Escaping the toxic boss

This post came out from The Straits Times (13 October 2012)
Title - Escaping the toxic boss - If you dread working with your supervisor, take these three steps to a better career

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Gain perspective to think rationally about your career options
2. Take inventory of your career accomplishments and contributions
3. Update your resume

On Gain perspective to think rationally about your career options

• Fear in the workplace tends to leave people thinking they have no better options than to stick it out. Such thinking is a result of loss of confidence and the inability to see beyond the present distress. 
• If you keep an open mind, you will see that there are many options for you outside of your current job. One way to get the most out of this career reconnaissance is to search for job postings based on skills rather than job titles. 
• Do a job skills self-analysis to identify the tasks and activities you enjoy performing on your job. Use those skills as your search terms at online job boards. You may be surprised to see that you qualify for positions you had not thought of before.

On Take inventory of your career accomplishments and contributions

• To get moving towards a new position, you will need to regain your confidence. Think about, and then write down, situations in which you (1) came up with an idea of saving time, (2) helped your team reach a production goal (3) identified cost savings opportunities and (4) solved a customer problem leading to increased customer satisfaction. 
• As you think back on your accomplishments, you will begin to realise the value you have added to your company. Remember, other employers have similar problems to solve. They are looking for candidates who have experience in handling difficult situations. The more specific the examples of your accomplishments are, the more marketable you will be in the job market.

On Update your resume

• Once you have your accomplishments listed use them to update your resume. Think of your resume as your initial marketing tool - it should announce to potential employers your ability to help them reach their bottom line corporate goals. 
• Your resume should also have a clear career focus. Updating your resume does not mean simply adding your current work history to your old resume format. Without a careful strategy, your resume will being to resemble an old house with too many tackled on additions. 
• Make sure your resume presents a cohesive, well thought out, professional front. Additionally, if your career has taken several interesting turns, you will want to adjust your resume to refocus on your current job search. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big