Top 15 Ways To Say “Thanks But No Thanks” To Taking On More Work.

Hey There,

In the bid to be efficient and productive, we tend to take on more work that we can manage effectively. Fore some of us, the issue lies in rejecting the task from our superiors (who dish them out as orders rather than suggestions.) Today, we are suggesting 15 phrases that would assist you in dodging the bullet.

Disclaimer: These phrases are to be used ONLY and we mean ONLY when you have taken up more than you can handle or if the task you are being asked to take up affects your efficiency at work and your entire schedule as a whole. 

Thank Us Later!

#1 “No, but thanks for asking!”

#2 “Thank you, but let me get back to you.”

#3 “Sorry not now, maybe some other time.”

#4 “I simply just cannot say yes, I hope you understand.”

#5 “Thank you, but I am not the right person to be asking. Let me make some suggestions.”

#6 “Let me check a few things, but it would be best to plan on working without me.”

#7 “Before I can say yes, I would have to be very clear about what is expected.”

#8 “I’m sorry, I won’t be able to do it—but let me help you find someone who can.”

#9 “I can’t take on the whole task, but maybe I can help you with part of what you need.”

#10 “I seriously would love to help but I am unable to at this time.”

#11 “I’m sorry but there is already too much on my plate.”

#12 “Thank you for thinking of me, but unfortunately I will have to pass.”

#13 “I am not taking on any new commitments right now.”

#14 “I’m so sorry, I just cannot make it work.”

#15 “I wish I could help, but at the moment I just can’t.”

You have to learn to say these phrases confidently and respectfully as appropriate. Always remember that often times, saying no to someone, is saying yes to yourself!

Regards,

PushCV Content Team.

From Graduate To Grown-Up: The Transition

Hey There,

At a stage in our lives, we question who we are and what career path we are going to embark on. We analyze the hurdles we might meet on the way and if they are worth the sacrifices we have to make. These decisions make or break us, and we are aware. Besides, no one wants to start out his/her career on the wrong foot. We ask ourselves what offers to take and which ones to reject, which job openings we should apply for and the ones we should overlook. We make all these decisions in order to start off on the right track in our various careers, we get it. That’s why we are giving you five basic tips that would make you find happiness, give your journey a meaning and make you successful.

#1 Be Smart About Money: The timing has never been more perfect for you to learn life tips and goals about money. Learn to be prudent and live on a budget. You should also read about consumer finance and touch base with the basic rudiments on investment. That little lesson you learn on investment today may help you in making a big decision 5 years down the line. Also, start a pension fund account if you can. It might seem like you are in your early 20’s so you do not need to save for your pension just yet. But hey, think about it. Every dollar you save from partying and buying matte lipstick and hair color could go into your retirement account.

#2 Keep Learning New Things: Do not limit yourself when it comes to the information you have access to. Explore your options and be well vested in several areas of life. Feel free to challenge yourself with things you have never tried out before but you feel confident you can do. This is the best time of your life to try out things and not be judged if you fail at it; because you get to try something else without being judged. So, go for gold and create the best version of you that you can be.

#3 Quit Blaming Your Parents: Or infact, anyone at all. They gave you the best they could and had your best interest at heart while they were at it. Once you are out of school, you are on your own, and everything is on you. Own it.

#4 Take Time Out From Your Devices & Social Media: Once you can successfully create this time out, you would be astonished by the mind blowing and productive interactions you would have with your mind. You might also encounter several life defining moments during this periods and also you could take this time out to read a book, learn something new or network with people around you.

#5 Be Cultured: Unlike college days, where no one really cared about the next individual except they had something to offer us, or except they are our friends, we need to learn to be cultured. Learn to be nice and polite. You should also be smart and properly dressed. It gives people a general perception about you. You never know where you might need to network with an oil tycoon that would not mind working for. You definitely do not want to have that discussion wearing board shorts and a pair of bathroom slippers.

Being a recent graduate might be scary, but at the same time exciting and the career possibilities are endless. Following these tips would help you narrow down your choices, organize your thoughts and help you transition smoothly from Graduate To Grown-Up.

