Career Connector Blog
For many people September presents a fresh start—like going back to school, it’s a time of renewed motivation and enthusiasm. Three things that help me get restarted are writing, taking a course and attending a conference especially in person. There’s nothing more inspiring than being in a shared interest group, with a lot of great speakers. And classes offer unlimited opportunities to network in a friendly setting.
Read MoreA recent opinion piece in the New York Times last weekend mourned the passing of the English major as an assured path to a job or graduate school.
Read MoreI love getting questions from readers—and here’s a very practical one that I’m not sure I’ve addressed on this blog before.
Read MoreI had a very gratifying moment with a client the other day. He’s been out of work for a long time—about 9 months—and has been struggling with transitioning from his original career in journalism to something more secure and lucrative for the long term.
Read MoreThere’s a lot of confusion among recent college grads about how to acquire the skills employers deem necessary when the only way to get those skills is on the job. Going to college no longer guarantees you a well-paying job, and yet the ROI for a college degree is huge.
Read MoreIn my role as career advisor to college students and recent grads, I see plenty of cover letters. They almost always begin with a fairly lengthy description of all the wonderful qualities the candidate brings to the organization. And frequently these letters end with something like, “I am confident that Company X will benefit from my strong communication skills (or quantitative skills).” And there is “I know I can learn a great deal at Company X and look forward to making a strong an immediate impact”.
Read MoreThe fallout from Marissa Mayer’s decision to ban working from home for Yahoo employees, at least for now, has shone a light on the working from home conundrum. Many people who view working from home as a company benefit and one which makes their job actually doable, also realize that working from home can be both a blessing and a curse.
Read MoreHere is some of the most straightforward advice I provide clients, and yet sometimes I hear differing opinions. I have written on this topic before.
Read MoreMany of my clients are seniors in college and awaiting May graduation with some dread. The reason? They haven’t been focused on career; instead, they’ve had their heads down, working away at school to produce good grades. Yes, they’ve discussed the idea of a career and a job ad infinitum, late into the night with their friends—but unfortunately that’s a far cry from actually taking concrete steps to figure out what they want to do and where they want to do it.
Read MoreI have always been a proponent of creating your own job—it’s the one way to truly put yourself in the driver’s seat of your own destiny. It involves a lot of market research—identifying market need and where you fit, deciding on your role and ideal organizations and then pitching yourself.
Read MoreMy friend Noel Rozny wrote about getting out of your comfort zone on this blog in September, and I have taken her advice.
Read MoreThe following is a Guest Post by the talented and indefatigable Noël Rozny.
I was recently a guest on #InternPro Radio, where the hosts and I talked about the steps college students can take to prepare themselves for the working world. One of the main points that came up was the importance of having as many new experiences as possible and getting outside of your comfort zone.
Read MoreDo you have a well-honed, transferable skill? Are you having trouble figuring out how to apply that skill to jobs other than the one you have? This is a common problem, especially for those with a lot of experience. This past weekend’s New York Times featured a story I found to be hopeful and illustrative of the way in which successful career change really happens. And it told the story of a writer, in a profession that has diminished in market value as it’s become harder and harder to get paid to write.
Read MoreI see many excellent career posts and want to share the best advice with my followers. Here are a few from this week–all substantive, all great advice.
Read MoreMy clients who are still in college or just graduating worry that they’ll cut themselves off from opportunities by choosing one path over another. When you’re in college, you can take any class that interests you, join a club or do an internship or volunteer gig—all without making a commitment to one specific thing.
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