May 2008

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Michigan News

Common hassles at work are more likely than long hours, night shifts or job insecurity to follow workers home and interfere with their sleep, according to a U-M study. Respondents who felt upset or bothered at work on a frequent basis, or had ongoing personal conflicts with bosses or co-workers, were about 1.7 times more likely than others to develop sleep problems. "Massive changes over the past half-century have reshaped the workplace, with major implications for sleep," U-M sociologist Sarah Burgard said. "For many workers, psychological stress has replaced physical hazards."

Do overweight people deserve protection from discrimination through the law? That's the question raised by Anna Kirkland, an assistant professor in the U-M Women's Studies and Political Science departments. It's legal to discriminate against someone based on weight in every state except Michigan. For example, an employer can tell overweight job applicants that their appearance would not convey the right message to customers. "The question is, what is the proper role for law in saying what a person's traits ought to mean?" said Kirkland.

Career Events

The powerful Michigan network is coming to your neighborhood. Don't miss the Alumni Association's career-focused events held across the country, featuring prominent speakers offering inside information and the latest on workplace trends. You'll also have networking opportunities and a chance to learn how to put the Michigan network to work for you. Following are upcoming events in Flint, Michigan, and Los Angeles, California:

• In today’s economy, you need to differentiate yourself from the competition. At this event, Tim Augustine—career expert and author of “How Hard Are You Knocking?”—shares techniques for successful career transitions and personal effectiveness. Bring your resume because Augustine, who has reviewed thousands of resumes, will provide individual feedback after the workshop. The event is Thursday, May 15, at 6 p.m. at the University Center, Ontario Room, 303 E. Kearsley, Flint. Admission is $10 for AAUM members. Call 800.847.4764 or visit the Career Enhancement Series Web site to register or for details.
• Personal branding is one of today's hottest career strategies and essential for thriving in today's economy. William Arruda, the personal branding guru, will share the secrets of building and communicating a winning personal brand and setting yourself apart. Learn to increase your confidence and create a career focus. The event is Tuesday, May 20, at 6 p.m. at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, 1744 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. Admission is $20 in advance for AAUM members and $30 at the door. Visit the Career Enhancement Web site for more details. You can hear Arruda speak about branding by visiting AAUM’s True Blue Podsquad Web site.

AAUM Member Benefits

The Alumni Association is seeking U-M alumni leaders to fill three-year positions on the national Alumni Leadership Council. In addition, we are accepting recommendations for alumni representation on the following university boards/committees: Honorary Degree Committee, the Committee on the Economic Status of the Faculty and the Michigan Union Board of Representatives. Visit our Web site for details on the roles and expectations and to fill out an online application/recommendation form. The deadline for applications is Friday, May 30.

One of the greatest benefits of being part of the Michigan family is your connection to thousands of talented leaders in every profession throughout the world. Alumni NetWorks is your way to leverage these connections for career success. It's a search tool that uses your criteria to comb through our comprehensive volunteer database and connect you with alumni mentors who are waiting right now to give you career information and advice. Alumni NetWorks is free for members of the Alumni Association and current students. To learn more, visit www.umalumni.com/career.

Stay even more connected to U-M through our special e-newsletters available only to Alumni Association members:

• e-TrueBlue: Sports—U-M sports fans will love this extra coverage of U-M teams, current and former student-athletes, and upcoming events.
• e-TrueBlue: Travel—For our members who love to travel, this e-newsletter gives you important travel news, hints and tips, recommendations on travel-related books, information on Web sites and TV shows, and ideas for great trips around the world.

Each e-newsletter is sent monthly and is an exclusive benefit of AAUM membership. Subscribe online.

Ever wonder what happened to your old roommate? Or have you lost the email address of a classmate you meant to keep in touch with? The Alumni Association can help you re-connect with U-M alumni through inCircle. You can search for jobs with a Michigan connection, network with fellow alumni and meet new friends through inCircle, our online community. Not only is it uniquely Michigan, but it's free—brought to you by the Alumni Association. Visit www.umalumni.com for more information.

On the Job

Why tackle today what can be put off until Tuesday? In a new survey by Accountemps, 57 percent of executives said Tuesday is the most productive day of the week for employees, followed by Monday (12 percent), Wednesday and Thursday (11 percent each) and Friday (3 percent). Accountemps offers the following advice for maintaining a high level of productivity throughout the entire week:

• Make a plan. Spend 10 to 15 minutes at the beginning of each day mapping out your priorities.
• Sharpen your focus. People are more productive when working for an extended period in the same mental mode.
• Limit distractions, such as frequently reading email.
• Don’t delay. One effective way to overcome procrastination is to break a project into smaller, more manageable tasks.
• Recharge. Take short breaks throughout the day.

Featured Article

During the past 15 years, Tim Augustine has asked thousands of business executives, human resource directors and recruiters the same question: “What are you looking for from job candidates?” At the same time, he has found that most job candidates place too much emphasis on their resume and not enough time on their overall job search strategy. In his article “Are You Ready for Your Job Search?” Augustine, speaker at this month’s Career Enhancement Seminar in Flint, Michigan, reviews a step-by-step approach that you can take to secure a job and lists the top 10 attributes companies are looking for:

• Personality and enthusiasm
• Professional attire
• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Ability to learn and adapt
• Achievement oriented
• Knowledge about the firm
• Result-oriented resume
• Experience
• Confidence

Hot Jobs

Our alumni job board has more than 3,500 jobs listed right now. Below are just a few of the jobs listed by employers looking to hire U-M grads. If these aren’t right for you, visit the careers section of inCircle and you may just find your next job.

• Copywriter at ARS Advertising
  Saint Joseph, Michigan
• Elementary Teacher – Montessori at the Mind Trust
  Livonia, Michigan
• Director of Advertising and Sponsorship Sales at Modern Media Group
  Chicago, Illinois

This Month's Poll

How many of the top 10 attributes do you have? Tell us in our online poll.

e-TrueBlue: Career is sent to all members of the Alumni Association via email as a benefit of membership. If you prefer not to receive it, please send an email to malumni@umich.edu with a subject of REMOVE ETRUEBLUE CAREER. If you would prefer to receive the text-only version of this newsletter, send an email to malumni@umich.edu.

Unless indicated, the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan does not have a relationship with any of the Web sites or businesses mentioned in e-TrueBlue. The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan is not responsible for any inaccuracies found on these connections.

Alumni Association of the University of Michigan, 200 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor, MI, 734.764.0384, 800.847.4764, m.alumni@umich.edu