Sunday’s New York Times features a section called the Career Couch. Each week a pressing problem is offered for career advice. This week, the question was about handling the difficult situation when your boss adds more tasks to your workload than you have time to do properly. Read the full article here.

Career advice from experts can be summarized as:

(1) Tell your boss the consequences of adding an extra project. Other projects may be delayed. You may need additional help.

(2) Ask for help. For instance, “Maybe we can get someone from accounting to run these numbers.”

(3) Ask your boss to set the priorities. “I’m already working on A. Does B get priority?”

(4) Work long hours if the new product will enhance promotion opportunities within the company or make you more marketable.

(5) Keep your management updated, as often as once a week. That way your management has a realistic sense of your workload.

So … what do you think?

If I were offering career advice to a client, here’s what I might suggest.

First, study your boss’s agenda. Newspapers and magazines like to give the party line. So do consultants and coaches who are being quoted for print (and posterity).

The party line is that your boss means well and has the company interests at heart. The truth? Sometimes your boss wants you to fail. Sometimes your boss is under pressure and passing the pain around. Sometimes your boss honestly doesn’t know because circumstances have changed.

Watch for pushback. For instance, you say to the boss, “The project you assigned will take an extra 20 hours this week.” Your boss says, “No way. When I did that project six months ago, it just took 8 hours.”

These are the kinds of questions I would encourage you to ask – not necessarily out loud but to yourself:

Are you inefficient?
Is the boss factoring in genuine differences, such as your unfamiliarity with the task or a change in circumstances?
Are you valued as someone who can get it all done, on time and error-free?

If you’re getting a series of “no” answers to these questions, you should start seeing red flags. Unreasonable requests can mean that (a) your boss is a clone of Dilbert’s pointy-headed boss; (b) you’re being targeted for bad things to happen; and/or (c) something is very wrong with your company or department.

As always, the best career advice will be, “Study the company’s culture.”

… What do they value? Some companies place a high value on saying “yes” and overworking yourself till you’re sick or dead.
… Who gets rewarded?
… Who else is getting extra work? Are they the winners who go on to great things? Or the losers the bosses feel they can use with impunity?

Finally, you may not have the option to say no. I am not a lawyer. However, in an informal conversation, a lawyer told me that refusing to do work can be grounds for termination. Now, I don’t know if that lawyer was right. I don’t know what circumstances apply. But I would really, really think about saying “no,” especially if something is in your job description. Again, I’m not a lawyer and it is not my intent to give legal advice.

But speaking as a non-lawyer career consultant offering career advice from my experience, I would encourage you to go through the motions and do the best you can, if your boss refuses to let you off the hook. Then you may have to recognize that this career or job is coming to an end. Think of how you can give it a decent burial while moving on to your next life.

If you’d like to get some career advice via one-to-one consulting, you can hire me for a single-shot Career Strategy Session. http://www.midlifecareerstrategy.com/careerstrategysession.html

An article by Michael Bogdanow says the answer is “Yes.” In a blog post, “One Person/Two Careers: Does It Reduce Professional Stress” (posted Nov 30 2011),
he points out that career “slashers” (Marci Alboher’s term) are not new. The artist Kandinsky had graduated from a Moscow law school.

Bogdanow suggests several reasons why multiple careers reduce stress.

First, he says, “maintaining two careers permits you to tap into skills, interests and talents that may come out more strongly in one or the other, such as the visual and creative skills of painting, and the social and verbal skills of law.” I would add, “When you use more of your skills, you become more confident and more in touch with your own identity.”

Second, he observes that a second career is a great way to reduce stress. However, you don’t need a whole second career to reduce stress. You can identify activities such as swimming, hiking, playing an instrument or engaging in a creative challenge. Personally I enjoy pottery classes and improv, though I’m not very good at either activity. I would encourage everyone to start as early as possible because you need time to gain mastery, when you gain true joy and confidence from these activities.

Of course, stress can be debilitating. If your life is seriously affected – your relationships, career, and/or health – you may need to work with a professional therapist. Stress actually contributes to many physical problems, mostly acute but sometimes long-term. It’s not always a question of, “Take a painting class and call me in the morning.”

A recent New York Post article pondered 4 career risks that may (or may not) be worth taking. Read the full article here.

The author looks at 4 risks but they’re not equal.

Risk #1: Going Back to School. My question would be, “Why are you considering going back?” Even if you don’t heed a degree you may find that the experience gives you access to a new network. However, I find many professionals (especially those who have achieved success by degrees) feel lost in transition. They want the degree or piece of paper to signify, “You’re ready!”

Often you have a two-sided risk. First, you invest tuition expenses and lose salary you would have earned. Second, your educational experience may not lead to the outcome you had hoped.

