Dear Annie:
I'm
curious as to whether any of your other readers have this problem and,
if so, what they do about it. Every year at this time, I start dreading
my annual winter cold, because it always seems to settle in my throat
and makes talking difficult. I am a help desk technician and I have to
talk all day long, usually on the phone with about five seconds between
calls. I try to rest my voice in the evenings and on weekends, but is
there anything else I can do? It's really annoying.
-- Froggy Goes a Coughin'
Dear Froggy:
In an ideal
world, anyone with a cold would be tucked up on a nice comfy sofa,
wrapped in blankets and sipping hot toddies. (This would not only be a
lot more pleasant than venturing out into the weather, but it would
also keep those cold germs from spreading to coworkers.) Alas, that
often just isn't practical. Since you seem to have throat trouble on a
regular basis, you should talk with your doctor about how to prevent
it, and what (besides rest) might make it less severe. In the meantime,
Marjorie Brody, head of a training and development firm called Brody
Communications (http://www.brodycommunications.com),
has a few tips for you -- and for anyone else who, like many of her
clients, has to give a speech or a presentation, or run a meeting, with
a cold that has turned into laryngitis. See if these help:
Always drink lots of water, but not cold, ice water, which constricts the vocal cords and may make you cough.
Avoid candy or lozenges that contain mint or menthol, since these tend to dry out your throat.
Don't drink lots of orange juice. OJ is so acidic that it
can actually irritate your throat and make your laryngitis last longer.
Sleep with your head elevated. Propping your head up on a few pillows at night will help keep your throat clearer.
Gargle with warm salt water a few times a day. Use one teaspoon of salt per 8 ounces of water.
Try not to clear your throat, as this puts a lot of strain on your larynx. (If you can, gargle instead.)
Don't whisper. Says Brody, "Oddly enough, whispering strains the vocal cords as much as shouting does."
Good luck!
Dear Annie:
I
was laid off last July and have since started my own import-export
business. It's still very small, so I'm trying to get a regular job as
well. On the one hand, I'd like potential employers to know that I have
entrepreneurial skills like creating a business plan and dealing with
complex regulations. But on the other hand, if I put my little company
on my resume, will interviewers worry that it will take up too much of
my time? What do you think?
-- Ziggy in Zuma Beach
Dear Ziggy:
You're right;
mentioning that you have started your own company will mark you as a
go-getter with a wide range of skills. It will also explain the gap in
your resume since your last job. But, as you note, employers may well
fear that you'll be preoccupied with your own business at the expense
of theirs. So try for the best of both worlds: Do put your company on
your resume, but emphasize in cover letters, and in interviews, that
this is something you're doing strictly on your own time, and you won't
let it distract you from your day job. In addition, pick two or three
specific areas of knowledge -- the more closely related to each job you're
applying for, the better -- that you've acquired or developed as a result
of your venture, and be ready to briefly describe those. It may take
some patience and persistence, but what you're really looking for is an
employer who will admire your entrepreneurial initiative, rather than
seeing it as a drawback. You really wouldn't want to work for any other
kind of company anyway, would you?
Friends, I'd like to add to
the advice that I gave in this space about a month ago to a reader who
had recently been promoted into his first supervisory job. Mark
Horstman is a managing partner of a consulting firm, Horstman &
Co., which counts Intel, GE, and Microsoft among its clients. He has co-founded a free web site called Manager Tools (http://www.manager-tools.com)
that offers down-to-earth, step-by-step pointers on what he calls "the
blocking and tackling of management: how to coach, how to give
feedback, how to run meetings, how to interview job applicants." It's a
great resource for anyone seeking specific, detailed
guidance -- refreshingly free of buzzwords -- on these and many other aspects
of being a boss. Why did he and former West Point classmate Michael
Auzanne launch this site? Says Horstman: "I was a new manager once, and
I wish someone had told me all this 25 years ago." Check it out!
-------------------------------------------------------
Next, see FORTUNE's 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Find the best employers in your state.
Got a question or comment? E-mail me here. 
