Water Cooler Wisdom
Up-to-the-minute career advice from one who has survived the trenches.
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What Does the Average Person Say About Your Work?
If you read Seth Godin’s blog, you probably saw the recent post that talked about how easy it is to manipulate the New York Times’ bestseller list. Said Seth: It doesn't cost much to scam it and it's pretty straightforward to buy your way onto the list I know authors who have done this and consultants who sell this service. As a result of this distortion, the books on the list get more promoted, and thus sell more copies. It's not pretty but it's true. This... |
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Are Experience and Skills Overrated?
I was talking to the CEO of a management consulting firm the other day and was surprised to hear him say that he doesn’t require new consultants to have – or plan on getting – an MBA. He feels that it’s more important that recruits are able to work effectively on the teams he’s put in place. And he's not alone. According to new research by Right Management, the talent and career management arm of Manpower, organizations prefer to hire employees who are a good motivational... |
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How to Develop a Social Media Policy
Social media use by employees can actually be a good thing, for employees are often your organization's most loyal and vocal advocates in public, the very individuals who strengthen an organization's ties to and place within the community. However, they MUST be educated about what is appropriate to say about the organization in social media, and what is not. Otherwise, it is a very real possibility that they could unintentionally reveal confidential information or get you into legal... |
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Impressions from DeVry University's Career Conference
I arrived in New York City last week for what would become one of the most exciting events of my career as a business and workplace author and speaker. On August 19th, DeVry University brought together 10 influential members of the online media, as well as a panel of career experts from the academic, corporate, and think-tank sides, to discuss the challenges job seekers face in the current economic climate and strategies they can utilize to build successful careers in the twenty-first... |
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Earn More Money Today
According to Steve Kaufmann of LingQ, a company that provides web-based language tutoring, the most accurate predictor of earning power is literacy. Literacy is not just being able to read – it also refers to your command of written language. By improving yours, you can increase both your IQ and the amount of cash in your pocket. How can you do it without single-handedly raising Kaplan’s stock price? Kaufmann suggests copying a sample page from a source or article that interests... |
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How to Launch Your Own Business (Part II)
This is the second post in a two part series on concrete steps you can take to make your entrepreneurial dreams a reality. Develop Your Business Plan No matter what type of independent business you’re contemplating, putting together a comprehensive business plan will help you to clarify and research your new offering, will provide a framework for growth over the first three to five years, and will be an important tool in your conversations with potential partners and investors. Typical... |
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How to Launch Your Own Business
Know you want to work for yourself but aren’t sure where to start? This is the first post in a two part series on concrete steps you can take to make your entrepreneurial dreams a reality. Brainstorm Ideas Sitting down with a pen and paper – either by yourself or with a creative group of friends or colleagues – is a terrific way to generate a working list of potential new business ideas. Steven Gold, author of Entrepreneur’s Notebook, advocates the following five-step... |
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Interviewing? Choose a Strong Company
Countless individuals were laid off or fired in the last two years due to their companies’ dire financial situations. Whether you are currently unemployed or employed but thinking of working somewhere else, you should know how to avoid this scenario in the future. Your safest bet is to select a new company with a high profitability ratio. In short, companies with high profitability ratios take in more income per unit sold than businesses with lower ratios. Businesses... |
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Who Do You Follow on Twitter?
