Chances are you already know where this is going. We’ve all had to complete a performance review in some shape or form and then go over it with our manager. They tend to be quite lengthy affairs and often include all sorts of metrics and benchmarks we have absolutely no control over, say the results of another business unit or obscure corporate measurements (return on equity anyone?).

They often reflect a very top-down management style, where everything must “ladder-up” to the ultimate corporate objectives. It all makes sense in theory, but it just isn’t reflective of how people’s work habits and motivations are like today.

The objective of performance reviews should be to assess, but also to motivate. It seems as though the current approach does neither and at the very worst actually demotivates us.

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Week In Review:

Toronto - Marketing Production and Process Mgr. (Marketing & Advertising) Details / Apply
Toronto - Business Analyst (Information Technology) Details / Apply
Toronto - Market Research Analyst (Market Research) Details / Apply
Toronto - Senior Designer/Art Director (Internet) Details / Apply
Toronto - Special Projects Manager (Internet) Details / Apply
Montreal - Customer Engagement Manager (Computer Software) Details / Apply
Montreal - International Brand Manager (Computer Games) Details / Apply
Vancouver - Talent Coordinator (Marketing & Advertising) Details / Apply
Vancouver - Senior Product Manager (Market Research) Details / Apply
Ottawa - Customer Account Manger (Computer Software) Details / Apply

For the full rundown, log-in to Vestiigo.com

Some weekend reading
Career Savvy: The Art of Persuasion
Career Savvy: Stay or Go: How to Know When it’s Really Time to Leave Your Job
TED Talk: Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our own decisions?

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You have been told you may have 10 careers in your life, but don’t let that determine how often you change jobs. Don’t run away from a challenge. Instead, use each job as a learning opportunity to become better at leading your career. Imagine your career is an arch where each experience helps support the rest.

Ultimately, the decision to stay or go takes courage, self-confidence, and knowing when not to settle.

Shortcut#1
YOU DREAD BEING AT WORK EVERYDAY
“But wait! I love to sleep-in. I’m just not a morning person.” Well, you probably didn’t like broccoli as a kid. Now let’s take a reality check on this. Not every day will be your best and not every aspect of your job will add sheer joy to your life. But as you reflect, if there is a large chunk of your job that is unfulfilling and being at work is zapping your energy, then it is time for some tough conversations. Don’t feel alone here. Use your family, friends, colleagues, and bosses for support.

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Week In Review:

Toronto - Product Manager (Internet) Details / Apply
Toronto - Corporate Trader (Finance) Details / Apply
Toronto - Rewards Specialist (Marketing & Advertising) Details / Apply
Toronto - Manager, Content Communications (Internet) Details / Apply
Toronto - Software Developer (Internet) Details / Apply
Montreal - Digital Manager (Computer Games) Details / Apply
Montreal - HR Assistant (Computer Software) Details / Apply
Vancouver - Junior Writer (Marketing & Advertising) Details / Apply
Vancouver - Business Development Associate (Market Research) Details / Apply
Ottawa - Team Lead, Software Product Sales Specialist (Computer Software) Details / Apply

For the full rundown, log-in to Vestiigo.com

Some weekend reading
Career Savvy: 8 Great Career Tips from Rework
Career Savvy: What Makes Writing So Important?
TED Talk: Frans Johansson: The Secret Truth About Executing Great Ideas

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We were discussing the book “Rework” by the founders of 37 Signals – Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson – and agreed that while it’s a great book for businesses, it has some great tips on how to success in your career.

We’ve picked our top 8, but feel free to add any others in the comment section.

Making the call is making progress

Ever tempted to say “let’s decide later”? Don’t. The problems come when you decide to postpone decisions, rather than make them. You don’t always need the perfect solution, you just need to decide and move forward.

Reasons to Quit
We don’t mean quit your job, rather ask yourself whether you should be working on what you’re working on. It’s a lot easier to work on what you think need to be done as opposed to stepping back and questioning whether it’s adding value.

Interruption is the enemy of productivity
Find you’re always working late or coming in on the weekends? Well, it’s not because there’s too much work to be done. You just need to be more productive while you’re in the office. The reason why you’re not getting enough work done at the office? Interruptions.

Meetings are toxic
Remember what we were just saying about interruptions? Well, meetings happen to be the worst culprit. They’re scheduled like T.V. shows – you set aside either 30 mins or an hour because that’s how scheduling software works. What if you’re meeting only needs to be 8 minutes? You’re not going to schedule an 8 minute meeting in Outlook, but then why draw out the meeting longer than necessary.

