a few ways I

advise my clients to avoid that low down burnout experience:


1. Regard your job hunt as a job and organize your job hunt day like any other business.

Set a goal of the number of calls you'll make, and resumes you'll send out each day, and be sure to reach that.

2. Create a job hunt team or group with whom you keep in contact on a regular basis.

This can help in many ways to give encouragement, and even job leads.

3. Make sure to network through alumni, colleagues, professional associations, online

groups, and even relative and friends.

4. Be sure to maintain a routine of physical fitness and exercise. At least a brisk walk every day can supply exercise and sunshine necessary to keep your mood elevated.

5. Get up, get dressed and go to your office (even if that is your kitchen table) every

day, just like you would if you were employed. "

- Sandra Lamb, career, lifestyle and etiquette expert

"I always say you get more than you give with volunteering and job seekers definitely

do. This is a great way to keep your skills sharp (think teamwork, client relations, fundraising, etc) and your mind energized. I have to remind all job seekers that

volunteering is a fun and easy way to network which makes it a win-win-win. You're

networking, helping out an organization and avoiding burn-out."

- Adriana Llames, author of "Career Sudoku: 9 Ways to Win the Job Search Game"

"I've been looking for a job since about February or March. I just landed a part-time, telecommuting job, and as busy as I've been I know I'm not as fast or productive as I

once was because of how long it took me to find a job. I was sending out résumés,

interviewing, networking, applying online to the high heavens. Sitting at home while everyone else was finding a job I started feeling unproductive, and, frankly, like a loser.

But things are looking up, and to anyone who starts to feel the same way I did, I'd tell them to just pull through it. Sometimes just taking a walk or a day at the park can help

your mood a lot."

- Akua Harris

"There are several things we suggest when a person has stayed active in a job search,

and nothing seems to be happening:

1. Take a few days off: Think of something you enjoy doing that doesn't cost any money and go and enjoy. Sometimes just a few days off is enough to refresh a person.

2. Get physical: When a person exercises for at least 20 minutes, endorphins are released that make the person feel good. Exercise several times in a day if possible. If,

for example, you are a runner, then run for 30 minutes longer than usual. Do something physical -- paint a room, wash the car, clean the garage. Then energy can return.


3. Our experience is people get burned out when all they are doing is answering want

ads or Internet listings. We project a 2-4 per cent response on mailing out résumés or following up on Internet postings -- that's not a very good response. Instead, we ask our

job-seeking clients to take a more pro-active approach:

Contact the decision-maker (usually the person who supervises the position, not HR) and ask what the job involves and be ready to talk about one's experiences and

accomplishment, and research the organization to see if it's one you would like to work in. Continue researching the position; if you want the job contact the decision-maker

again and say, "I've thought a lot about what we've talked about, and what you need doing involves some of the things I do best -- and I want to be your top candidate."

(You don't want to be anything other than their top candidate, do you?) Ask the

decision-maker what you can bring to her or him to help the person make a decision. And then do it."





Online Recruitment

State-of-the-art Job Search Strategies

By: Oswald J. Eppers

Online recruitment started almost the

same time in the USA and in England in the early 90's with providers like

Monster.com in the USA, Jobserve.com in the UK and Allstarjobs.ca (started in

1997). A job bank at that time merely

had a few thousand of open job positions and the chance of putting employers in

touch with jobseekers was quite remote. Since those early days, we have seen an

explosion of job search sites and the technology has improved a lot for the

benefit of both, recruiters and jobseekers. Nowadays, typing

"Job Search" in search fields of Google or Yahoo, you get millions

of pages dealing with this subject. Now we have a new

problem: how not to get lost in this jungle of ultimate Career and

Job Search Services (of which

many require an inscription fee). What do we really want? Using the

Internet in first place has the advantage of speed and the possibility to look in

any geographical area for the required job that the candidate is qualified for, or

aspires to. With the Internet installed at home, it is possible to investigate the

potential employers, ask questions and apply for the position, without even

taking off your pajamas. How do we explain the recent evolution in online

recruitment technology? Even if you feel relatively satisfied with the current

search offerings of top job search

engines like Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com or Hotjobs.com, there

