Don’t Waste Time and Talent – Give Your Career A Jump Start

I want to tell you a story about someone I know. 

She is a stay-at-home mom who decided that, after years of living on one salary, it was time to make some money.  She knew that she had a very marketable skill, but hesitated to try to start her own business because there were so many [...]

Lost Your Job? What to Do Next

I’ve written about jobs predicted to have a rosy future in 2008 and offered suggestions of what to do if you think that your job is in jeopardy.  But, what approach should you take if you have lost your job and you (and many, many others) are now seeking work in a flat economy?

The first thing [...]

Good News for (Some) Job Seekers

In a Wall Street Journal Online  column, Carol Hymowitz suggests that, despite the fact that this is a tight job market during which companies will be laying off workers; many businesses will seek talent that they have not developed from within their ranks.  She notes:
Companies haven’t been grooming and training enough employees for promotions and [...]

Interviewing Positively

Would you want to hire someone who trashed her former employer?  As the next and future employer, you might be concerned about your own reputation should bad blood come between you and the new hire.

No matter how much you hated your old boss or loathe your current supervisor, it is a BAD idea to let [...]

Netweaving – An Underutilized Job Search Strategy

I attended a networking meeting this week, and one of the participants talked about “netWEAVING,” the process of creating communities to help one another find solutions for problems.

This is not a new concept.  An article by TechRepublic by Michael Sisco explains:

The term was coined by Bob Littell, a consultant who focuses on strategic marketing, product design, [...]

Branding You for Career Success

In some circles, “branding” sounds more like something you do to an animal than a topic for a career column.  Others nod silently, recognizing the concept…Self branding, actually thinking of yourself as a brand like Coke, Disney or Nike, is a career strategy.

If you recognize that a resume is nothing more than a marketing document [...]

Best Companies and Work Happiness

Fortune announced its Best Companies to Work for in 2008.  Based on employee surveys, Google ranked #1, probably as a result of their unique company culture, benefits and work environment.

What makes a great company?  Great pay and perks, training, job growth and flexibility are among the characteristics that employees appreciate in their work place. 

Free scuba [...]

Networking – Informational Interviewing/Getting Started

If you haven’t read my previous posts about Networking, click on NETWORKING in the Categories section to your right.

This is Part II of my post on Informational Interviewing. Read Part I to learn about this networking strategy.

How to get started with your Informational Interviews…
It is usually easiest to start with close contacts. [...]

Recession Proof Your Career

Clearly, the U.S. economy has seen better days.  Justin Lahart wrote in The Wall Street Journal Online that a combination of debt, high food and energy prices and a weakening job market points to a troubled economy. 

I have written about these concerns…Numbers show that unemployment is at a 2-year high.  In December, the economy only added [...]

Networking Strategies – What is an Informational Interview?

If you haven’t read my previous posts about Networking, click on NETWORKING in the Categories section to your right! 

One of the best networking strategies is to conduct many informational interviews. 

What is an informational interview?
This is just is a fancy way of saying a meeting with someone who may be able to share insights or information with you [...]