I worked in lots of jobs when I was younger — as a waiter, a restaurant manager, a parking lot attendant, and more. And then it dawned on me that I didn’t want to work for other people. I wanted to try being my own boss. That decision started me on the entrepreneurial road. During…    Continue reading

If someone asked you today to solve a complex mathematical equation or to fly a small plane, you’d laugh—unless, of course, you have skills and experience in these areas. Why, then, when you lose your job for the first time (often after many years of working), do most people assume that they naturally should know…    Continue reading

I don’t want to add to your boredom by writing on how to make your own meetings more interesting. I want to help you change your approach and mindset to meetings you attend so you are noisy when necessary to advocate your position and develop visibility so when you speak people know it’s because you…    Continue reading

Most of us have a pretty solid idea about how we think others perceive us. We tend to be aware of what we look like when we head out the door, especially if we are going someplace where we know it matters, like an interview. Yet few of us realize that because of our online…    Continue reading

When looking for a new job, we all know that making a positive first impression is essential.  However, few of us realize the key to making that first impression successful is our personal image. Within the first two to 30 seconds that it takes to create that first impression, you may not have even said…    Continue reading

If you think about it, we’re negotiating on the job all the time.  Whether we’re asking for the big promotion, the funding to attend a training or conference, or to take a vacation during “busy” season, we’re in more bargaining situations than we realize at work. Women, in particular, need as many negotiation tools as…    Continue reading

One of the most common problems I notice among entry-level job seekers is a lack of confidence.  Since most entry-level candidates have little experience in the industry, and minimal experience with the nuances of the job search process as a whole, it is no surprise that recent college graduates get nervous in professional situations.  On…    Continue reading

What do job seekers and astronomers have in common? Dumping your résumé into a corporate receptacle is like plunging into a black hole in cyberspace. Okay, not always, but often enough to be a problem. In a fit of Christmastime career-ennui a few years ago I submitted my résumé to a market research company known…    Continue reading

Graphic designer Milton Glaser started this ball rolling for me. Even if you’ve never heard of him, you probably know his most famous creation: I LOVE NEW YORK. His book Art is Work is mainly a collection of his design work, but he opens it with a curious and powerful insight. He says everything we…    Continue reading

Job seekers know, it’s brutal out there.  Giving yourself every advantage in your search for employment plays a vital role in landing the job you desire. That being said, in a media savvy world, there really is no excuse not to investigate and find out everything you need to know about a prospective employer before…    Continue reading

Some bosses are harder to stay engaged with than others. You or your boss might  work from home, an office across town, or a client location across the world. I’ve heard countless stories from very determined boss-managers who’ve had to stalk their bosses from remote locations, calling every fifteen minutes until the boss finally answers….    Continue reading

For most adults, having a job is necessary to secure the basics for survival such as shelter, food and water, and clothing. More and more, households require two strong incomes to meet these requirements. But keep in mind that a career is more than a means of income generation. It is also a way to…    Continue reading

One of the best perks of my job is that I get to work from home. I obviously get to enjoy all the advantages that go with this environment – flexible hours, no commuting in rush hour traffic, a whole load of savings in gas money, and being able to avoid the hassle of deciding…    Continue reading

If you’re in a heated discussion and hear yourself using the words “I” or “me” more than a few times, you probably own the problem without even intending to do so. Below is a conversation that shows how easy it is to fall into the trap of owning a problem that could be shared were…    Continue reading

Whether you are networking on LinkedIn, Facebook, Viadeo, or other sites, the written and unwritten rules of behavior are much the same. These tips will help you get the most from your social networking activities and keep you in the good graces of other members. Do Create a complete profile on each site. Make yourself…    Continue reading

There are lots of reasons why loving your job makes you a happier person. But did you know that job satisfaction also makes your marriage happier? That’s one of the surprising findings from my landmark Early Years of Marriage (EYM) project, the NIH-funded study that has been following and observing hundreds of married couples for…    Continue reading

Are you unhappy at work–with one foot out the door? If so, you’re not alone. The new Conference Board report  on employee attitudes found that well over half of American workers (55%), and a full two-thirds (66%) of workers under 25, are dissatisfied with their jobs. Meanwhile, a Monster.com survey found that 89% of employees would be…    Continue reading

Some of you are natural networkers. You are constantly in contact—taking the time to talk with people both inside and outside of your company, and you don’t even have to think about it. Some of you are not natural networkers, but you have learned the critical elements needed to create and maintain a healthy network….    Continue reading

The news of my father’s untimely death in 1988 has not yet reached every direct mail list company. Knowing this, perhaps it was a bad idea to introduce these diligent list brokers to my imaginary co-worker, Teresa Human. Actually, when I ‘hired’ Ms. Human in late 2006, ostensibly an HR manager at Third Set Media,…    Continue reading

These days, a lot of news stories about the economy and job market are filled with doom and gloom. But there are people who do well in their careers and launch successful businesses in a down economy. In fact, GE, Hewlett-Packard and Burger King all started in a down economy. General Electric Co. was established…    Continue reading