National Edition - October 28, 2007  CYBERFIND E-mail isn't so great, after all Check mail, check mail, check mail! Your mouse-clicking sounds super productive but you're actually caught in an obsessive-compulsive loop. The prospect of increased e mail use, experts forecast a 27 percent rise this year, has one executive looking to reboot. In fact, cyberspace is filled with cowards looking to shirk their responsibilities in a game of hot potato by firing off a quick e-mail to someone else. (Source: AlterNet) How often do you check your e-mail during the workday? To answer, visit Career zone, and check out the Your opinion matters section. PERSONAL ADVANCEMENT Britain to recruit spies from video game Who will be the next James Bond? Perhaps it's the person sitting next to you on the rec room couch mangling the video game controller. You thought it was your best friend that you've known since childhood. Actually, that's Scotland Yard's hottest new recruit. One of the United Kingdom's intelligence agencies has bought advertising space in the realms of the latest video game releases as a covert recruitment campaign for tech-savvy individuals with quick reflexes. (Source: Agence France Presse) TIME MANAGEMENT Dealing with the stressed Psychological stress is among the mental health ailments responsible for $33 billion annually in lost productivity. In fact, mental health disorders are the fastest-growing category of workplace disability insurance claims in Canada. With all the leaps-and-bounds progress made since the Industrial Revolution, skepticism over the true extent of "stress" abounds. Perhaps employees have gone soft. (Source: Macleans) STARTING A NEW JOB How to read your boss' mind Mind reading may be a handy technique around the workplace. But it's probably best to keep your ESP to yourself. Hard-nosed, empirically motivated employers may find your clairvoyance techniques somewhat flaky- so please leave your tarot cards and crystal ball at home. Those without this special touch can fake on-the-job mind reading by following theses simple techniques: ask for your job description in writing, plan follow-up meetings, be up-front and ask for feedback. (Source: Jobboom, Career Zone) JOB TERMINATION Workers on the job into their 90s So you're a young whippersnapper hanging out on the sidelines of the workforce waiting for the "talent war" to heat up in earnest. Will those smug and self-made Baby Boomers sitting atop the corporate pyramid ever leave their choice jobs, creating mobility for the best and brightest talent from younger generational co-horts? No, perhaps not. Now, just in time to stem the tide of optimism, stories of people staying on at their jobs into their 90s. (Source: Jobboom, Career Zone) Do you... have a potty-mouth at work? A British study reveals that swearing at work reduces stress and boosts morale. Frequent swearing can reinforce solidarity among staff and enable them to express their feelings. The study found that swearing didn't take place in front of or within close proximity to customers, but privately among employees. Imposing a ban on profanity and reprimanding staff might seem like strong leadership but would remove the source of solidarity, morale and motivation. Scientists stress that abusive and offensive swearing should be eliminated where it generates greater levels of stress, rather than helping to relieve it. (Source: CBC) November 4 - 10 Canada Career Week Canadawide November 7 Take Our Kids to Work Day Nationwide November 7 - 9 National Supported Employment Conference Calgary, AB November 14 - 15 DigiWorld Summit 2007 Montpellier, FR November 17 Opportunity Green Conference 2007 Los Angeles, CA November 19 - 20 BioNorth Ottawa, ON November 21 – 22 3rd Annual Summit on the Mature Workforce Toronto, ON November 21 Best Employers Awards for 50 Plus Canadians Toronto, ON November 22 Become an Effective Communicator Toronto, ON November 28 - 30 Construct Canada Toronto, ON November 30 Calgary YEC 2007 Bursary Deadline Calgary, AB December 2 – 5 CSTD Annual Conference Toronto, ON December 13 BC HRMA's Holiday Party & Silent Auction Victoria, BC NOTICE: Jobboom and its sponsors do not necessarily endorse the opinions conveyed in the articles selected for this e-zine and do not assume any legal liability in consequence thereof. Comments: info@jobboom.com Research and editing: Austin Macdonald #noDossier#