Career advice

No job is completely without stress, but we have some solutions for some of the most common concerns. What are your biggest workplace fears? Do you think they are unique to your situation, or are many of us in the same boat?

Perhaps the most genuine survey of what is on people’s minds is not the answers they give to questions you might ask them in a poll, but what they type into search engines. We looked at a recent study of Google searches on common workplace concerns to bring you answers to some of the most researched career dilemmas.

The study was conducted by the team over at The Knowledge Academy. They used keyword research and analysis to determine the most common monthly global Google searches for workplace fears.

Here are six of the top workplace worries that people are regularly looking up on Google – and how you can deal with them.

The Most Googled Workplace Dilemmas

Asking for a raise. Nobody likes to talk about money, but many of us feel that we deserve greater compensation for our work. This leads to the most common workplace concern searched for on the internet: asking the boss for a raise.

Timing can be the key to successfully earning a pay raise. Talk to your manager about your salary at a time when the organization is doing well, you have recently delivered outstanding results in your work, and/or you have taken on more responsibility in your role. Make the case to your boss that your contributions to the company warrant a higher compensation because of the added value that you bring. It’s a business discussion, so don’t get emotional or take it personally.

For a complete walkthrough of the conversation, please see our piece on how to negotiate a pay raise. 

Using LinkedIn. Most people know that networking is an essential part of career development and that LinkedIn can be a useful tool for keeping in touch with former coworkers and connecting with potential employers. However, using the professional networking site is the second most Googled career dilemma.

The simplest way to get started is to create a profile that is a paired-down version of your resume. List your most recent jobs and describe your key accomplishments for each. Then invite your colleagues from these workplaces to connect with you on the platform. That is the beginning of your network.

Then, you can follow organizations and workplace experts that you are interested in and, for even more results, try sharing your own top tips about your job or updates and insights about your industry. This positions you as an engaged, active professional in your field and boosts your profile for potential opportunities.

Calling in sick. It turns out that people Google “How to call in sick” thousands of times every month. It can be awkward. You don’t want to come across as a slacker who is letting the team down, but you also don’t want to bring germs into the workplace and make other people sick or endanger your own health.

Keep it short and simple. Providing lengthy details about your illness or situation will only make it seem like you are faking it. Be polite and professional, and let your boss know that you have come down with something and you will not be able to work. Often a quick email can suffice and be less awkward than a phone call.

If you can be available from home, or have any meetings or urgent work to pass on to someone else, include this in your email or phone call as well.

Don’t abuse your sick days. Only call in sick when you are genuinely ill. Overdoing it or taking ‘sick’ days because you just want a day off will eventually damage your relationship with your employer and your professional reputation. If you need a day off for another reason, explain it to your boss and negotiate.

Writing a resignation letter. There has been a surge in searches for how to craft a letter of resignation lately as we have been amid an employment trend that economists call The Great Resignation. This is the post-pandemic boom of people leaving their jobs.

A letter of resignation should be polite, professional, and just long enough to include all relevant details of your departure. State your intended last day, how you can help transition your current projects and ongoing responsibilities to whoever will be stepping into the role, and how you can be reached after you leave the company.

See an example of a professional resignation letter and more details on how to draft one.

Writing good emails. Most professional communication takes place by email, and each one you send leaves a written record potentially on file somewhere. Many people are concerned about making a positive impression with their emails, making it one of the top Googled career concerns.

While it is easy to quickly type your thoughts down and hit ‘send,’ you should approach your professional correspondence with a bit more care than that. Write full sentences with proper caps, spelling, and grammar. Use a meaningful subject line so that your recipients know what the email is regarding. Then get straight to the point in the body of the email. Most people receive many messages in their inboxes throughout the day, so they appreciate the ones that are clear and concise. However, it is also important to keep it personable and polite. Use a friendly greeting and sign off, and remember your please and thank you's.

Reread your email over from start to finish before hitting ‘send’ to be sure you haven’t left anything out or made any typos. Here is a more detailed look at how to write professional emails.

Dressing appropriately. Who knows what to wear anymore? Many workplaces were already adopting a ‘business casual’ dress code – which can mean different things to different organizations – before the pandemic. Now, we have a mix of working from home, hybrid working arrangements, and people returning to the office after periods away. This has a great many people every month Googling what constitutes appropriate workwear these days.

If you aren’t sure what the wardrobe guidelines are for your workplace, the easiest way to find out is simply to ask. If you are starting a new job or you think that the rules at your current job might have shifted to become more casual post-pandemic, ask HR or your manager.

When in doubt, err on the side of formality. Dressing up is a sign of respect for the occasion, and it is better to be seen as overly respectful than disrespectful. Don’t wear jeans and a t-shirt to a meeting where other people will be in suits. Also, be cautious of overly casual clothing items such as shorts, sandals, or tank tops—even many workplaces with a relaxed dress code frown on these.

Other workplace dilemmas making the list of most Googled concerns include increasing productivity and staying focused, slouching, workplace bullying, and pensions. You can see the complete list in this infographic prepared by the team at The Knowledge Academy.

Being anxious at work is sometimes going to happen when you have a job. In fact, this is so common that another of the most searched dilemmas on Google was actually ‘being anxious or stressed.’ Knowing how to deal with workplace worries and concerns can help take some of the pressure off and reduce your stress levels.