Regards,

PushCV Content Team.

10 Types Of Employees You Should Always Avoid Being

Hey There,

Today, we would be highlighting ten personalities we have around us in our work environment that we do not necessarily agree with their general work ethics, but we would say have grown on us over time or rather should we say you have grown to be tolerant with. If you identify with any of the personalities below, not only should you be cautious about your behaviors but also, you should make a conscious effort to change overall.

#1 The Boss’s Boss

We all know those employees that feel like they aren’t subject to the company’s code of conduct and rules from the Human Resource Management Desk. The ones who never show up on time and are always on the phone taking personal calls even when the company policy frown upon that? Yes. Those ones. Not only should you avoid these type of employees, be careful not to morph into one over time.

#2 The Ambitious (Yet Incompetent) Imaginary Ladder Climber.

We are usually genuinely happy for our fellow colleagues who work hard enough to climb up their career ladders at your organization. What we cannot stand however, are those employees that put in no work and generally feel they deserve a gold medal for lazying around. They are constantly complaining about how they deserve more than what they are paid; for what they do. While you sit there and silently think ‘’What work?”. Yup. Those ones. The worst part – They never understand the explanations as to why they are not yet due for promotion.

#3 Tattletales

They tend to be for the people, elected by themselves and they put more effort into being a tattletale than actually doing their work. Constantly recording the almost sexual harassments and the illegal behavior around the office. Dear Tattletales, allow the manager manage their own people. Get back to your desk and put that energy to good use by actually doing some of the work assigned to you that you actually get paid for.

#4 Employees With No Restrictions (Category One: TMI)

The whole office knows everything about this employee. Every single thing. Sometimes you feel the urge to remind them that you are at the office and not an AA meeting, and other times, you feel the urge to announce that we are in an office and not a sorority house. They tell you (and the whole office) every single detail from the fungus that grew on their left toe to their noisy neighbor who loves gardening.

#5 Employees With No Restrictions (Category Two: Constantly Calling)

Picture this. It’s 11pm on a Friday night and you get a phone call from this employee on your personal line. You convince yourself that this time, it is an emergency. You finally pick up the phone after it has gone to voicemail a couple times, and the employee clearly states that he has been calling to ensure you submitted the weekly reports (which were due for 12pm earlier in the day). Note that the employee had the option of asking you while at work, or waiting till the new week starts. Always ensure you consider your colleagues and their personal lives when making decisions.

#6 The Employee Who Hates HR

In general, most people tend to not like the HR manager very much because she does her job effectively. Constantly remember that it is totally not the HR manager’s fault that you work so hard yet you got a small raise (due to the company’s financial budget). Instead of hating on the HR manager, you could do some actual work instead.

#7 The Drama Queen

Note that this title is not limited by gender. This employee takes every single observation and correction from their boss as a cue that they are getting fired. Let us all calm down brethren; no one is getting fired, except you did something to warrant that level of discipline. These are the employees that would conclude that a co-worker parked on two spaces intentionally just so they can walk a longer way. Please. Kindly leave the drama at home.

#8 ‘It’s Not Part Of My Job Description’ Employee

We know them. We all do. These are the employees that would turn down a co-worker’s request to proof-read their article in their spare time simply because it is not in their job description. Come on! We all know that most contracts come with your specific job description, but other times you might have to take on the “other duties required” part of your contract. This does not mean you should overwork yourself by taking upon job duties you cannot handle. You could also consider having a meeting with your immediate superior to discuss re-evaluating your job position if your job duties become cumbersome.

#9 The Law

This employee constantly rants about civil rights and actions that would be taken when they aren’t given a raise (even before it’s due). They are quick to suggest taking legal action against the company and in drastic times, it could be because of their annual rating during appraisals. Note that in a reputable company, that approval rating has been double-checked and checked a third time just so they are sure. Do not prance around your office throwing empty threats around each time something pops up. Your employer and co-workers would find it hard to take you seriously over time.

