Archive for November, 2010

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