But, first, what is your relationship to her? It might be good to make sure to first establish a connection socially. Can you go to lunch with her to get to know her better? This might give you some clues as to her makeup and why she has this performance issues.
Also, sometimes befriending a person is a good way of better understanding them and getting them to perform better as well (i.e., she may be less likely to miss deadlines with you if she is friends with you). You may not want to get to know her better, but it really is important. It does have an impact.
After getting to know her better, it would also be easier to approach her about the performance-related issues. But, pick ONE thing to ask her about. If you try to address too many things it will not work and she will get defensive and "lash out". Trying to understand why she misses deadlines will help you figure out what she might be able to do to improve.
While it may seem like you should not have to do any of these things and her performance is the issue and the boss should handle it, it sounds like the boss is not doing anything about it. So, you can either try yourself first (since it bothers you) or you can still try to talk to the boss. Do others in your office also feel the same way about her? If so, maybe they can help talk to the boss? Good luck. I know this is difficult.
Q: I've been on the hunt since September, looking for jobs that utilise my skill sets but in a different area of work than where my career initially led. I seem to fit the profile of the job seeker who should use it, but I'm concerned about how much HR folks dislike them.
Any thoughts on the merits of using a functional resume with modern (computerised) job application processes and its reception by HR professionals?
Based on how the functional resume ends up looking and how different it looks from your typical resume, you might make a decision. In some cases, a functional resume may not look that different. You might create both of them and then have an HR person (any friends in the field? ) look over it and give his or her opinion. One thing I have learned is that not all HR people have the same preferences.
Another thing to do after getting feedback from others on how the resume looks would be to look at resumes from the firms you are applying to. Sometimes you can see examples from Linked In or other places. You might get an idea for what type of resume appeals to them.
Also, the Knock 'em Dead series has some great tips on resumes. In general, I would not rule out the functional resume, but I strongly encourage you to get feedback from someone before submitting it (which you should do for any type of resume anyway).
Q: There is an organisation that will provide references for those who don't have any. They don't provide references to Government employers, only private. What do you think of this, considering that it helps those who don't have references and desperately need a job?
I have not known people who have used this type of service so I am not sure. It seems though, that most employers really want references from people who have supervised or worked side-by-side with folks so they can speak to their team or leadership skills, quality and quantity of work, etc.
What would this organisation be able to speak to unless they are summarising the person's work experiences based on reviewing their resumes or meeting with them? I just don't think it would have as much weight as references from people who have directly worked with someone.
Q: What's the best way to enter into a new career field with no formal training or degree in it?
It depends on what type of career you are talking about. Firms hire employees by balancing their focus on what they do for selection purposes (i.e., the assessments and measurement tools they use to hire people and the education and experience requirements) to what they do about training (i.e. providing on-the-job training or apprenticeships, etc).
Some firms in some career fields have very strict criteria for selection and only bring people into a job based on their relevant education, experience, etc. Other employers in other career fields might bring in less experienced people and then provide more on-site training. It really depends on what career field you are thinking about.
Q: What's the best way for a person to relocate to a new area and find employment?
It really helps to actually be in the new area to establish contacts and to join associations and network. If you can move to the new area, that is ideal since it makes it easier to meet with people, attend networking events, etc. If you can't move to the area for a while, do you have any connections to the area? If so, use them to help you.
You could also use an employment agency to help you find a permanent job or temporary job (depending on your career field). Are there specific firms you want to work for? If so, you could reach out to them directly letting them know you are relocating to the area to try to set up some interviews. If possible, you could then go out to the area so that you can set up some interviews within a specified time period.
It is definitely harder to find a job in a different location if you are not there. You really have to use all of the possible contacts you can find to help you out or go out there to establish some contacts and networks.