When I returned for my Ph.D., academic jobs were plentiful in business schools. I earned a good living even while I was taking classes and writing my dissertation. Although I was an “older student,” I had a choice of jobs when I graduated.

Five years later, the world looked different. One of my colleagues applied to business school while jobs were plentiful; by the time he graduated, the job market had dried up. He got a job but it wasn’t one he liked.

Second Risk: Changing Careers. This option is so broad it can’t be lumped together as just one risk. Sometimes changing careers actually is less risky than staying where you are. Quitting before you have another job – well, that’s almost always risky. But embarking on a career change while you are employed may be a wise decision.

Third Risk: Saying “no” to added responsibility. Sometimes turning down a promotion just means you live with less money and prestige. But you encounter other risks. When you are overqualified, you get bored and restless. You may find it hard to follow directions that you know – from experience – are misguided. I’ve talked to many mid-life workers who accepted a lower level job to avoid stress. Inevitably, they encountered more stress as they dealt with the disparity between their skills and their recognition.

Fourth Risk: Leaving the corporate world for self-employment. Sure, this option is extremely risky – especially if you’ve never had a sales career and you lack entrepreneurial experience. But sometimes starting your business will bring you rewards faster than if you keep applying for corporate jobs.

One client was fired from a high-profile position in her city. She couldn’t land a job: she was too well known. Hiring managers were intimidated.

When she put out feelers for a new consulting business, her phone began ringing.

Bottom Line: I don’t recommend viewing choices as more or less risky. I’d recommend instead that you ask, “Does this move make sense for me at this time in my career path and in this era?” Sometimes the answer will surprise you.

To discuss your situation one on one, see http://www.MidlifeCareerStrategy.com/services.html

OK, Penelope Trunk thrives on being outrageous. She’s shared a hefty dose of information about her own life (did you know her original name was Adrienne?). She’s written about her own relationship issues, therapy and mental health issues. But mostly she’s been an advocate of an outrageous approach to what used to be called career counseling.

Here’s a BlogTalkRadio podcast of Penelope at her best. It’s just 15 minutes long but she packs a lot of punch into each minute, thanks to an interviewer who just tosses out one question after another.

Penelope hates Tim Ferriss because she doesn’t think he’s got realistic ideas (and she shares why). Ironically, she an Ferriss share a common strategy: they get lots of media attention by being outrageous. After all, most of us couldn’t (or wouldn’t) follow Penelope’s suggestions in her book, Brazen Careerist.

Penelope doesn’t mince words when it comes to the recession. Not working? Just agree to take a pay cut, she suggests. Never mind that (a) many employers are suspicious of employees who downsize and (b) the psychological toll of taking a step backward can be enormous. She does recommend changing fields and starting over, which can be a better way to take a step back.

She also reveals how shes manages to raise two kids and have a career. “I haven’t been to a movie in 3 years,” she says. You have to make sacrifices and trade-offs. Here I think she’s right. I’ve met many business owners who sacrificed not just leisure but even their own health; several gained 20, 50 or even 100 pounds as they built their businesses. The question, “Are you willing to do whatever it takes?” is not an empty one.

Penelope has the luxury of being frivolous; unlike a real career counselor or career coach, she gets to be theoretical. She’s not dealing with a real client sitting in front of her (or talking on the phone) who’s got all kinds of special circumstances, excuses, challenges and side issues. Still, her ideas are entertaining. Click on the link below if you’d like to listen.

Here’s one on career change, from a top-rated website:

Hiring managers will see your passion and how it relates to their business, and they want to hire that,” Newall says.

The key is “and how it relates to their business.” Passion is nice but what they want to know is, “How soon can you make a contribution? And do you have the skills to do it?”

Several people have asked about opportunities to get started on the Internet, so I decided to create this listing. So far I have experienced and/or heard only good things about these folks. Please use your own judgment and let me know if you have problems. As far as I know they guarantee their products and services.

First website? You are in the right place. These resources will save you from schemes and scams. Some solution look really good, but turn out to be costly in the end. For instance, I don’t recommend any site builder websites.

Of course I cannot make any guarantees about the success you will have from using these programs. But in my experience, these marketers are honorable and ethical.

If you have a negative experience, let me know immediately. I have removed some names when the marketers changed approaches or when I found better resources. And I continue to add resources as I discover them.

Full disclosure: I do get a commission when you click through most of these links to make a purchase. You can bypass my links and go directly to these sites. Your investment will be the same either way.You do not pay extra when you buy through me. When you buy a big-ticket item through me, I almost always offer an extra bonus after the commission comes through.

Business Coaching and Products

Dr. Jeanette Cates offers the Business Incubator and many excellent resources. I’ve bought several. Sign up here for her free ezine. http://budurl.com/jcates

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I just came across a blog post from a student at Vancouver Island University, Canada. A student was sharing her experience in the university blog. You can read it here.