#10 The Unbelieving Employee

This is the passive-aggressive employee who never listens or takes corrections. They then act as though they are taken by surprise when the company takes an improvement plan which results in them being laid off or in probation. They then find themselves in utmost shock and disapproval of the managements decision. Be open to constructive criticism, and also learn how manage the individual that gives out baseless criticism just so their voice is heard and their presence is acknowledged.

We sincerely hope you are not one of the employees described above, and if you are, adjust accordingly! That’s the beauty of being able to work on yourself constantly in your personal career journey.

Yours Sincerely,

PushCV Content Team.

8 Things You Should Do Before You Start Your Work Day

Hey There,

We all have good and bad mornings. Some mornings start off with a spring in our step while some others, just don’t. For both good and not-so-good mornings, we would be highlighting a few things you could do that could help in making your day hassle free, and basically set the mood for the day ahead. The great part about these tips we are about to share is that not only can it become your daily mantra; it makes your work pace more realistic, and increases your productivity on the long run.

Let’s go ahead and highlight the tips:

#1 Meditate: Take time out to create a mental checklist for the things you need to do and in an order that would work out for you. Most of us would find ourselves putting the more difficult tasks earlier in the day, that is a really good idea. This is because no matter how efficient you are, most times, fatigue builds up during the course of the day.

#2 While you are creating your checklist, do some minor stretching. We do not advice that you go as far as meditating with your yoga mat right across the middle of your department, but we could suggest basic stretches while you are trying to create a mental and actual checklist. This helps you relax while you are creating the checklist, and prevents you from having minor panic attacks when you see the tasks that lie ahead of you on paper.

#3 Be Realistic. Do not put a ton of heavy tasks on your checklist and then end up disappointed if you do not achieve every single thing on the checklist when the day is over. Helloooo? You are not superman, and you will not be. So, take a more realistic approach while setting daily goals with the aid of your checklist, and leave room for contingency plans incase a certain task depends on another individual or a situation you cannot pre-determine.

#4 Have a Daily Goal that highlights the most important and the most urgent things on your checklist. Ensure that on all accounts, before the business day is over, you carry out these two tasks. This would give you a sense of fulfillment, and achieving them daily would give you an overall sense of growth in your career.

#5 Take Time Out For Chitchat. Before the day kicks off into full gear, take a stipulated amount of time out to relate with your co-workers. This should not be more than 10 – 15 minutes. You should also show gratitude and kindness if they helped you out earlier in the week. This gives you more time to work on more projects and achieving your goal on the long run, as you spend more time on your actual job than conflict resolution with several co-workers.

#6 Go Through The Important Websites. This is to keep you updated, this could be the daily news, the companies website, work related sites etc. After doing this, you would most likely have cleared the ‘morning ritual’ backlog that you usually have daily. This would reduce the amount of time you spend on doing things that are not work related.

#7 Hold Back On That Cup Of Coffee. Contrary to popular opinion, the morning is usually not the best time to drink coffee. This is because it could result in you being hyperactive and restless, which could affect your work patterns or it could lead to you feeling sleepy. So, hold up on that cup of coffee till you need it much later in the day for that adrenaline kick you need to finish up the day’s job.

#8 Take The Email Free Morning Challenge. It is as easy as it sounds. Do just what it says. You could consider skipping the task of going through you email and attending to every single issue in the mailbox. You could stall this task, and do it much later in the day after your lunch break. By this time, you would have sorted out most of the items on your checklist, and you would be feeling more settled while attending to the mails.

There you go. 8 great tips to make your workday more productive. You would find yourself walking into the parking lot with a smile rather than that grumpy look we all usually have on when the workday is over.

Regards,

PushCV Content Team.

How to Get Someone to Hire You Over the Phone

 

Presumably, you know how to impress a future employer or client in person — dress for success, armed with your winning smile and handshake; and you know how to show interest using body language and facial cues.

But when you’re on the phone? That’s a totally different game.

Now, most first-round interviews and client meetings are conducted over the phone, and it’s just as important to know how to impress using your voice alone.

This infographic from The Gap Partnership gives a comprehensive rundown of how to land the job or deal over the phone.