TAPP Blog

Most jobs/industries require an ability to follow instructions and my industry, association management,  is no different. As the CEO of TAPP and The Guild Associates as well as the executive director of a number of associations, I have to carry out the directives of the board and members.

When I advertise for a new staff member, I request that a cover letter accompany the resume. A no brainer – right? Wrong. At least 20 percent of the resumes arrive with no cover letter or an email note saying something like “attached is my resume, please call me with more information.” These individuals are immediately eliminated. If they can’t follow instructions and include a cover letter, then most likely requests from members will not receive a response.

As the writers on this blog have acknowledged, our reasons for working part-time are numerous. Many part-time employees are parents who wish to have more time to devote to their families. Others work part-time because they want the flexibility to pursue other interests. And many work part-time simply because they’ve yet to find ideal full-time employment.

For much of my working life, I have been a part-time employee, a practice that I continue to this day (though I am no longer employed by anyone but myself!). And at one time or another, every one of the above reasons for working part-time has been true for me.

One of the fun parts of my job is being able to participate on all the webinars. Today's webinar was with resume experts Dawn & Melissa from Relaunch Career Associates and focused on how to be hired as a part-time professional. As we discussed the current trends for an individual to find a job and how to organize his or her resume, I realized that some of my perceptions about a resume were stuck in the 80s. For example a one page resume is not necessarily the best length - the length of a resume is determined by years of experience, industry, and position. In addition the resume must demonstrate how the candidate fits into the company... it is the primary sales piece to be hired.

In order for the candidate to convey the message that the hiring manager hopes to read, the company must provide the right job description. So what does a job ad say about your company? Is it part of the sales tool to get the "right people on the bus*." Large companies often have a section on their websites which try to share what is like to work at the company and the company culture. My guess is that many smaller companies don't have that information on their website. I remember the first time I was asked what our company culture was. I think I rambled trying to explain it.  How an individual will fit into the company culture is important for both the employer and the employee. Realizing how much job seekers are being encouraged to research a company and tailor both their resume and cover letter, makes me think of the job ad differently.

I recently read a discussion about an employee's start time in an office and the fact that she was often late and subsequently docked for this. There was the argument that if the person is getting his or her work done, does it matter what time the person arrives at work. As offices change to a results oriented work environment and flex time, it appears that a set start time in some offices could be a thing of the past. So does that mean that employees aren't accountable for when they arrive in the office?  I’d like to argue that it’s more important than ever for individuals to be accountable for when they arrive at work and be on time. Do I mean that everyone should punch a time clock? No. There are industries where a time clock is important –such as nursing, retail, etc. In others, the specific start time might not be as important.

Prior to cell phones, call forwarding, email on pdas, being in the office was critical to being able to respond to customers. Now, we can and do work from anywhere. (I am writing this blog while sitting on a plane). But just because we can answer a phone from anywhere, doesn’t mean that we should do so. I am not very efficient if I answer a business phone call from a coffee shop while waiting to order coffee. I can’t tell the caller if they are registered for a meeting, and it is inconvenient to provide information on upcoming events or edit a newsletter while on the go. Our office has the set business hours of 9 am  to 5 pm. We have told our clients that we will answer our phones during that time period. I have chosen that our phones are answered by an individual rather than an automated system. I feel that it is a more efficient system than voice mail and provides much better customer service. So for our company, having a staff member set up to work when we open at 9 am (99% of the time in the office), is important to our being able to service our customers.

Thanking a potential employer for an interview is a MUST. An email note is all fine and good, but the handwritten note seems to be on its way to becoming a lost art. Think about how you feel when you receive in the mail a hand addressed envelope with a kind note inside. It’s special and it stands out over junk mail, bills and the emails that glut your inbox. Don’t you think the same applies for an interviewer? It’s a great way to make an impression.

They will be your next _____________.  Fill in the blank with boss, friend, customer, co-worker, donor, or in my case president. This was a statement that my dad said often. It was a gentle reminder that for us in the association management industry, we don’t know who will join our association next and ultimately become the president of the organization.  There seems to be an association for EVERYTHING from lawyers to electrologists to roller skating. So I truly don’t know with whom we might work in the future. Or what that future member/president is doing now.

One time I was handling registration and one of the volunteers was standing behind the desk with me. An attendee who was a fundraiser was rude to us about something. I don’t recall what any longer. What I do remember is that the volunteer’s father in law was a major donor to that fundraiser’s non profit. And yes the father in law did learn of that incident.

One only needs to walk in my front door or glance into my car to know that I am not an organized person.  I love everything to be clean and in its place and though it’s how my mother raised us to be, I am just not capable of it.  My sister inherited the neat gene leaving me surrounded by dust and clutter.  I take offense at well meaning people and magazine articles that tell me I should just do this or that and everything would be so simple and so much better.  Just take 5 minutes a day to run a cloth over the furniture or convert empty shoeboxes into the most adorable toy holders.  If I had 5 extra minutes a day I would put it to better use – like showering, or cutting my children’s nails instead of letting them grind down naturally like rodents.  So, I’d like to take five minutes to tell you what I do to get by and stay sane with 3 small children and two jobs.  And it has nothing to do with shoeboxes.

I have a few more suggestions for keeping the peace at work...

That’s just plain annoying!

Many of us spend a good percentage of our lives in the workplace. Wouldn't it be great if all that time spent at the office could be pleasant and comfortable -- or at least non-toxic. Sadly though, in lots of cases, this is apparently too much to ask. So, I’ve reviewed the relevant literature, asked around, and done a little reflecting myself, and I’ve come up with a collection of pet peeves, gripes, and annoyances that threaten the delicate balance of workplace culture.  If you don't want to tick-off your co-workers, here are some rules of thumb: