One of my challenges when working with someone in transition is to encourage them to move away from “titles” as a focus and help them to see the bigger picture. Titles don’t immediately translate to skills or value. They often are labels that far too many people take for granted as a reason to believe someone has done something reflected by their title, when under closer scrutiny, it is learned they have not.Aug 2014 Blog -...

Do you have a mentor? With the start of a new year and an improving economy, it may be a good time to evaluate your current career path and make some decisions about where you are headed. Rather than assuming things are greener in other pastures, it might be helpful to get some advice from someone who has been there, done that. Asking for help from a trusted professional to assist you with developing and accomplishing your...

The news is filled with pleas to the public to be better “prepared” following a terrible event. Disaster. Emergency. Storm. Flood. Earthquake. Recession. Unfortunately, these events occur pretty frequently, so it is reasonable to believe that being prepared means setting ourselves up for the worst to happen. That might seem obvious, but on the flip side, how prepared are you for the best to happen? If the opportunity you ha...

Change is inevitable. Change for the better and change for the worse. Either way, a time of change can be a great opportunity for you to make a statement, become more visible or take on a major challenge that ultimately builds your value over the long term. By continuously broadening your skill set and showing a willingness to adjust to the new needs of an organization throughout periods of change or to the needs of a new e...

We’re finally seeing daylight with the beginning of an economic turnaround. As jobs continue to multiply, some basic elements of finding rewarding work are still necessary. It’s important to stay focused and build a strategy for optimizing conditions during these improving economic times. The upswing in the economy/job market doesn’t mean it’s time to forget about planning, strategizing, preparing, networking, positioning o...

There has been a rumor going around asserting that it is “impossible to multi-task.” I suppose a declaration of this kind allows those who aren’t skilled at multitasking to feel triumphant, but very common examples of real life multitasking prove this theory incorrect. If we couldn’t multi-task, then: When driving, we couldn’t look both ways and behind us at an intersection, activate a turn signal and apply pressure...

An epiphany hit me recently after reading an article about the current status of job loss in Washington State. Reporting “no jobs” does not necessarily mean there is “no work available.” The term “jobless,” doesn’t have to mean “without work.” When I think about it, passively waiting for a job to open up when there is so much work around us to be done may not be the best approach to what could be a dire situation. Too many...

Although a candidate may be extremely focused on their own behavior and speech, it is just as necessary to pay attention to what the interviewer discloses through conversation or body language throughout an interview. In addition to debriefing an interview to learn where improvement may be required, a review can also help you pick up on clues the employer provided that could alert you to a dysfunctional work situation. It’s...

How many times have you really knocked yourself out with extensive preparation for an interview or a proposal and learned you came in “Number 2”? It may only have been because the other candidate or company had a desired credential or specific experience you couldn’t match and the employer was forced to choose. Don’t let all your effort go to waste, especially if your research tells you that you really are a great fit for...

Interviewing is tough business. A candidate is typically facing a complete stranger and has limited time to develop rapport, assess the environment, assimilate the conversation and interpret body language. Reading an interviewer is also a risky endeavor. Typically, only an objective ear can distinguish between what went “really well” and what went “really south”. Unless a candidate is ready to face what their interviewing c...