To succeed in today’s global marketplace, companies must hire the best and the brightest. Having talented employees can make the difference between success and failure.Job hunting in this new economy is competitive, dynamic, results-driven, and requires your best efforts. In the past, jobs and careers were permanent, stable, and predictable. Today all of that has changed. Jobs, careers, and the world of work are transient,...

Whether you’ve been right-sized, downsized, underutilized, or just plain fired, looking for work is a life-changing experience that rocks your world. Regain your equilibrium with these ten strategies and get back to being your best. 1. Take time to grieve for what is lost. Losing a job is big. Find a way to acknowledge the loss. What ritual could you perform or symbol could you use to say goodbye to the past? What positive...

In today’s dynamic, results-driven economy do you find yourself wrestling with the issue of employment versus entrepreneurship? The quiz below will help you gain some clarity on the subject. EMPLOYMENT MAY BE THE ANSWER FOR YOU IF:1. You like having a regular, predictable income.2. You enjoy contributing to someone else’s business.3. You do not have a product or service you feel compelled to offer to the world.4. The though...

Telephone interviews don’t just happen; they are the result of action you have taken. For example, when you are networking and the company representative becomes interested in your skills; when a company representative calls you in response to a résumé you have sent; or when you have previously set up the telephone meeting. Your goal is to achieve a face-to-face meeting at the end of the call.1. Be prepared! Keep your résum...

Set the stage for fantastic job fair follow-up while you are still at the job fair. As the conversation is coming to a close, ask for the company representative’s business card. If he or she doesn’t have one, ask for their name, title, and best way to reach them. Write that information down in your notebook. Thank them for their time and re-affirm your interest in the company and position. Back home, sort through the busine...

Considering another trip through the Career Maze?During the job search it is easy to feel like you are playing a losing game without a clear understanding of the rules. Here are a few suggestions for navigating a job fair. Follow these tips to gain a competitive edge. Get the jump on your competition Review the list of participating companies and determine which companies interest you the most. Pick several.Collect informat...

Asking for money is so taboo in our culture that most of us shake in our shoes when we think about negotiating salary. It conjures up our insecurities about not being good enough, not knowing enough, or not being considered valuable enough. We worry that the company will rescind its offer if we ask for what we’re worth. The truth is if you don’t negotiate, the employer thinks he or she has paid too much. When you are confid...

Not long ago a woman contacted me the day after she had the worst performance appraisal of her career. Feeling blindsided by unwarranted criticism and unrecognized for the hard work she had contributed during the year, she was ready to walk away from her job! At that point all I could do was damage control. While I was able to offer advice and strategies to help her gain clarity about what happened, minimize the damage to h...