How to Deal With a Smelly Co-worker - The Muse

How to Deal With a Smelly Co-worker - The MuseHow to Deal With a Smelly Co-worker The smell is unmistakable. After triple-checking that its not your own body odor thats resulting in the stench, youve determined who the offending festivitt is. But what to do? Its not as though you ever received any professional training in how to tell a co-worker he stinks and needs to bathe more.As someone who has firsthand experience with this when I worked in a restaurant, I can tell you that this is one to leave to the powers that be. As cool as the chef and I were, I simply couldnt tell him he smelled and needed to start wearing deodorant and, um, showering on a regular basis. If you have a co-worker with questionable hygiene, I can understand your struggle it is all too real. But dont try to tackle this one yourself. Instead, request a meeting with someone in your organizations HR department. If youre tight with your boss and feel more comfortable mentioning it to them, then thats a fine route t o take as well. Either way, youre going to have to be frank This is weird and hard to say, but here it is Ive noticed that Name may have some body odor issues, and, well, the thing is, its just really unpleasant to be around. I didnt want to say anything, but I dont think Im the only one whos bothered by it. Its OK if you cringe as you say it and brace yourself for the response. In all likelihood, your manager or HR will note the issue and handle it accordingly- probably in the form of a conversation with your colleague.There are plenty of times being assertive pays off, but not here. Leave this one to someone more equipped to handle it.If youre struggling to get through the work because your co-workers hygiene issues are distracting, well, youre going to have to find a good solution to it. After all, theres no reason that you should let an annoying co-worker habit get in the way of you doing your best work. So, tell me on Twitter What is your most frustrating office issue? If a lot of people agree, I might just cover it And in the meantime, check out career coach Melody Wildings advice for dealing with office frustrations.