Make more of your day and avoid meetings. If you have to have a meeting, make sure you have agenda of what you’re looking to accomplish.

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Frans Johansson: The Secret Truth About Executing Great Ideas from 99% on Vimeo.

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Writing is becoming a lost art, particularly in the business world. The chances are you’ve received either a poorly written email, sat through an inarticulate presentation, listened to an unconvincing speech, or experienced all three. The ability to write clearly and effectively remains one of the central building blocks of our society, yet increasingly the emphasis on writing as a skill seems to be waning.

The irony, of course, is that it’s never been easier (or cheaper) in the history of civilization to disseminate content to the masses. Between blogs, e-publishers, and social media you have a triumvirate of tools to professionally present and share your message – without the need of any third parties.

There’s any number of reasons to explain its decline. Some argue it’s the influence of social media, which facilitates speed rather than thought, while others suggest schools no longer place the same emphasis on effective writing that they once did.

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Week In Review:

Toronto - Inside Sales Representative (2 Positions) (Computer Software) Details / Apply
Toronto - Talent Acquisition Consultant (Internet) Details / Apply
Toronto - Community Developer (Contract) (Computer Games) Details / Apply
Toronto - Intermediate/Senior PHP/MySQL Developer (Internet) Details / Apply
Toronto - Senior Strategist (Marketing & Advertising) Details / Apply
Montreal - Marketing Product Specialist (Computer Software) Details / Apply
Montreal - Customer Insight Advisor (Marketing & Advertising) Details / Apply
Vancouver - HR Generalist (Internet) Details / Apply
Vancouver - Enterprise Customer Advocate (Internet) Details / Apply
Ottawa - Marketing Coordinator (Computer Software) Details / Apply

For the full rundown, log-in to Vestiigo.com

Some weekend reading
Career Savvy: It’s What You Know
Career Savvy: Inventing the 25th Hour
TED Talk: Clay Shirky: How cognitive surplus will change the world

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How to Find More Time in Your Day

Each of us gets a total of 168 hours in a week. Within that you must work (60); eat, shower, dress (25); sleep (50); and do what you do for the remainder (33). You can’t go full out every day, but it’s important to reflect on the 33 hours that are somewhat negotiable.

It is within these hours that we can share some tips on how you can go from couch potato to productivity guru. Don’t try to reschedule your entire life. Instead, focus on small, manageable actions to boost your ability to manage your commitments and time.

Shortcut#1

GET UP EARLIER
“But wait! I love to sleep-in. I’m just not a morning person.” Well, you probably didn’t like broccoli as a kid, but now appreciate its superhero stature in the vegetable arena (it’s seriously great for you!). If you can commit to getting up 30 or 60 minutes earlier for the next month, you’ll build a habit that will change your life. In The Greatness Guide, Robin Sharma espouses getting up early as the greatest gift you can give yourself. With this ‘found’ time you can exercise, eat a proper breakfast, journal or think about your life goals, ultimately freeing up even more time to spend on the things you love.

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In his eponymous blog, Seth Godin frequently questions the usefulness of the traditional resume. He argues they provide an easy way for employers to reject you because it makes it so easy to point out what’s missing as opposed to directing attention on what you’ve accomplished.

He’s on to something.

When we should be putting together a marketing portfolio worthy of a Super Bowl spot on prime time television, we instead send out stock, run-of-the-mill word documents that look and sound like everyone else. It doesn’t market and it doesn’t sell.

In reality, we should have a living, breathing portfolio that includes tangible items, like stellar projects you’ve delivered or flattering recommendations.

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Week In Review:

Toronto - Financial Analyst/Accountant (Internet) Details / Apply
Toronto - Marketing Coordinator- Events and Promotions (Internet) Details / Apply
Toronto - Product Manager (Computer Games) Details / Apply
Toronto - Project Analyst (Market Research) Details / Apply
Toronto - Support Rockstar (Internet) Details / Apply
Montreal - Bilingual Communications Coordinator (Research) Details / Apply
Montreal - Retail Marketing Coordinator (Computer Games) Details / Apply
Vancouver - Events Administrator (Research) Details / Apply
Vancouver - Lead Digital Marketing Strategist (Marketing and Advertising) Details / Apply
Victoria - Account Executive, Mobile (Marketing and Advertising) Details / Apply

For the full rundown, log-in to Vestiigo.com

Some weekend reading
Career Savvy: 3 Productivity Tips To Make Ideas Happen
Career Savvy: Don’t Overvalue Risk and Undervalue Opportunity
TED Talk: Nigel Marsh: How to make work-life balance work

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