Who do YOU follow on Twitter? Lately, this has been a quandary for me. I know that having lots of Twitter followers is important to many people, and I don't want to insult people who follow me by not following them back. However, the truth is that I am simply unable to read the tweets of tens of thousands of people, even if I use a service like Tweetdeck to organize them. So here's how I personally make the decision:1) I follow people who have a photo in their... |
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Think Before You Dial Your Next Con Call
Since I work at home and collaborate on projects with individuals all over the world, I participate in at least two conference calls a week. It has become such a routine that I don’t even think about it. But maybe I should, because how I conduct myself says a lot about dedication and attention to the work at hand. In fact, sometimes I never have the chance to meet a colleague in person, and our conference calls form the basis of the only impression he has of me! In case... |
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Take Ownership of Mistakes
We all make mistakes. Having worked in the communications department at a Fortune 500 organization, I’ve unfortunately had some experience in this arena, and I always encourage leaders to take the following steps: Beware of a Knee-Jerk Reaction Too often, when people make a mistake, they get so embarrassed that they want to cover it up or pretend the incident never happened. Or, they say they aren’t personally responsible and deflect the blame to another person. This is not the best... |
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How to Close the Deal in a Job Interview
What do you do if you’re in the final round of the interview process and your last few minutes with the hiring manager? What can you say to seal the deal? Here are some ideas: Express enthusiasm about the position and appreciation for the time they’ve given you and the opportunity to interview. Reiterate the problems they’re looking for the new hire to solve, and summarize exactly what you’ll do to address them. Ask thoughtful and pertinent questions about the organization ... |
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Be Productive Over the Summer Slowdown
Many of you reading today are headed into work, and it may well be slow. In the business world, it’s not uncommon to spend various days in July and August sitting at your desk and twiddling your thumbs because your colleagues and clients aren’t around to do business with. I’m willing to bet that web surfing, Facebook checking, and online shopping are at an annual high. Here are a couple of tips to get through the summer months without driving yourself to mindless distraction: Write... |
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3 Keys to Sales Excellence
Even if you don’t have the word “sales” in your title, don’t be fooled into thinking this post isn’t for you. Everyone who works in business is a salesperson, whether you’re selling an actual product to a client or an idea to a team member. #1: Nail the Big Five Traits When I worked in the agency world, there were certain individuals who could always be counted on to bring in the big clients. My boss used to say that these guys had “the magic touch,” but that wasn’t... |
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Mantra For Being Less Sensitive
Working in the business world for more than a decade hasn’t made me less sensitive. I still bristle when someone criticizes my work, and when a colleague doesn’t want to hang out with me on the weekends, it hurts my feelings. I’m working on it, though. In case you have a sensitivity problem too, here’s what I’m doing. I’m trying not to take things so personally. If a person gives me the brush off and I don’t know why, I won’t jump to the immediate... |
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A Different View on Decision Making
Ann Marie Bland of Boston, a video game marketing executive, was recently faced with two attractive job offers. Both companies were start-ups in which she felt she could rapidly grow her career as part of a successful management team. Ann Marie made a list of pros and cons and did her due diligence on the two companies, examining their goals and direction, funding, and culture. She also relied on her instinct. Instinct is at the center of the decision-making process... |
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New Episode: 30/20 Vision
Join me and my co-hosts, Christine Hassler (author of The 20-Something Manifesto) and Lindsey Pollak (author of Getting from College to Career), for our next 30/20 Vision podcast tomorrow, Monday, July 12, at 5:00pm EST. This month we'll be talking about our favorite sources of inspiration! Click here to join us live or download the episode anytime. |
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A Passion as a Side Job: The MAHA Music Festival
I recently learned about MAHA, a summer indie music festival in Omaha, NE. MAHA's organizers include attorney-by-day Tre Brashear III, Mike App, a VP at Lozier Corporation, marketing pro Traci Hancock and businessman Tyler Owen. The 2nd annual MAHA will take place in Omaha on July 24 and will feature a mix of national and local music talent and will highlight several noteworthy bands, including one of my personal favorites, Spoon! I absolutely love MAHA as an example of how you can pursue... |
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How to Communicate Across Generations
In every talk I give at a corporation or conference on intergenerational communication, someone raises their hand and says that people of different generations don’t vary in their styles and that it’s all in my head. If you’re tempted to think that, here are some examples of the types of remarks I’m always hearing:Born before 1945, they’re the loyalists, the ones who spent a lifetime at the company and expect to be rewarded with a Rolex: How can I help YOU? Flexibility is... |
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Discovering What You're Meant to Do: Jennie's Story
While writing for the Wall Street Journal, I had the opportunity to meet Jennie Mustafa-Julock, my fellow compatriot in Gen X crime. Jennie is inspiring because she escaped a consulting career that wasn’t right for her, and found her dream job as a life coach. I thought you’d be interested in what Jennie had to say about her journey: Jennie, why was your dream to be an organizational consultant? How long did you nurture this dream, and what steps did you take to achieve... |