are still many doors open for improvements and a lot of research is

going on in the field of vertical engines, meaning-based search, intent-driven

search, new clustering methods, and

much more. ALL-IN-ONE JOB SEARCH ENGINES

A recent trend in job search engines is the emergence of all-in-one or

metasearch engines (sometimes also

referred as vertical job search engines), allowing jobseekers to search across

multiple websites. Among the most popular engines are Indeed (in the USA),

Wowjobs (in Canada) and Trovit (in the UK). Probably the most powerful of all is

Indeed, which was founded by Paul Forster and his partner Rony

Kahan in the year 2004 to cover the US job market. According to

Hitwise data, Indeed saw its market share increase by 302%

in the year 2006 and this only seems to be the beginning. The

success of Indeed and other

metasearch or all-in-one search engines is the fact that job seekers can

go to one place to find all jobs, overcoming the limitation of the job

boards, which have a finite number of listings. A simple comparison of major

job search engines reveals that there is no need any more to look in all the

individual engines to find the best fits for the job you are looking for. There are

more job sites than you can count, ranging from the top job sites like

Monster and CareerBuilder to small, niche sites in just about every career

field you can imagine. Indeed is

searching in more than 1200 engines at a time and brings you the result in

seconds on your screen. With a couple of clicks of your mouse, you search the

major job sites, company sites, associations, and other online job sites


by keyword and location to get job

listings that match the criteria you selected. With it's high-tech search

strategy, Indeed clearly leaves behind other so-called meta-job search engines

like Jobster and SimpyHired. With Wowjobs and Trovit, metasearch engines

focused on the Canadian and UK job market, and respectively the situation is

very similar.

POSTING YOUR RESUME IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES

A developing trend with both jobs search

engines and jobs boards is that many

now encourage users to post their resume or CV together with contact

details. The fact is, it`s proven that posting your resume in a proactive way

in the mayor resume distribution systems will put it on the desk of

hundreds of recruiters and can more than double the chance of getting a job!

The advantages of Resume Posting are: - You more than double your chance of

getting "discovered" by a recruiter who is looking for a person with exactly your

experience and abilities. - You put your resume in the hands of

hundreds of recruiters, almost instantly!

- You are sending your resume only to recruiters focusing on your specific

industry or job categories. - You save a lot of time and money and

you get an instant edge - with only little effort from your part!

- Your resume is passing a pre-selection system and when it comes on the desk of

hiring managers they will read it very carefully.

Resume posting has become an attractive business for the recruitment

companies as they sell the access to their resume bank to headhunters and

recruiting managers. Anyhow, jobseekers should be aware of the risks of uploading

personal information to the Internet

since they have no control over what will

happen with their data and their resume might be seen by their current employer

or even by "identity thefts".

TAKE A BREATH AND SLOW DOWN

The question is still if all the improvements in search technology also

improved the overall performance of recruitment efforts. Finding a job still is

hard work. It is very helpful to slow

down, take time, and analyze if you are happy with your current situation and

what career is really right for you. In our modern world, the best job success is

earning good money with work that gives you a sense of purpose, expresses your

talents and passions, and is consistent with your values. A lack of many Job

Search Sites is that they do not assist the jobseekers in finding their best

career fit and even confusing people in

trying to evaluate their current

situation. Job

searching is a short-term pursuit of a position that matches

your financial and career goals. Career planning is a long, progressive process of

choosing education, training, and jobs that fit your interests and skills. This

planning process also includes the evaluation of career change or self-

employment opportunities. Deciding what type of work you want to pursue

requires knowledge and understanding of your interests, your values, your

motivation, and the skills you enjoy using the most. This is helpful whether

you are choosing a career for the first

time or changing careers for the twenty-first time. The Two-Approach Guide for

Effective and Easy Job Search is intended to guide jobseekers through this process

instead of simply offering hundreds of links without explanation and leading to

confusion. One aspect that even the


most powerful Job Search engine cannot

cover is the fact that probably the majority of job vacancies are never

posted in journals, newspapers or on-line and you only find them using the right

contacts or your Network. This "hidden job market" only can be

exploited by keeping focus on people who have experiences, and contacts that

might be interesting for you. Good possibilities to build up your Network, are

for example job fairs or similar events where you meet hiring managers, job

lead sources and other valuable contacts.