NYPD Bomb Squad and Hazardous Devices Unit Careers

NYPD Bomb Squad and Hazardous Devices Unit CareersNYPD Bomb Squad and Hazardous Devices Unit CareersThe clock is ticking as you wipe sweat from your brow. Everything is riding on this moment, and the safety and well-being of thousands are literally in your hands. You are the difference maker now in the question of whether death and destruction will prevail or people will go about their lives, perhaps never knowing what you did to protect them and keep them safe as you patiently and deliberately work to diffuse the bomb in front of you. Such is the life of a member of the bomb squad. Okay, maybe thats a little bit of an over dramatization, but that stakes are certainly high, and the job is no stranger to danger. If youve seen ?The Hurt Locker, Speedor Blown Away, youve got a good idea of what Hollywood - and the rest of us - think of when you hear bomb tech. On the positive side, among law enforcement specialty units, the bomb squad folks a place of respect and awe. On the downside, m ovies and television shows play up the drama and suspense to what many bomb techs say is an unrealistic level while failing to capture what it means work as a public safety bomb technician. The History of Bomb Squads in the United States The New York City Police Department created the first law enforcement bomb squad in the United States in 1909. It was headed up by Lt. Giuseppe Petrosino, an Italian-American NYPD detective who had been assigned to investigate Mafia activity in New York. During the period leading up to the formation of the squad, Italian immigrants were being extorted by members of the mafia, most often by means of what we now call improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Petrosino and his squad - then known as the Italian Squad - worked undercover to uncover bombing plots and bring the bombers to justice. In the early years, the bomb squads role was more that of an undercover detective and less about dismantling explosive devices. With the onset of World War I and mass-produced explosive munitions, the need to effectively deal with defective devices meant the need to learn how to make ordnance safe. At the same time, devices with delayed fuses were making their way out of Germany and onto the battlefield, where the predecessors to the militarys Explosive Ordnance Disposal units went to work diffusing them. Now, most medium-sized or larger police department in the U.S employs a bomb squad, usually officially known as the Hazardous Devices Team. What Do Bomb Technicians Do and Where Do They Work? Nearly every moderately-sized city hosts a Hazardous Devices Team. The teamsmay be made upof a task force of police officers, sheriffs deputies, firefighters and federal agents, or it may be entirely housed in a single department. In most cases, especially in smaller areas, jobs with the bomb squad are part-time. That is to say that if you work in the HDT, its your secondary duty, next to patrolling as a police officer, working as a detective or t raining officer or another job. In such cases, bomb squad members train periodically with their fellow team members and continue to perform their main functions unless called to investigate a suspicious device. Though it may at times be a secondary job, it is an important one, made that much more so by the World Trade Center Bombing of 1993, the Oklahoma City Bombing and the Boston Marathon Bombing. In an article, he penned for PolliceOne.com, former Knox County, Tn. Hazardous Devices Unit member Shawn Hughes states the primary function of police bomb technicians is to locate, diagnose, render safe, and make safe to investigate, bombs. It also involves responding to countless reports of suspicious devices and packages, backpacks left in strange locations, and working closely with another state, local and federal agencies and anti-terrorism task forces. Bomb squad members are subject to call out at any time and may have to travel to assist around their platz or the country. In additi on, many hazardous device teams are called to remove old military ordnance from places like peoples backyards that, believe it or not, were left and buried by now-defunct military kusines and airfields. In fact, such calls are surprisingly common. When not actively on a call, full-time bomb technicians may spend their days training, practicing and even building devices to learn more about how the mind of a bomber may work and how to better respond to suspicious device calls. They also train to identify devices and evidence for crime scene technicians. One thing Hazardous Device Team members try NOT to do, contrary to what the movies tell you, is approaching a device unless they have to. While their techniques and tactics are largely secret, bomb technicians have lots of technology and gear available to them to help them make a device safe without having to get close, including specialized robots that can diffuse devices remotely. What Does It Take to Become a Bomb Squad Member? First things first, in most cases you need to become a police officer and spend time working the road and gaining law enforcement experience before you can be selected for a specialty unit like the bomb squad. That will mean completing a police academy, passing a certification exam and getting hired in law enforcement. Most departments require candidates to have - at a nadir - 2 years of experience before they are considered for special units. Typically, as with any law enforcement specialty position, current officers can apply when a position in their department becomes vacant. Sometimes, a candidate that demonstrates qualities the bomb squad is looking for may be asked to join, or they may undergo a selection process, tests, and interviews. Current bomb techs say candidates need to be able tohandle tight spaces, understand and explain difficult concepts and diagrams, and be an effective communicator. You also need to be able to listen to, understand and follow orders with urgency and immediacy. Candidates who are chosen for the bomb squad train at the FBIs Hazardous Devices School at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. After training, new bomb squad members apprentice with senior teammates to learn the ins and outs of the job. Job Growth and Salary Outlook for Bomb Technicians Theres not typically a high turnover in the bomb squad, as these jobs are often long-term commitments due to the amount of training and expertise required. Retirements and transfers do occur, and as departments continue to evolve in their response to terrorist threats, its quite possible that there will be some expansion of these units, though they will very likely continue to be hard to come by for most. Bomb squad members usually earn the same as the average for police officers in their rank, around $50,000 to $60,000 annually or more. They may also earn on-call pay and hazard pay to supplement their base salary. Is a Career as a Bomb Squad Member Right For You? If youre the kind of person who likes gadgets and learning how things work, or if you like to tinker and enjoy problem-solving, working as a bomb technician may be the perfect criminology career for you. Its not, however, a career without risks. While certainly, any law enforcement job is inherently dangerous, working as a bomb squad technician comes with some very specific and significant risks, and so it should not be entered into lightly or without due consideration for the dangers involved.

