Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

April Fool’s pranks for work

By

file7811297827424Are you already plotting and planning your workplace April Fool’s Day pranks? Or, are you the butt of the jokes – the one always on the receiving end of every prankster with an idea?

If you’re considering pulling a big prank at work, you may want to think twice. A national survey by a recruitment firm found 68% of advertising and marketing executives think April Fools’ pranks are inappropriate for the workplace. While under the guise of “team building,” certain pranks cause more harm than good. Even if your corporate or office culture embraces jokes, be aware that a misstep, even if intended all in fun, can mean you’re looking for a new job if someone takes it the wrong way, or if things go too far.

How can you evaluate a workplace prank?

Don’t be a bully. 

Every office has a few known misfits – people who don’t seem to mesh with the rest of the crowd. Choosing these teammates to be on the receiving end of your prank isn’t funny, it’s mean spirited and potentially cruel. Picking on someone known to be an outsider puts you on the same level of the grade-school bully who takes lunches from weaker kids on the bus.

Resist the urge to do anything that could cause permanent harm.

While changing a meeting time on someone’s calendar to cause them to miss an appointment may seem casual or harmless, if the event was important, the prank may escalate from mirthful to consequential very quickly.

Avoid gags that could be considered offensive. 

Stay away from anything that could be interpreted as targeted at any group or could be considered harassment. Making fun of people based on their race, religion or sexual orientation is never appropriate. Anything sexual in nature at all (a stripper, for example) is crossing the line in the office and could result in harassment charges.

Know your audience. 

If your target is the one who normally plans office pranks, and gags are common in your workplace, you’re less likely to be met with resistance, and your prank may be well received. If you work in a place where fun comes first, a well-played practical joke may be a welcome distraction. On the other hand, if it’s a buttoned-up work environment or clients frequent the office, you may want to think twice (or three times) before breaking the company’s culture with an April Fool’s joke.

Consider social media’s potential to extend – or ruin – your harmless prank. 

Maybe making your boss look a little silly won’t get you fired (if you’re lucky). However, making your boss look silly, filming it and posting it on the company’s YouTube channel or Twitter feed may very well result in termination. Be aware of the ramifications of what you do and how a single photo posted on Facebook can affect someone’s career.

“Safer” work gags.

There’s no dearth of ideas online for practical jokes at work. If you must break the monotony at work and have considered your plans in the context of advice to evaluate a workplace prank, choose something that won’t hurt anyone’s feelings and that leaves everyone involved thinking, “That was funny.”

Here are a few April Fool’s Day pranks unlikely to hurt anyone, but proceed at your own risk. 

  • Mashable suggested arranging for co-workers to each bring in several changes of clothing, and to update their outfits throughout the day. While it could make a very tired co-worker think he is going crazy, it’s unlikely to cause any real harm.
  • Put “Out of Order” signs on bathroom doors or on other “important” devices, such as the coffee pot or microwave.
  • “Foil” or “wrap” someone’s office. Before you start, be sure he or she doesn’t have an important meeting first thing in the morning, and then cover everything in the office.
  • The old “fill the drawers” trick. Ping pong balls in every drawer will be inconvenient, but is unlikely to cause any real damage.
  • Balloon an office. It can be a challenge to fill an office with balloons, and clean up may be a pain, but it can be a fun –- and colorful –- prank to spice up the day.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

If you do choose to proceed with a prank, make sure to be careful and keep the end goal in mind. You want everyone remembering the prank as being fun and clever, not nasty and mean spirited.

Originally appeared on AOLJobs.com.

Never say these things in interviews

By

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-job-interview-sticky-notes-image28983875Interviews are probably the most challenging part of the job search process. You need to be ready for anything, including weird interview questions. You don’t want to blurt out something inappropriate and send all of your hard work down the toilet. Avoid these inappropriate comments during your interview:

1. I’m really nervous. There’s nothing wrong with feeling nervous. It’s natural to be a little uneasy at an important interview. Don’t tell the interviewer if you have butterflies in your stomach, though. Your job in the interview is to portray a confident and professional demeanor. You won’t win any points by admitting your nerves or blaming them for any failures in your performance.

2. I don’t really know much about the job; I thought you’d tell me all about it. This is a big job seeker mistake, and it can cost you the opportunity. Employers spend a lot of time interviewing, and they expect candidates to have researched the jobs enough to be able to explain why they want the positions. Otherwise, you could be wasting everyone’s time by interviewing for a job you may not even really want. Asking questions is important, but don’t ask anything you should know from the job description or from reading about the company online.

3. My last boss/colleague/client was a real jerk. It’s possible (even likely) that your interviewer could prod you into telling tales about your previous or current supervisor or work environment. Resist the urge to badmouth anyone, even if you have a bad boss. It is unprofessional and the employer will worry what you may say to someone about him or her down the road. Instead, think about ways to describe past work environments in terms of what you learned or accomplishments you’re proud to discuss.

4. My biggest weakness is (something directly related to the job). “What’s your weakness?” is one of the most dreaded interview questions. There’s no perfect reply, but there is a reply you should never say: Never admit to a weakness that will affect your ability to get the job done. If the job description requires a lot of creativity, and you say your creativity has waned lately, assume that you’ve taken yourself out of the running. Choose a weakness not related to the position and explain how you’re working to improve it.

5. @#$%! Granted, profanity seems to be much more accepted in many workplaces today. However, an interview is not the time to demonstrate that you can talk like a pirate.

6. Just a minute; I really need to get this call. It’s amazing how many hiring managers and recruiters report that interviewees answer their phones and respond to text messages during in-person interviews. Turn off your phone during interviews and you will not be tempted to reach to answer it.

7. How much vacation time would I get? Never, ever ask questions in an interview that may make it appear that you’ll be overly focused on anything other than work.

8. Can I work from home? Even if you’re pretty sure the company has a lenient work-from-home policy, the interview isn’t the best time to ask about it.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

9. Family is the most important thing to me. This is true for many people. However, you do not need to explain how devoted you are to your family during your job interview. It is unlikely to win favor, even in organizations with a well-known family-friendly environment. You want your potential employer to envision you being totally devoted to his or her needs.

When in doubt, pause before you say what’s on your mind. If you wonder if it’s okay to ask, assume it’s better to avoid the topic altogether.

Appeared on AOLjobs.com.