The job is the perk...

In the past 6 months to a year, my colleagues and myself have noticed our premium coffee and hot chocolate supply vanish, the disappearance of business lunches and holiday parties and the our company trinkets (shirts, coffee mugs, and just because items from corporate express) leave our king fu grips. Looking on the bright side we should have seen this coming after the 1st rounds of company-wide lay-offs (which left us thankfully with our jobs), the halting of the 401k company match and tuition reimbursement, the introduction of mandatory furloughs and disappointingly the freezing of bonuses and pay increases.

While we are thinking that this sucks and how are they gonna keep taking these things from us, it is important to keep in mind at all times, that companies are doing these things to try to prevent the lay offs and save money which will be used to pay your salary!

At the end of the day, I can bring in my own beverages, have a holiday party among my own family and friends, use the unpaid vacation days I am required to take to relax or run errands, and dust off my old company trinkets (because in reality we really don't use that stuff anyway) and crack a smile every 1st and 15th when I get the ultimate perk - my paycheck!

We are all customers

Customer service matters. We all have or will be on the giving or receiving end of customer service at some point in our daily lives or careers. By day, as a Human Resources professional administering benefits to a company with over 2,000 active employees, retirees and COBRA participants and their dependents, I choose to perform exceptional customer service for the following reasons:

• Benefits (Medical and Dental to be exact) are sensitive subjects for all, including me. No one wants to arrive at the doctor only to find that they're not covered. Respect what is important to the customer.



• I never know who is on the other end of the phone. Great customer service should be blind to status, title, gender, race, etc. One day I may talk to the mail guy and on another day it might be a former CEO, either way they would have received remarkable customer service.



• Do unto to others as you would have them do unto you. I recently had the worst experience with an airline whose name I will not mention. I have written a very detailed letter and have made numerous calls to their corporate customer service office and am awaiting a response. Its well-known that one tells more people of an unpleasant experience than a positive one. Don't put your reputation on the line - just think about your reaction to unacceptable customer service.

Check out the 2010 Customer Service Champs listed on BusinessWeek.com and see what they did to make the list. http://images.businessweek.com/ss/10/02/0218_customer_service_champs/index.htm

Music at work

According to wikipedia, a score is written specifically to be used in an actual film and a soundtrack is the music inspired by the movie. I've gotten burned by running out to buy a movie soundtrack only to find that my favorite song from the movie score, is not on the soundtrack! So that's how I learned the difference between the two.

I love music and I can truly say that music gets me through my work day. I start off with a little Frou Frou to ease me into work mode, mid day I have gospel with Mary Mary to keep me from losing my religion, after lunch my instrumental or classic pieces like Gunnar Madsen helps me concentrate and towards the end of the day - Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" pick ups my momentum and carries me to 5 or 6pm (6 is when I've lost track of time, because I was jamming)!

What's your work day score or soundtrack?

If your job was a movie, what music would it contain? Or better yet, create your own signature soundtrack of music that is inspired by your work tasks, mood, etc. It is easy, fun and helps you get through your work day. Bring in your Ipod or MP3 and docking station and plug in at your desk - after creating your work playlist music at home. If you are not that tech savvy, there are numerous websites that allow you to listen to free music and create your own personal playlist that won't require you to lug around equipment or tote your Ipod back and forth each day. Just open up a web browser and type in the URL.

Here's to your sanity at work. Create your playlist now!

http://www.playlist.com/

http://www.imeem.com/ http://www.hypster.com/

http://www.123playlist.com/

http://www.bollymusicsearch.com/

I didn't get the job because of what?

Degree - check!

Experience - check!

Great references - check!

Just when you thought nothing could get in the way of you acing your interview and securing the job... Click on this link and check out an article from AOL.com, which describes 9 interesting but true interview showstoppers.

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/02/15/job-seeker-discrimination

Accept that "Happy Hour" Invite!

You may not be a drinker, but "Happy Hour" is not only for drinking. Next time your coworkers or boss (if you can stand him or her) invite you out for an after work social session, take them up on their offer. You never know how much you have in common or how much fun you can have interacting with them outside of your office environment.

Exchanging information about upcoming leads or promotion opportunities or collaborating on ideas for future projects is one way to spend the evening. But, if you are lucky like me, you will have bonded with one or two of your colleagues and can spend the evening catching up on the latest movies, fashion and of course MEN! They don't have to turn into your "bestie" but it doesn't hurt to add to your circle of friends or network.