Worried about taking a vacation while job hunting Heres how to do both

Worried about taking a vacation while job hunting Heres how to do bothWorried about taking a vacation while job hunting Heres how to do bothThe summer months can be a tough season to job hunt The majority of your contacts might be on vacation, enjoying summer hours or merely trying to get as much crucial work done as fast as they can so they can hit the beach.But while you might be putting much of your outreach on hold, you also dont want to miss out on any actual jobs that do come up. And, its also summer for you, after all, and you have time on your hands.That can create a dilemma for a full-time job hunter, whether you had a vacation planned before your situation or you decide to take advantage of your time off to enjoy a visit with friends or family. Being inaccessible as that HR director youve been trying to track down finally contacts you can be a roadblock for your interviewing strategy.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Produc tivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreBut sitting around waiting for the phone to ring isnt necessarily the only answer. Here are some tips for attaining balance, but notlage abandoning your job hunt, when you have a vacation planned.1. Choose your location wiselyAssuming youre in control of where you go (as in, your presence is not required at a destination wedding or family reunion) try to organize your trip as close to home - or the location where you are looking for a job - as possible so that you can show up if you are called in for an interview and absolutely cant miss out, says Chris Chancey, a career expert and founder and owner of Amplio Recruiting. But if you do decide to go further afield, think about a location where you might consider relocating, assuming that is tauglichkeitly in the cards. Youll have the chance to soak in the ambiance and decide if its for you.2. Do some homework before you departIf you worry that your job hunt will consume you while youre gone, set some groundwork in the days and weeks leading up to it to so you feel on top of the process. Chancey recommends starting a list of potential networking connections and tweaking your resume and LinkedIn profile to correspond to the jobs you hope to apply to, so you are ready when you return. The idea here is to lay down the basics of your job hunt so you can focus on the time with your loved ones, he says.3. Be clear that you might not respond immediatelyPut an out of office reply on your email account so that the employer will know that youre away and therefore they will likely receive a delayed response, suggests career strategist Missy Scott. That doesnt mean that you should go totally off the grid she recommends checking your email at least daily so that youre able to respond, or even more often if activities permit. But giving the HR person a heads-up that youre typically more responsive can allay any quick decisions they might make to move on to the next in line.4. U se downtime wiselyUnless its completely unavoidable, you wont want to miss a hike to the waterfall or visit a theme park. Instead, find a block of time, whether it is early in the morning or between activities, and use the quiet time to focus on scanning job boards or other application tasks, suggests Chancey. Fortunately, with a smartphone by your side, you can keep up with any job-related updates throughout the day without feeling anxious about missing an important email or worrying about annoying your loved ones.5. Talk about your job searchYou never know who might be that golden connection so dont have any qualms regarding discussing your job hunt if you meet new people during your vacation, suggests Chancey. Practice a short elevator speech so you can easily frame your pursuits and then dont be shy about telling others you are looking for a job. Take their contact information so you can reach out when you get home and share your LinkedIn and other information in case they hear of anything.6. Be upfront if you have already started the hiring processIf youre actively involved in an interview process, the worst possible thing you can do is ghost a hiring manager, so let your contact know at the beginning of the process about your pre-planned vacation. Just being aware of the timeline can save a lot of headache later, says Elatia Abate, a human capital expert who has zustrom global recruiting for Anheuser-Busch InBev and Dow Jones. Sometimes the process can be accelerated or condensed in order to be completed before the planned time away, or one round could be scheduled before and another after.If the need is urgent, show youre a team player by being available if necessary by phone or via a Skype or Facetime interview. You dont want to miss out on a great opportunity because of timing. But dont blow off your usual interview protocol, Abate cautions. Prep the night before and find a quiet room where you can concentrate and be heard without distraction.7. Follo w up when you get backAs soon as you return, follow up with anyone you interacted with. If there was an interview you missed because you couldnt leverage technology and they couldnt wait, make sure to reinforce that you would love to keep in touch for future opportunities, Abate says.8. Dont worry that this will take you out of the runningJob hunting while having pre-planned travel can be daunting for, acknowledges Abate, but she says it neednt be. Most hiring managers prioritize having a quality candidate hired into the job versus just getting someone in the seat quickly, she says.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from jngste Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people