Frequently in this space you have been encouraged to be brief in your responses to interview questions, on resumes, etc. The encouragement continues! It is important to be clear and concise in your written and verbal communication with potential employers. You want to retain their interest, not whack them over the head with too much…
Many of today’s employees will never know the attachment of working for the same company for 20 + years. That kind of longevity with one firm is not as attractive to the younger generations who have demonstrated a proclivity for job hopping in hopes of improving their stature, salary, benefits, work challenges, and myriad other…
On a commuter bus recently, a father and his teenage son sat in the seats immediately in front of me. Unavoidably able to hear their discussion about college applications and homework, it was easy to determine the father had a loving interest in his son’s scholastic achievements. The father began talking about his son’s grades…
Do you have any idea how much the world of work has changed over the last few generations? It really is a bit mind-boggling when you think about it. It really wasn’t until around the Second World War where the idea of a career started to take hold. Before then, yet well into the first…
First of all, I hope you & yours had a safe and healthy 4th of July! The holiday is frequently fraught with a lot of anxiety for many people and animals whose nerves get frayed because of the noise generally associated with the day’s celebrations. It’s one thing to attend a formal fireworks display, where…
How many people do you know who have gotten every job for which they applied? Very few, I would imagine. I’m not sure I know anyone who has received an offer of employment for every application they have submitted. For the most part, job search is a numbers game that necessitates applying for far more…
No matter how you feel about working with people from different cultural backgrounds, it’s important to remember although their customs and communication styles might be different from your own, they have the right to work and be respected, the same as you. Workers who seek employment in the U.S. from other countries should be allowed…
Around the country, cities of all sizes have found it necessary to find new ways to house their growing populations. If you live anywhere near a major transportation corridor and are within 50 miles of any major metropolitan area, you’ve been hearing about it and/or witnessing it. Already, about one third of the U.S. population…
What gets your juices flowing? What inspires you? What triggers your desire to try something different? When you’re motivated, particularly by inspiration, you will go the extra mile to try new and different things and take your efforts as far as you possibly can. If you are uninspired and bored by your daily routine it…
One of the eternal questions that all job seekers, and frequently the population in general, ask themselves is: Am I good enough? Questioning the value and quality of one’s skills and life are important because doing so encourages us to think about what we can do to be better people; how we can improve…
No Contract, No Service! One of the things that has been bothering me of late is the number of service providers who believe they are too important or too good to speak with prospective customers before a contract is signed. In other words, no contract, no service! “No, I can’t give you an estimate…
There are a lot of positive signs that we will soon see the light of day and the other side of the pandemic. This is good news no matter who you are and what you do for work or play. And while the future is starting to look like life post Covid will be similar…
A year ago, if you had asked almost any employer if their company had plans for the majority of its staff to work from home, you would have received strange looks and a rather firm “no” to you query. Certainly telecommuting has grown tremendously over the last few years, and the technologies that enable workers…
Recently I attended a number of events populated mostly with people substantially younger than myself. Among the many things I gleaned from these experiences is that there is hope for tomorrow. The energy, exuberance and enthusiasm of today’s young people is intoxicating and I always find being around them a great learning experience. They are…
Let’s look at both sides of the job seeker – employer equation. When you think about where you want to take your career, one of the first considerations is the kind of work you want to do, and the industry in which you want to grow. But an equally important consideration should be your understanding…
Competition: It drives innovation. It fosters change. It motivates. It can instigate growth and development. And it can encourage. But it can also bring about fear, trepidation, feelings of inadequacy, incompetence and irrelevance. Yet every day in the world of work, whether on the job or looking for one, we face some form of competition. …
Sheila was well established as an architect long before we met over 20 years ago. She had received numerous accolades for her home and building designs and worked for prestigious companies. Having not heard from her in a long while, I was unaware that she was making a transition into a new, albeit somewhat related…
Whether you are looking for a job or have a job, you will experience some stress. It will happen! The degree to which one is affected by stress will differ due to individual circumstances; overall emotional state, daily pressures from work or job search, and attitude. Even the healthiest, well paid, mellow, chillaxed individual will…
It is not uncommon that I talk with folks who are surprised at where they are in their jobs and careers. Not necessarily unhappy with where they are in life, but recognizing that the path taken has turned out differently from what they started out to pursue. Some aren’t sure they are where they are…
Recently, I heard from Katrina, a French-born marketing assistant living in Ohio, who has spent most of her life in the United States. She has lived in many diverse locations around the globe, has traveled extensively, and considers herself industry-wise because of her world-wide exposure to her field. Katrina told me she attended college in…