In my Report, Back to School For a Mid-Life Career Change, I emphasize the importance of learning what other students are doing. So if you read this blog post, how can you use this information?

First, the blog is transparent. You know it’s published by the school so you know it’s going to be biased.
I think the post would actually have more credibility and influence if the author had been allowed to present a more even-handed picture of her life at the university.

Second, the author notes that she went from a government job to developing her own business. If you were considering an MBA, especially from this university, as a bridge to a new job for a corporation, you would be wise to question whether this graduate’s story applies to you.

When starting a business, an MBA can be helpful in gaining credibility. Few MBA programs directly address challenges of entrepreneurship but you do learn the basics of accounting, marketing, finance and management. From a purely financial perspective you’d have to ask if this approach makes the most sense: are there other ways to take classes and learn?

Of course, money isn’t your only consideration. If you’ve been laid off and you are undergoing a major career shift in any direction, a year or two at a university can be a good way to evaluate your options. You often get access to resources who can help you as well.

For more info on returning to school for a career change, click here.

Many mid-life professionals who seek a career change begin with assessments.

I believe our culture encourages testing. We like to look at numbers; after all, we measure cholesterol and lung capacity so why not measure career aptitude?

The truth is …

Experienced scientists and statisticians will be skeptical of any tests because:

(1) Some qualities can’t be measured directly. For instance, it is really hard to assess “happiness.” Therefore we use what scientists call surrogate measures.

A career test can’t measure things like “energy,” especially if you’re just using pencil and paper.

How do I know? Many years ago I took a test that included questions about sports, especially football and baseball. At the time I didn’t even follow sports. The test interpretation suggested I wasn’t a very active person, although I was taking aerobics three times a week and walking everywhere.

(2) All tests – even the most sophisticated medical tests – have false negatives and false positives. Unfortunately it’s difficult to tell if a career test is accurate, let alone the percentage of errors.

(3) As you spend time in a career, your beliefs, values and attitudes will come to resemble those of your colleagues. As a result, when you take a test, you will most likely find you are extremely well-suited to the career you have now!

(4) Personality and personal qualities are rarely correlated with specific careers, although they may be associated with a corporate culture. Additionally, many experts believe personality is more of a state than a trait. You may be an introvert in some situations and an extravert in others.

(5) Choosing a career field is just the beginning. Let’s say you like numbers and you want to become an accountant. But you hold back. You say, “I am really an outgoing person. Maybe I should be in sales instead.”

The truth is that accountants market themselves – not as aggressively as used car sales reps, but they do have client presentations and meetings. They often are expected to socialize with clients. Additionally, once you get your degree, you may become an accounting professor, consultant or seminar leader.

Alternatively you may decide to be a doctor because you are fascinated by the human body, your manual dexterity is high and you love science. In today’s world, you also need people skills. An anesthesiologist told me, “People are nervous when they go into surgery. Most of us learn to be comedians so we can help them relax and feel comfortable.”

So what can you do instead of assessments?

When I work with clients, nearly always we uncover some things they *really* want to do. Often we need a few sessions to bring these ideas out into the open.

If you’re generally stymied, you can begin a pattern of broad exploration. In my experience, you are most likely to find a new career through a combination of serendipity, luck and lots of attention to the environment.

If you’d like to consult with me about your career, please visit http://www.MidlifeCareerStrategy.com/services.html

Over the years I’ve come to believe that adapting to a corporation is a skill, just like programming computers or giving talks. What’s key is learning the unwritten rules. What do companies really want? How are employees really rewarded?

Suits, a memoir by Nina Godiwalla, offers a strong role model. Nina managed to get accepted into a mentorship program two years ahead of schedule, right after her freshman year of college. She had a successful career as an investment banker on Wall Street, navigating past the male-dominated culture.

We are introduced to many worlds -

- second generation Indian family life (her mother had 4 daughters!)
- insider peek into Wall Street
- inside view into thoughts, feelings and experiences of a woman who succeeded on Wall Street

Mostly it’s a story of a woman who was determined to be successful. You can describe her story as calculated or as strategically plotted. You can admire Nina or view her as ruthless and ambitious. Regardless, she figured out what she had to do. She understood the unwritten rules about what to wear, what to say, how to act and even what to drink. She didn’t buck the system or try to make changes. She wanted to maximize what she could gain from it.

In all fairness, Nina’s bosses and coworkers weren’t uniformly cruel. She describes the careful mentoring she received from “Steve.” She reports that her work was recognized on merit, even though she was a minority hire from a public school. And while I’d hardly defend sexism, I note that the events described here took place at the turn of the century – around 2000. Scarcely 25 years earlier, when I was in business school, women were just gaining a toehold in the workplace. Men would make a public presentation and say things like, “Women won’t travel.”

