Careers & Employment Articles

It's no secret that there is a lot of competition for writing jobs. What makes or breaks you in an interview is more of a mystery that some writers may try to unravel for years. After you've developed an impressive resume (see my previous feature "Fi...

There is no easy way to define exactly what editors, publishers, PR managers, non-profit directors, advertising executives, and other industry professionals want from writers. There are no written guidelines, standard requirements, or official spec...

I'll be the first to admit that I hated my job. It took many years for me to come to this realization since I kept accepting promotions in the hopes that the awful ache inside of my chest would go away. This ache was not a medical condition … it...

According to a recent survey, 52% of job candidates polled lied on their resume about having a college degree. Here are 3 brief horror stories: A new Director of Logistics and his family were actually loading the moving van provided by his new employ...

Many people's idea of networking relates to the 'size of their Christmas Card List, rather than the quality of their relationship with each person on that list. Similarly those people network, but few reap the rewards of zeroing in on their potential...

How can you manage your emotions during your career change or job search?  To answer this practical and wise question, let's first define what emotions are.  Emotions, also commonly referred to as feelings, are energy released in your body in respo...

Half the battle in successfully managing your emotions during a job search or career change process is in recognizing and naming what you're feeling.  Most of us could barely brainstorm a dozen or so emotions, yet many, many more exist. As you beg...

Is your resume dead?  Don't be so quick to say, "No way!"  Of the hundreds of resumes I've seen written by job seekers of all backgrounds and educational levels, easily 95% qualify to be labelled as dead-but-not-yet-buried.  A dead resume lacks...

Are you in denial about the lifelessness of your resume?  If you are reasonably qualified for the type of work you seek, yet your resume is consistently failing to win you interviews, then you need to face the reality that your beloved document is d...

Stories of intrigue, treachery, politics, lies, double crosses, and power struggles fill the history books, much like they fill today's headlines. In the world of the 17th century musketeer, life depended on who you could trust. In the world of the ...

It only happened on Mondays. Sometimes I escaped the unpleasant ritual. But, more often than not, right before boarding I threw up in the ladies room of the train station. It wasn't the commute I hated. It was the job.   The reasons don't matter ...

Many people today have lost jobs after decades of service; many others suffer within jobs they can see no way out of. In order to survive a painful job loss - indeed, any type of painful loss - we must come to some acceptance. How does one find accep...

Even before I checked my calendar on Monday morning, I knew the appointment would be there. Passed over for promotion again, Ralph wanted specifics on why I hadn't chosen him for the position. This was not a new conversation. I thought of Ralph as m...

Are you a career changer?  Or, are you satisfied with your stable career but interested in updating your resume?  Are you a professional who has tried different things but are still searching for the kind of work that best suits you?  Whatever yo...

Years after Disneyland was built, after the completion of Walt Disney World, the story goes that someone went up to Mike Vance, Creative Director for Walt Disney Studios and said, "Isn't it too bad Walt Disney didn't live to see this?" Without pausin...

Like huge anchors on cruise ships, other people can hold you down. Not intentionally, but their negativity impacts you. It's hard to be winning at working when you're anchored in place. It's hard to see the next great idea and enthusiastically embra...

Brian's work was exceptional. Still, as his boss, I rarely offered him additional responsibilities, never thought of promoting him or selecting him for a critical project. Why? His whine factor got in the way.   He was quick to complain to anyon...

I learned in first grade that one plus one equals two. But, that's not the right equation when counting work experience. We often think we're building experience to help us get ahead. In reality, we're passing time. Ten years working like a cloned B...

A paperweight sits on my desk, etched in silver the message: Life isn't always black and white. It serves as a reminder there are few absolutes at work (or in life). Yet, it would be easier if there were; if good ideas from bad, trustworthy people f...

You have heard the phrase, "Dress for Success." This is very important in your job search. First impressions can make or break an interview, so presenting a Tailored Image is a good first step to Promoting Success in your job search. Employers c...

Step One - Plan: Most people spend more time planning a one to two week vacation than they do planning their lifetime career. When planning for a vacation, you look at where you want to go, what your reason is for wanting to go to that particular pla...

As we all know there is office gossip and rumours that abound in the workplace. Some of them start as a joke and some as a result of overheard misinterpretation of a conversation. What we need to remember is that rumours hold no power on their own, i...

Are you interested in becoming a flight attendant? Does the desire to fly to places hither and yon excite the primal beast within? Okay, I am being a bit dramatic! Still, for 75 years flight attendants have been providing much needed passenger servic...

Do you feel that change in the environment will change the person you are inside? Change happens, you are fired, you are laid off, you get divorced, you have to move... there are many things in life that change. We can't stop the changes, we need to ...

I'm a fan of the hit TV show "Lost." In case you're not familiar with it (can you believe some folks don't watch TV?), it's about a bunch of plane crash survivors living on an island full of mysteries. I always find it to be entertaining. But a rece...

Whether you're just starting your Information Technology career, or wanting to get further ahead in your current IT career, you have probably thought about earning one of the many popular computer certifications such as the Cisco Certified Network As...

The next time you say that your job is killing you, you may just be on to something. The UK currently has the longest average working week in Europe and there is mounting evidence that overwork is taking its toll on the British workforce. For example...

It's about who you know, NOT what you know! But, what if you don't know anyone? Then what are you suppose to do? You suppose to go hunting and make contacts. When finding any job the first rule is to make looking for a job your JOB! Finding a Job...

"If You Don't Know Where You're Going, You'll Probably End Up Someplace Else" is a book by David Campbell that's been around for years. It's been some time since I've read it, but the title sticks in my mind because it's so catchy… and true! There ...

Job seekers outside of the creative fields are now seeing the value of utilizing portfolios in their job search. Traditionally, only artists and writers have used portfolios when seeking freelance work. With job security less certain, workers need to...