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Your Practical Life

5 Red Flags That May Indicate Your Boss is a Creep

Sadly, a day may come where you suddenly realize your boss is a creep. I hope that day never comes when you experience any workplace stalking or sexual harassment. I was not so lucky. Working in a male-dominated industry meant that most of my bosses were male (remember women can also engage in the same unwanted behavior too), but I was still surprised when a creepy boss situation turned into sexual harassment. However, being a young professional and wanting to see the good in people, I did not immediately recognize the red flags. So, my internet godchildren, here are some red flags that I missed on my journey.

1. Requests for one on one meetings without justification.

If your boss wants to speak with you and you come prepared to have a productive conversation, but they only want to talk about [insert any random or inappropriate subject] then your boss may be a creep. I once had a boss that would call me into his office to talk about music – yes, music. This behavior took up a ridiculous amount of my day and made me uncomfortable (ding, ding, ding – red flag alert).

2. Unsupported promises for advancement or other perks.

These promises are catnip for driven individuals because it is great when hard work is appreciated. However, these promises may also be held over your head in order to force behavior or compliance with your bosses’ wishes or behavior.

3. Text messages or phone calls without work-related reasons.

I remember I once received a text message on Thanksgiving. I didn’t know that this individual even had my number. From that point on, I would receive constant messages on various topics – again, mainly music. When I would not respond, he would continue to reach out.

4. Discussion of increasingly personal subjects.

Being in the workplace means that you start to develop relationships with others – that is totally natural. What is not necessary is when a close relationship starts to become forced, but only on one side. Being asked about your partner or dating history is pretty much off limits for a pretty long period of time, but a creep will try to force this connection too fast and won’t care about the fact that it clearly is making you uncomfortable.

5. Unnecessary and inappropriate reasons to touch you.

I wish this was a joke, but a boss once offered to teach martial arts and attempted to show me how to “stop an attack.” No, he was not a martial arts instructor. This boss was fired shortly after because he engaged in some other harassing behaviors behavior. I was also fortunate because I had a great colleague that brought his behaviors to his supervisors.

It is really important to trust your gut. If you are uncomfortable then your boss may be a creep. They are abusing their position and remember that it is not your fault that they are unable to be decent human beings. Start tracking/documenting this behavior because creeps will continue to push the bounds of appropriate work environments, and you may need to report them.

Your Best Life Your Practical Life

How I Increased my Salary from 24k to 90k in Three Years

After graduating from law school, I struggled to find a job that would be fulfilling. I worked in contracts, but quickly realized that I would need to do more in order to live a fulfilling life. So, I started to research. I looked in those areas that I was always drawn to and one of those areas was higher education. From there, a long journey started towards my current position. On this jouney, I learned a couple of things that really helped for a quick climb that ultimately lead me to running my own department on two separate occasions.

1. Be willing to relocate to climb the ladder.

There is a reason that this one is first on my list. If you are able to move to get a better position with more responsibility (and a higher salary) do it! Most of my income jumps were because I did not wait for my employer to give me a 2% raise each year. I came into this field knowing that these jobs would be temporary since I was determined to grow my salary, so I was a voracious learner. I constantly volunteered for extra assignments and would stay late to learn as much as possible. This allowed me to gain a lot of experience in a short amount to time. So, I was ready to go when the time came to move (normally within 12 months). I am not saying this is easy and have moved around the country more times than I can count, but it was completely worth it. Movement is life!

2. Trust your gut and don’t jump at the first offer.

When I was making 24k, I had a supervisor tell me that I should accept a position (the salary was around 35k) because I would never find a job that would give me more than 40k. I did not let that negativity impact me and turned down that job because I knew my experience, interviewing skills and value would provide a better opportunity. I knew that I could land a job with a bigger salary and more oversight. Looking back, I am so glad I turned it down because there was no way I would be in my current role if I accepted that position as it had more limited exposure to the experience I needed. As luck would have it, a short time later, I accepted a job for 60k!

3. Make transitions in your workplace into gifts for growth.

When a supervisor or colleague leaves, it can leave a huge hole in an office. However, learn to make yourself invaluable before, during and after a transition occurs. What do I mean by that? Work your ass off to learn more than your boss and, when the time comes, it will be easier for the bosses to move you into the position than go through an entire search process. Even if this position is on a temporary basis while a search is being conducted, this is yet another opportunity for you to shine like the Fourth of July! So, get out there and create new processes, build solid relationships between departments or just eliminate a barrier for another person – that is value added. This value will be noticed and maybe, just maybe, you will receive the permanent position.

4. Leave the negativity at the door

This could be an entire blogpost, but I have seen so many people (women and men) get pigeonholed because of their “difficult personalities.” As a woman of color, I get it. Life is tough, the economy is difficult to say the least and carrying a chip on your shoulder may be entirely justified. So, I can’t speak enough of getting a great therapist and putting in that self work (I speak from experience here). Yes, they may not notice your value and you may get passed over for a position you deserve; however, the powers at be will ensure there will be no chance for future growth the moment you refuse to show a collaborative approach. Being a fighter is completely necessary at times, but pick your battles. Know when to stand your ground because it is the right thing to do and not because you have an ego. If they can’t recognize your work then they don’t deserve to have you, so pick up and move on to your next wonderful experience!

As my internet godchildren, I had to share this with you. In this system where companies are placed above people, take care of you at all times. Increase your salary at every opportunity and never stop moving because movement is life!

Your Practical Life

5 Things to Do Before and After an Interview

I have been on a lot of interviews through the course of my career and am thankful for every one because I have been able to perfect the craft of interviewing. Yes, it is absolutely a skill. I used to be extremely nervous, but now feel confident headed into each interview. Below is the approach that I take for each interview.

1. Prepare for those easy questions

I have a prepared answers for those typical questions like “what is your 5 year plan” or “tell me a little about yourself.” I have practiced my responses on friends and family to ensure they represent me and are a solid response. I do change them up (you don’t want it to sound too rehearased), but make sure to hit those important points each time

2. Do your research

Make sure to research the organization or company before you arrive. Don’t expect them to tell you things that you can find on a website. Also, prepare insightful questions for each person (if you know who you are meeting with before you get there). This shows you did your research and are interested in them and the company.

3. Be polite to everyone

This should be a simple thing, but I had potential employees interview and later learned they were rude to others. People talk, so be polite to everyone and treat everyone like a potential employer.

4. Send handwritten thank you notes

Following each interiew, I will send a thank you note. For the phone interview, this is normally an email. However, for in-person meetings, I will overnight a handwritten thank you note. I will include a personal fact about each person (every note is different because people will share these notes and copying the same letter shows a lack of effort) that I learned at the interview. Pro tip: During a bathroom break, take out your phone to jot down facts in order to make sure you don’t forget them later as interviews can be mentally exhausting.

5. Write down questions you were asked

The best way to perfect your interview skills is to practice. I have a growing list of questions that I have been asked on my interviews. When I have another interview coming up, I start to review these questions and practice my responses. It takes time to get comfortable with interviewing, but it is a skill that will help you climb that ladder to your dream position.

The most important piece of advice I learned was that an interview is all about preparation. You start your interview before you even arrive for that in-person meeting, so start early and get that job!