The real sickness comes in the culture, which favors wealthy Ivy League graduates like “Michael,” who “get by” on connections. Even white male graduates get beaten down, as evidenced by the public meltdown of one of Nina’s colleagues.

The company takes talented, ambitious people and puts them to work doing tasks that could be handled by a high school graduate – or, these days, a computer-savvy high school student. Nina gets berated when titles aren’t centered on a page or a graph gets printed with dots instead of stars. The sheer waste of talent can be contrasted to the wasteful spending on food and entertainment.

Although Nina excelled on performance, I can’t help wondering if this culture really rewards achievement. From what I could tell, the key is to survive two years and then use the Morgan Stanley name to move on to doing what these people *really* want to do. Nina’s colleague “Luis” tries to game the system by looking busy without doing any work; her colleague Michael is so well-connected he doesn’t bother to hide. In the end, will their fates be that different? Does Nina get a substantially greater bonus?

I also was taken aback by Nina’s actions when she discovers a colleague was posing without clothes in a magazine that seemed to be targeted to gay men. She wasted no time sharing the magazine with everyone she could find. She and her friends seemed to think there was some law against firing this colleague for his off-duty activities, but she’s far too shrewd to claim she didn’t anticipate negative consequences. She may have been too exhausted to think clearly. Still, I think this episode – which she recounts with unsparing, perhaps naive honesty – shows that she may have been absorbed into the system, and the system’s ethical values. more than she realized at the time.

Nina went on to get an MFA in creative writing and an MBA. She has a consulting company that deals with stress in corporate America.

Do you dread getting up and going to work every day? Try these 10 things. They may seem a little simple but they work.

1. Begin focusing on what you want instead of how much you want to escape. When you find yourself sharing the latest horror story, stop in mid-sentence and say, “What I want to have is…”

2. Create an image that describes you in your job. Are you on a riverbank with no way to get to the other side? Lost in a jungle? Poking through a thorny hedge? When you get comfortable with the image, begin visualizing a change in the obstacle. Imagine building a bridge across the river or finding a path in the forest. Don’t force the image or the change. When you’re ready it will come.

3. Think of developing skills, not serving time.
Take every course that’s offered and focus on skills that can lay a foundation for your own business or next job. Can you learn HTML or PowerPoint? Can you use some evenings, weekends and lunch hours to solicit some free lance gigs?

4. Focus on satisfactory, not superior performance. Use the time difference to build your new life. People often say, “I can’t do anything — I work ten hours a day!”
If you are firing yourself or expecting to be fired, your job is finding a new job. Be ethical: you owe your company the minimum you need to earn your salary.” But don’t be surprised if you start to accomplish more than ever and find yourself getting promoted.

5. What conflict are you escaping? Dishonesty? Corporate greed? Hypocrisy? Allow yourself to wonder if these qualities are mirrored in your own life — or even in your mind. If everyone around you seems dishonest, are you being dishonest with yourself? With others? After you resolve your own conflict, you may find the workplace has changed or you have been catapulted into a new, more satisfying life.

6. Put on your shield and armor when you enter your workplace. Everyone should learn how to create a psychic shield. Imagine that you are surrounded by an outer shell that is made of a solid material — so strong that nothing can get through to hurt you. Some people prefer to imagine a protective golden light, but I think the solid shield is stronger. Take two or three minutes to put on your shield, every day, before you enter the workplace.

7. Give yourself a gift every day — a splurge of time or sensual taste buds. Read a book, talk to a friend, eat your favorite food. Don’t deaden your senses with alcohol (although if you’re a wine connoisseur, your special wine can be a gift) or spend big bucks at the mall. Think simple.

8. Find at least one thing in your life to appreciate: the softness of your cat’s fur, the winter sky, the spontaneous hug from a friend. Appreciate as much as possible about your job: the money, the view from the window, the new computer, friendly conversations with the guy down the hall. Savor the experience. Appreciation is the engine that attracts good things into your life.

9. Tune in to your intuition before deciding what to do next. Meditate and listen to the world around you. The saying “frying pan into the fire” is real. If your goals and desires do not come from a secure place within yourself, you will find yourself paying undue attention to wet blankets (“If you quit you’ll never get another job”) and false friends (“Just quit! Move to Tahiti! You won’t starve!”). Sometimes the same “advisor” proposes both ideas in the same week. A good coach or counselor will give you confidence in your own intuition, not impose their views of what you should do now.

10. Write this down somewhere: After you’ve left — and you will — all that time will seem to have gone in the blink of an eye. You will have trouble remembering what bothered you so much. The rest of your life will still be ahead of you.