Careers & Employment Articles

Getting into the labour market after school or college is a daunting prospect and that's without the minefield of jargon, overnight advances in technology and discriminatory attitudes. OK - Let's bust a bit of that jargon! What exactly are transfera...

Every day in every town in the country, Human Resource Officers are training. They are training people to successfully tell tall tales. It is, after all, one of the most sought after skills in business, along with evading the truth. You might ask, "H...

Women face a greater likelihood of encountering workplace violence than men. Workplace violence victim: Anyone who has been injured, harmed, or who has suffered in some way due to acts of another while on the job or due to job related factors. Victi...

More and more people are looking to gain an edge in their working environments.  One method that business people are increasingly turning to is feng shui.  Feng shui promises that by arranging your office environment correctly, it is possible to cr...

Imagine a huge river that has been flowing for centuries:  See the thick underbrush that has grown up on either edge of the river's expansive banks and the moss-lined stones that litter its shallow edges.  Feel the power of water so deep and so str...

The values landscape of our nation is changing, and with it your personal values landscape is changing as well.  What does this mean and what does it have to do with midlife? Researcher Dr. Paul Ray says that the predominant values set held by Ame...

Losing my job in the last recession of the last century, I discovered first hand the power of creating your own luck. A week later, I decided to locate an interim position while I looked for a "real" one. Accepting a temporary position at minimum wa...

I like Simon, one of three judges on American Idol. I find his feedback refreshingly honest. And while his words startle me with their ego wounding potential, the traditional feel-good, let-you-down-easy, sugar-coated feedback is not much of a gift....

he perfect resume presents hiring managers with a four-fold vision of who you are and what you bring to the table: The perfect resume offers Logical Proofs:     Facts Quantifiable data Logical conclusions Achievement and success statem...

Getting along with your co-workers is critical to yourhappiness and success at work. You may find yourselfspending more time with your co-workers than with yourspouse and family. Each individual in an organization isjust a small cog in a big wheel. W...

Man is a social animal and survival is his major need. There are needs that he needs be fulfill. The needs can be physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. A common thread that connects all the above need is a means to sustain physically. He can bar...

According to an annual survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, these are the most important qualities that employers are looking for in a job candidate, in priority order: (1) Communication skills; (2) Honesty/inte...

Most job seekers know that an unprofessional appearance will count against them at an interview. Here are six MORE factors that can help you remain in the unemployment line: (1) Being unprepared for the interview. Prepare, plan, and practice! In ...

In my career advising practice, I often find that my clients are not clear about what success means for them.  Our society defines success primarily around three elements: power, money and fame.  Many of you reading this may be saying, "wait a minu...

Can music help you with your next job interview? It just might! Here's how. First, it can help you during your research, preparation and practice. While it doesn't appear to work for everyone, some studies suggest that having classical music playi...

We naturally hesitate to tell our boss when we can't do something or are feeling overwhelmed in our job. Bosses don't want to hear that, right? Well, it depends. In many situations, your boss is so busy that he/she doesn't keep track of how much w...

I received the following questions from a visitor to my website recently: "How should I respond to inappropriate questions such as: (1) Do you have a stable home life? (2) Tell me about your personal situation. Are these inappropriate questions? It h...

Here's a list of the top 10 tips you can use to advance your career: 1. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know."  If you don't know something, say so; don't try to fake it.  2. Take responsibility for your actions. If you're at fault, admit it a...

Have you ever gone through the interview process, felt confident that you'd performed extremely well, and then heard these dreadful words:  "I'm sorry, but we feel you're overqualified for this position." Arrggh!! When I was told that after an ...

In one of my past lives I held a Top Secret clearance as a Civil Service employee working for the Air Force. So I am familiar with background checks. But many job seekers are not. Here's a little background on background checks... More companies ar...

One of the most common forms of background check performed by companies hiring new employees is the reference check. They typically request that candidates provide them with three names of previous bosses. If you don't have three former bosses, then ...

Many job seekers miss a golden opportunity when they are asked towards the end of an interview if they have any questions. If they feel the interviewer adequately explained the position, they make the mistake of answering "No" to this question. But ...

Interning is about more than earning money during summer break.  It's a wonderful way to gain work experience and lay the foundation for your future career.  But to get the most out of it, you have to do more than just land the job, show up for wor...

I've never worked for a boss I didn't like or respect.  Sure, some were better than others, but I never considered quitting my job because of a bad boss.  Unfortunately, many employees aren't so lucky. If your boss is a total butthead, someone yo...

Are you a new graduate with little or no work experience?  Sometimes it can be tough to get a job without experience, and how do you get more experience if you can't get a job? Well, your chances are better than you think. Even if your work exper...

If you left your last job under less-than-ideal circumstances, you probably dread the "Why did you leave?" question that almost always comes up at job interviews. Here's how to handle it. First and most important, never lie. If you were fired, don'...

My first job was secretary to Moses. Having to transcribe and make 2,430 copies of the Ten Commandments convinced me I was on the wrong career path!  OK, maybe I'm not quite THAT old. But I did start out as a secretary.  While I didn't mind the wo...

The alarm clock jars you awake at some insanely early hour. As you hit the snooze button you think, "there's gotta be a better way to make a living." As someone who rolled out of bed this morning at 8:30, I'm here to deliver the good news: there is....

While traveling in northern California last October, I happened to tune into a local newscast. The newscaster was telling his co-anchor that the speaker at that morning's Rotary Club meeting had to cut his presentation short because he was being flo...

A part of you can't wait to dive into your new career -- but you're also smart enough to know that you can expect a few bumps along the road to success. By far, the biggest roadblocks exist between your own two ears! Let's take a look at three com...