All Career Advice

Sections

  • 7 Career Mistakes You'll Want to Avoid

    Throughout your career you'll be making many decisions; some will be done consciously, but other choices, actions or things said might be less thought out. You want to be sure you don't make blunders that take your career off-course. Even little mistakes can make a difference and present you in a...
  • First Impressions - What Matters

    This presidential election and beginning of President Trump’s term in office is a perfect example of the significance of first impressions. Our brains are wired to make snap judgments within seconds of seeing or hearing someone for the first time, and changing those judgments can be nearly imposs...
  • How to Handle a Personal Crisis on the Job

    Your beloved cat or dog runs off. Another driver fiddling with his GPS totals your car. A child or parent becomes gravely ill. Your fibromyalgia flares up. Your soon-to-be ex spouse begins making excessive demands during divorce discussions. Worse, someone close to you dies. Meantime, you still h...
  • How to Prep for a Job Interview

    Going on a job interview is exciting, after all, your resume was selected out of the batch to move to the next step. Despite the good feelings associated with the prospect of actually landing the job, most people suffer some level of anxiety before the interview. According to a 2013 survey conduc...
  • How to Leverage a Job Offer from Another Company to Earn You More Money with Your Current Employer

    Except for a few companies where raises as ransom were part of a dysfunctional corporate culture, leveraging a job offer to get goodies from your current employer used to be a no-no fraught with long-term consequences.
  • How to Talk to Your Manager about Professional Growth

    Have you had productive conversations about your career path with your manager? Do you feel engaged in your current job and optimistic about career growth opportunities at your company? Do you clearly understand how you are contributing to the company’s bottom line and core business goals? If ...
  • Jealousy in the Workplace: When Competition becomes Negative

    A degree of competition in the workplace keeps employees at the top of their game. But when the battle for a promotion, and the extra green that comes with it, leads to eyes green with envy, the result can be disruptive.
  • Managing Emotions at the Office

    I've taken the Myers-Briggs personality test about a dozen times, and have consistently earned the label Extraverted Intuitive Feeling and Perceiving (EIFP). While there are numerous positive attributes to this personality, one haunts me in nearly all professional and personal endeavors—I'm far t...
  • Responding to a Passive Aggressive Coworker

    You've asked your coworker for an important report five times now, and he keeps "forgetting" to drop it by your office. You wonder, is he really this absentminded or is something more going on?
  • Pros and Cons of Being a Job-Hopper

    Years ago it was common for workers to get their first jobs and stay with their organizations for most, if not all, of their careers. Due to shifts in economies, this is no longer the case. Today traditional job paths have significantly changed, especially when you factor globalization into the e...
  • Surviving An Office Breakup

    While some office romances can bloom and grow in surprising ways—think Michelle and Barack Obama—others can be a lot like unguided missiles: they crash and burn. But life happens, especially where you spend a third of your day.
  • The Right Questions to Ask When Getting to Know Your Coworkers

    Chances are if you're starting a new job you probably want to make a good impression on your new coworkers. Research shows you're right to want to build these bonds. Stronger coworker relationships can make for a happier, more productive workplace. Also, it's just more fun to work where you enjoy...
  • The Importance of Following up on Verbal Offers in Writing

    Congratulations, you got a job offer! The hiring manager called and gave you the terms over the phone, and you accepted. But you're not done yet. The next step is to get that offer in writing.
  • What to Do When a Coworker Doesn't Like You

    When you walk into an area at work, can you count on a specific coworker to engage in side-eyed glances, exaggerated sighs or display other tense body language? Does your presence also generate snide comments or derisive chuckles from this same employee?
  • What to Do When You're More Qualified Than Your Boss

    Your boss just asked the 10th dumb question of the day and it finally hits you: you’re more qualified than she is. Before your head swells too big, before you do something dumb that costs you your job, take a deep breath.
  • What to Do When Your Values Don't Align With Your Company's

    Working for a company that has the same values you do, or at least respects your right to hold different values, can be a very big deal. The best time to think about this topic is when you’re applying for jobs.
  • What to Do When You're Stuck in a Dead End Job

    You started this job with such high hopes. You'd master this entry-level position, impress your boss and work your way up to a management role within three years. Five, 10 or, yikes, 20 years later, you’re still answering the phone, fetching coffee and making copies.
  • Why Lateral Moves are Important to Your Career Growth

    For a long time people saw career moves in stark terms, any direction but up, was down. Today, the world has changed and many workers now know that progress can be made even when your career veers sideways in the form of a lateral career move.
  • Why It's Important to Give Your Opinion During a Meeting

    We all know that person who monopolizes every meeting with a constant flow of opinions. Not only do they voice their thoughts constantly, they're also bullies, criticizing the positions of those who disagree with them. This type of person instantly shuts me down in a meeting. I'm not afraid to sp...
  • Why You Should Call in Sick When You Are Sick

    It's happened to all of us. You wake up feeling kind of woozy, achy or stuffy. You briefly contemplate calling it in to your employer, but you drag yourself out of bed anyway and start to get ready for work.