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Networking may help summer job hunt

By Linda Lerner, Globe Correspondent, 7/4/04

My son is home from his freshman year in college and he needs a summer job. He really does not know where to begin looking except for the supermarkets. These food markets say that they filled their jobs months ago. I want to help him but I do not know what types of companies are hiring for the summer. Where should he be looking?

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Timing is not on your son's side. Many college students start looking for a job during their winter and spring breaks. They then follow up though the next couple of months with phone calls, letters, and interviews when possible. Hopefully, during his sophomore year your son will get an earlier start on his search.

For now, he will need a quick lesson in networking. Networking is the label used for the process of connecting with people that may be helpful in leading you toward getting what you need at a particular time. In your son's case that will mean connecting or talking with local store owners or managers, relatives, neighbors, parents of friends, high school teachers or coaches, and anyone else who you can think of who may be helpful.

The best thing for you to do for your son is to tell everyone you know he is looking for a job in case someone hears of an opportunity. When either one of you is talking about his search remember to state any special skills or talents he possesses. Include his computer abilities, his reliability, good writing skills, a sense of humor, etc. Actually take the time to practice with him the few sentences that he will use to describe himself to an employer because young people often have a difficult time with this part of the process.

Some employers list lower-level summer jobs with their local high school, so a visit back to his high school and others in the area to check out their postings or to see a guidance counselor can also be productive. Postings also go up on community bulletin boards in supermarkets, boys and girls clubs, churches, synagogues, and community centers.

Do not assume that every market is not hiring just because one or two are not. Some people leave summer jobs early and the store is left understaffed. Encourage your son to try every business, retail establishment, restaurant, and office that you can think of before giving up.

Recognizing stress is first step in tackling problem

I am a professional at a biomedical research company and I manage three other professionals and four administrative staff. The company is forthright in saying all the right things about balancing work and home needs but the pressures at work are causing me a great deal of stress and difficulty. I am beginning to worry about handling this level of stress over the long term. There seems to be a lot of information around about dealing with home life and personal stress, but what should I do about the work side of the equation? How can I assist my staff who seem to be burdened by stress as well?

Although the stresses at home are different from those at work, experiencing overwhelming stress can cause damage to the body. Stress is stress, no matter what the cause. It is strongly recommended that all of us learn to recognize the signs of stress early enough to do something effective about it.

Stress causes strain on our bodies that we ultimately learn about when different types of symptoms show up in our lives. According to Liz Hahn, clinical director of KGA Inc., an employee assistance program and wellness company, stress manifests itself in three major ways: physical, emotional, and behavioral. The physical symptoms can include headaches, stomach and digestive pain, muscle aches or spasms, eyestrain, grinding teeth, clenched jaw (often referred to as TMJ), high blood pressure, shallow breathing, fatigue or insomnia. Hahn reminds us that these same symptoms can also be the result of other nonstress-related illnesses.

Emotionally, people are affected by long-term stress in a variety of ways. Some of the more common ones are anxiety, sadness, defensiveness, irritability, isolation, slowed thinking, apathy, feelings of hopelessness or of being trapped.

Examples of the behavioral symptoms are overeating or loss of appetite, procrastination, quick temper, increased use of alcohol or drugs, reduced productivity, and neglecting home responsibilities and personal relationships.

Any of these symptoms can be warning signs to alert us that it is time to integrate stress management techniques into our daily lives before stress becomes a serious health problem.

Stress increases when people experience losing control of a situation such as when the workload becomes overwhelming, the boss is unfair, home life is increasingly demanding, or a family member is sick. Other stress inducers include a loss of autonomy at work, an unmanageable subordinate or coworker, fear of job loss and fear of loss of financial security.

Corporations have found that stress at work is very costly to them because it has been shown to result in decreased productivity, absenteeism, burnout, turnover, higher medical expenses, and stress related workers' compensation claims. In fact, 75-80 percent of all workplace accidents are stress related.

There are some people who say they work best under pressure and this is actually true up to a point. But there is also is a time when a stress level is reached where productivity declines and the symptoms described above begin to appear.

The best methods for coping with stress vary based on our personal preferences. For example, walking alone might be the perfect relaxer for one person but being alone could cause a different individual to experience increased stress. Therefore, finding the relaxation method that works best for you can help reduce stress in your daily life. Be proactive by starting to create a routine before symptoms become serious.

Hahn tells me she has found that there are three main ways to approach managing stress.

Work out your stress: Studies about the mental effects of exercise have shown that with regular active use of the body, one can discover a greater sense of well being, vitality, and a calmer, more relaxed attitude. Endorphins, serotonin, and norepinephrine increase during physical exercise and thereby reduce our stress level. Serotonin is a hormone that gets released into our bodies when we exercise and is known to give the body a natural high. In a crunch, find a quiet spot or a comfortable chair and breath deeply and slowly to help to release stress.

Change your attitude: Events do not actually cause the stress we experience; it is our personal way of reacting to them that matters. A shift in our perspective on a situation can turn it into a more positive experience. Taking things one day at a time instead of worrying about the whole month ahead is a helpful way to approach a major challenge. Humor and laughter has also been proven to lighten and lift anxiety and secrete helpful hormones into our bodies.

Get organized: There is something very calming about clearing out the clutter and opening up the space you spend time in whether at work or at home. Can you remember a time when you felt really good after moving your home or your office? It may have been because you were forced to get rid of a lot of stuff and you had the opportunity to get organized. Try using a new or expanded day planner or a Palm, prioritizing your projects instead of worrying about them, or just planning a major office clean up, clear out day. The payoff will be a feeling of increased control over your life and control has a direct relationship to stress levels.

As a manager it is also important to set an example for the healthful ways to approach work. If you work late every night, don't take a lunch breaks, and skip vacations, then your employees will see that as the standard and it will not matter what the company policy says.

Wherever you can increase your employees' sense of control over their work and their environment, the greater their chances for avoiding stress and anxiety. Involve your staff in decision making, setting goals, and solving problems wherever possible. Keep your employees informed of changes that will affect them personally and as a group.

The problem of stress in the workplace is one of the reasons that an increasing number of employers retain an outside service to provide employee assistance. ''A frequent reason that employees seek out the help of their company's employee assistance program is work related stress,'' said Hahn. ''When stress grows beyond one's ability to cope with it on their own, they hopefully will seek help.''

Encourage your employees to attend seminars and training sessions on stress management techniques, relaxation, and time management. Assertiveness training is another helpful type of seminar because it can ease stress by helping us learn how to deal with situations directly instead of stewing over them. In addition there are also easily accessible books, tapes and websites on the subject.

You are wise to be asking about these stress related concerns. Serving as a role model by getting educated on the broad area of stress and anxiety will benefit you personally and assist you in becoming savvier about what may be going on with your staff. The more resources you can draw upon, the greater your chances of avoiding the serious problems stress can create.

Linda Lerner is principal of Lerner Consulting, a human resources firm based in Boston.

Need advice about managing your career or workplace? Our specialists can help. E-mail questions to ; fax to 617-929-3183; or mail to Job Doc, The Boston Globe, P.O. Box 55819, Boston, MA 02205-5819.

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