If you’re looking for a job, you know that today’s market is one of the toughest that has ever existed. You need all the help you can get. This book by Alison Green (askamanager) is just what you need.

The How to Get a Job book walks you through the key steps you need to take to create a winning resume and cover letter (different advice from the conventional wisdom you’ve been told over the years). And it helps you deal with those sticky interview questions that always seem to trip you up. (The book is downloadable, so you’ll have it in just a few minutes and can get started right away.)

As a hiring manager, I can tell you this book is spot on. If you follow Alison’s advice, it will improve your chances for getting the interview and getting your dream job. My full review of How to Get a Job: Secrets of a Hiring Manager is below.

If you can’t see the video, click here.

Sound like just the right advice for you in your job search? Hop on over and pick up a copy of Alison’s book by clicking here.

Have you ever seen the television show, The Office, and cringed at some of things that come out of boss, Michael Scott’s, mouth? Michael is an extreme example of someone who can’t seem to separate his social life, or lack thereof, with his work life. He also always seems to get romantically involved with one of his supervisors or an HR representative. Whenever he tries to buddy up with someone or start an intimate relationship, it always backfires on him and turns the situation into a sticky mess. But The Office is a comedy show and thrives off of these situations.

Maybe you have also seen this kind of behavior with someone you work with. They treat your office like a social playground more than a place to work and conduct series business. This can lead to a lot of distractions and some Michael Scott types of behavior. Entire college curriculum can be covered by accredited online schools regarding the antics of Michael Scott. Here are some key things to remember:

Dating at Work

One of the most rewarding parts in life is initial feeling of love and romance that go into a new relationship. Our brains and bodies get flushed with hormones and we lose total control of our judgment. When those feelings wear off and we get back to normal, we might still like the person or we might not be interested anymore. We might harbor resentment after the breakup which could carry over into our interactions at work.

In Michael Scott’s case, one of his girlfriends gets fired and the other gets transferred because of their relationship. Dating at work is a tricky subject with no right or wrong answer. It’s not a good idea all the way around though — for your business or the people in it.

Friends at Work

In the book “They Don’t Teach Corporate in College,” author Alexandra Levit writes about forming a close relationship with one of her co-workers only to have her feelings hurt when her co-worker doesn’t feel the same way. Michael Scott goes as far as to consider his co-workers family, only to be let down when someone says that they are not family at all.

An important thing to remember is that there are real friends and then there are work friends. You might spend a lot of time together in the office, grab coffee, or go out to eat, but they are only your real friend if you actually spend time with them outside of work.

Keep Your Lips Zipped

Did your girlfriend outside of work dump you? Are you going through a painful case of warts on your feet? Did you disagree with the President’s last speech? If any of these things happened to you, keep your lips zipped. The office shouldn’t be a soapbox for you to empty your emotions, feelings, and opinions. Everyone has to make money, and it is only respectable that they get to come to a comfortable place to do so.

By spouting off your mouth, you might make others feel obliged to comment and interact with you on things they are not comfortable talking about. Just imagine going to work and having to console someone who is consistently heartbroken. That would either make you extremely sad, jaded about the prospect of love, or just plain annoyed by the person.

It is perfectly fine to make friends at work. For some people, it may be their only escape into socialization during the day. Just make sure not to cross any lines or say anything inappropriate. If you need to make the office your family, maybe you should look elsewhere like Michael Scott did when he left Dunder-Mifflin.

1. Get out of your office

2. Make your office a welcome place

I operate a small plastics business outside of Burbank and love every minute of it and have for the twenty years I’ve been doing it. What started out as just my wife and I molding household furnishings out of our basement has turned into an internationally shipped product line of patented sealants for self-storage facilities such as StorageMart, with just under three dozen employees operating everything from factory mechanics to sales.

The first extra hand we hired was Bob. Now Bob is a hard worker and true blue in his values and responsibilities. He started out as our assembly line operator when he was only 30 and hasn’t left the company since. In the fifteen years working for us, he’s risen to factory manager, a position he’s been in for the last five years or so.

The problem is Bob really wants to become a regional manager and while he’s been around the company long enough to be an expert on just about everything, my wife and I just don’t think he’s cut out for the job. He works wonders on the factory floor, and uses that in his arguments for why he deserves the promotion. While the pangs of lost productivity are certainly a factor in our resistance, Bob believes that’s the only reason we refuse to make the promotion. But it’s more than that. We just don’t think we’d get the most out of Bob as a regional manager as we do out of him running the floor.

What’s a self-made couple supposed to do? Bob is our friend as much as he’s our employee.

The Team Doc Says…

If you and your wife believe Bob to be unqualified for the promotion then there’s not much else to discuss. You are making a tough decision which is complicated by your friendship with Bob, but I believe you will do the right thing.

Your situation begs mention of the Peter Principle, which states that employees are often promoted to the point of ineptitude. Bob uses his success as the factory floor manager to argue why he deserves to be promoted, but being excellent at one skill set does not mean the employee is a good fit for the next position. In fact, that’s what causes the Peter Principle to take effect — supervisors promote workers until the worker is at a level that is no longer easy for him or her. The result is often a loss in productivity.

My advice is to approach Bob with a thorough explanation for your decision. Find the real reason that underlies Bob’s desire to become regional manager. There may be a way to accommodate your needs from a business perspective and Bob’s desire to move up. Make sure you communicate to Bob how highly valued he is in his current position and why promoting him is a perceived risk to the company. Friendship between employee and employer is a two-way street. If he’s a good friend and a good worker, he’ll more than understand.

Managing employees is one of the most difficult jobs there are. You may have the best workers possible but if you’re not communicating your concerns or needs adequately, it can make for a toxic atmosphere that will bring down morale and productivity.

There are many agencies (like this business consulting company in San Diego) that recognize the importance of positive employee/employer relations — something that’s essential to your business success. You don’t need to be your employees’ best friend but they must respect you and feel that both parties’ interests are being considered.

Here are three common management mistakes that can derail your relationships. Make sure you avoid them at all cost.

1. A Failure To Communicate:
In many business situations,  employees have no idea as to what’s going on. A lot of managers believe withholding information is power– but it’s actually quite the opposite. Not being open with employees can prove disastrous for you and your team.  It’s important to overcome this communication breakdown and actively engage with employees. It doesn’t have to be on a personal level, but it is important to make efforts to keep communication open. A closed communication channel will foster confusion and feed gossip as team members attempt to understand why things are being done the way they are.

2. Failing To Learn From Mistakes
Most managers are accustomed to success-orientated approaches. This, more specifically, pertains to production results. But you have to be careful. High production figures can often yield a drop in morale. You have to make sure and balance improvements in production with the “people issues.” Learn what works best for your team. Change for change sake will never work and could end up causing more harm than good in the long run.

3. Not Recognizing The Value of Your Resources
Too often is the case that employers fail to see their employees as, not only a resource but as a valued and trusted professional associate. If a manager isn’t making time for interaction and approaching management as a fluid activity, then they’re doing something wrong. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to management. You have to make time and consideration for your employees. You have to assess your employees’ individual needs and address them accordingly. And don’t forget that feedback is one of your most valuable tools.

These are some of the biggest mistakes made by managers, all which foster a, “us vs them” mentality. If you’re not working with your workers, then you’re not working as a team. Keeping the lines of communication open and considering your approach and the work environment will not only help you do your job better but help your employees as well.

What do you think?