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9 Tips For Getting Good Career Advice
Tweet Share on Facebook January 20, 2010 Comment (10)A 60-something friend known for her wonderful design sense tells this story:
Since I was a child I’ve loved putting things together—table settings, shelves, furniture, colors. I dreamed of becoming an interior designer. But while still in high school I talked with a professional and she discouraged me. She said there were already too many interior decorators. So I never pursued my dream.
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How to Love the Job You're With
Tweet Share on Facebook January 19, 2010 Comment (4)I am a dad, I write a blog called “What Would Dad Say,” have gray hair, and I'm active in an employment media site called LinkUp. All of which means I get a lot of questions and comments from Generation X-ers and Y-ers on job-related matters.
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When Your Interviewer Doesn't Interview You
Tweet Share on Facebook January 18, 2010 Comment (1)A reader writes:
I have noticed that there are some interviewers who don't ask me many questions, but rather they just encourage me to ask them questions regarding the job/company/etc. I realize that every interviewer has a different style, but when I come across interviews such as this, it always throws me off because I wonder how they are able to judge my qualifications if they are not asking me many questions. It almost seems as though I am interviewing them. Does this mean that they just prefer this interview style, or does this mean that they don't think I'm a good fit for the job, so they both just decide to kill time by letting me fire away questions?
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10 Ways to Nail the Surprise Presentation
Tweet Share on Facebook January 15, 2010 CommentYou’re been told that you have a mere two days to come up with a presentation for a small group of managers. It’s going to be held in a conference room and you are expected to answer their questions about a new program. Here are some approaches to consider:
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When Admitting Your Mistake Isn't the Last You Hear of It
Tweet Share on Facebook January 14, 2010 Comment (1)A couple of weeks ago, I made a mistake at work. I realized that I had messed up and brought it to my manager's attention. He went to his boss about it (she is a director) and they gave me the solution and basically told me to be more careful. I have been with this company for 7 years and have rarely been written up. Yesterday afternoon, my immediate supervisor informed me that the mistake had actually been brought to the attention of our customer's corporate office and it was being looked into, which I was fine with. I knew I messed up and was ready to own up to that.
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13 Tips on Finding a Mentor
Tweet Share on Facebook January 13, 2010 Comment (11)Perhaps as you were reading my post last week, you reached No. 4 on the list of 10 career resolutions for 2010, read “Find a mentor,” and thought, “Ha, easier said than done.”
How do people find mentors anyway? Is it as simple as just asking?
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How to Turn a Job Application Into an Interview
Tweet Share on Facebook January 12, 2010 Comment (2)My daughter did an experiment for me two summers ago. She applied to job openings she'd found on a couple of big online job boards. She was a recent college graduate and her resume looked similar to those that cross your desk. It was well done--no typos--and the cover letter was nice too, specifically addressed to each organization's human resources manager. No photocopied mass mailing for her.
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Can Volunteering Become "Consulting" on a Resume?
Tweet Share on Facebook January 11, 2010 Comment (9)A reader writes:
I'm eager to get your opinion on a suggestion a recruiter gave me recently. She had me list my marketing volunteer work as "marketing and PR consulting" on my resume to give me more recent work experience. (I was laid off just over a year ago.) I actually have helped a couple of local charities with their social media strategy, marketing, and PR quite a bit over the last year. I did update my resume as she requested, and I got the interview. I gave the interviewer more detail, including the name of the organizations and the fact that my work was unpaid. The interviewer seemed to like it, though in the end I did not get the position. I'm trying to decide if I should make the change permanent and add it to LinkedIn as well. It's tricky, because I don't want to be misleading, but I think this could give my efforts a boost at this point.
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The Sin of Breeding Uncertainty
Tweet Share on Facebook January 8, 2010 Comment (1)You hear the expression “I’d like to know where I stand” a great deal in the workplace. Even when the economy is in good shape, there can be a high level of uncertainty among workers thanks to questionable management practices.
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This Year, Focus on Others and Help Yourself
Tweet Share on Facebook January 7, 2010 Comment (1)As you look at your goals for the year to come, ask the question, “How can I serve?” How can you help someone? Where are your opportunities to give?