CONCLUSION

Using state-of-the art job search

engines, online recruitment has become

a powerful tool for a fast, efficient and

economical job search and the performance is improving constantly. But

every jobseeker should be aware of the fact that even the most powerful job

search engine should be considered only as a single tool in the Job Search

Strategy and that still most jobs are found using personal Networks. Finding a

job is all about people, the people you know, and people you meet who have

the job information and who will inevitably help you get a job. Online Job

Search using all-in-one or metasearch engines definitely makes life much easier

but should not be overestimated.


How Humor Can Help You at Work

By: Robert Half International

Looking for something to smile about at

work? How about this: Flexing your

funny bone can significantly enhance

your professional prospects. Ninety-one

percent of executives surveyed by Robert

Half International consider a sense of

humor important to career advancement.

Consider the following real-life office

pranks from a Robert Half survey that

asked executives to describe the funniest

April Fools' jokes they have observed in

an office environment:

"A few people used plastic wrap to cover the opening around an employee's cubicle

and then filled the workspace with small foam

balls."

cookie with children's

toothpaste and offered it to a co-worker."

cleaned out everything from

another person's office."

loaded his office with sand

and beach toys."

a colleague's mouse so he

couldn't move it."

-worker's desk for a

scare."

-- the computer, desk and

pictures."

Displaying levity on the job can help you

build rapport with those around you,

facilitate open communication, and

contribute to a positive work

environment. And, perhaps most

importantly, a comic touch can work to

relieve tension on even the most

stressful days.

But keep in mind that not all high jinks

are well received. It's crucial to take into


consideration your organization's and co-

workers' perspectives when it comes to

comic relief. Humor should be work

appropriate and never mean spirited or

at the expense of others.

Here are some tips to ensure you're not an April Fool:

Say no to sarcasm.

People often use humor as an indirect way of berating others. Here's an example: "I

can't believe you're here on time -- what's the occasion?" Sarcasm is rarely a good idea,

so keep these types of comments to yourself.

Be the butt of your own joke.

Go ahead, poke fun at your foibles. Doing so can put others at ease in your presence,

and you don't risk offending someone else by making him or her the target of your joke.

For example, if you trip while giving a presentation, a comment like, "I hope you're as

head over heels about this idea as I am" can help ease any awkwardness. Just be sure

to keep your comments light; you don't want your co-workers to think your attempt at

humor is a cry for help.

Laugh with others.

You can be perceived as having a great sense of

humor without ever telling a joke. Just tune in to the

humor styles of those around you and share in the

fun.

Create a 'funny file.'

You have files for various projects or committees you're involved in, so how about

developing a "funny file," as well? Create a folder filled with appropriate workplace

cartoons (such as the Dilbert comic strip), amusing newspaper articles, humorous letters

or e-mails from friends, or anything else that tickles your funny bone. The next time one

of your co-workers feels overwhelmed or under the weather, you can surprise him or her

with a snippet from your file. Just be mindful to avoid items that are offensive or

otherwise in poor taste.

Convene a fun committee.

Invite co-workers to join in your quest to "up the office fun factor." Together, brainstorm

ways to add excitement to the workweek -- surprising co-workers with breakfast or

treating the team to an afternoon at the park, for instance. Just be sure to consult your

department head before executing any plans; you'll want to obtain his or her approval

and determine other details, such as budget and scheduling.


Issue trivia quizzes.

What did Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes name their baby? From which state did the last

"American Idol" hail? Most people enjoy keeping up with pop culture, so why not create

a friendly competition around it? You also can grill people on sports, geography or food -

- whatever topics the team finds interesting. Even if the only prize for answering the

most questions correctly is posting the name of the winner in a prominent spot, the joy

of conjuring up random information and discussing the "stumpers" can increase the

general playfulness of any work area.

Capture Kodak moments.

Keep a disposable camera on hand for all to use to capture those moments when you and your

colleagues are at your best -- or worst. Then, post the pictures on a community bulletin board. A

candid snapshot from the day everyone unintentionally wore lime-green shirts, for example, is

bound to brighten the mood.

A culture of fun at work can improve communication, reduce stress and increase productivity. So

don't be afraid to flex your funny bone -- just be sure to do so in a business-appropriate way.





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