If you have an ear to the online sphere, you know Google+, Google’s newest social platform, is all the rage. While Google+ is still in invitation-only mode, early results indicate it could be a keeper. The Wall Street Journal estimates Google+ had 20 million visitors in three weeks. (Google declines to comment, and leaders are cagey when asked for specifics.)Many early adopters are excitedly proclaiming the new network a re...

It’s been a hectic week returning from being away, so I thought I’d re-share a post I wrote several years ago after visiting NYC. I think it’s still relevant. Stay tuned for a few more career lessons inspired by my trip to the Big Apple!Recently, I had an opportunity to ride the New York City subway. I say “opportunity,” because watching other passengers and what goes on in and around the subway offers an array of ideas for...

LinkedIn just launched a new initiative aimed at students, a group sometimes slow to join the growing professional network. Many students believe “LinkedIn isn’t ‘for’ them,” since they may not already have much professional experience and probably do not have large professional networks. Now, LinkedIn offers sections to allow college students to showcase their accomplishments, as reported on LinkedIn’s blog:Projects: It’s...

I attended the National Career Development Association (NCDA) conference last week, and I wanted to share some information from one of the keynote speakers, Mark Guterman. He spoke about the importance of memory when focusing on future career decisions in his discussion, “In Remembrance Lies the Secret . . . .”He shared some great quotes:“Memory is the soul’s witness to the capricious mind.” – Heschel“If you’re lucky, putti...

What’s the most important thing to consider when building your network? Size? Quality of connections? Other factors? LinkedIn published a study that said men are better online networkers than women because they tend to have a greater ratio of connections compared to women.The study did not look into the quality of the connections for the various groups. But when it comes to networking, having a large network isn’t always th...

One issue for many job seekers is landing an opportunity offering “flexibility,” “balance,” or, what consultant, Cali Williams Yost, CEO and Founder of Flex Strategy Group and author of Work+Life: Finding the Fit That’s Right for You, would call “work-life fit.” Today, I’m happy to share research Cali sent me from from the 2011 Work+Life Fit™ Reality Check Survey. It illustrates that, “Work life flexibility is no longer a...

Last week, a prospective client contacted me. He was thinking about solidifying his “personal brand” and thought he could use some help firming up his job search plans. We spoke briefly, I explained how I could help him identify the stories that would relate and appeal to his target audience and how I could teach him to propagate those stories via social media. I agreed to outline a strategy/proposal while he interviewed ot...

I always think one of the most frustrating aspects of job search is believing you’ve “done everything,” but aren’t finding an opportunity. I’ve never met a job seeker who actually has “done everything,” though, which I think is good news! Most people are very focused on out-dated tools and spend a disproportionate percentage of their time doing the same thing, over and over, without different results.There are so many great...

There’s been a lot of buzz in the past week or so about LinkedIn’s “apply” button. Mashable reported LinkedIn will launch a button to allow users to easily apply for jobs using their LinkedIn profiles as an effective “resume” later this month. Dan Schawbel called for this being one more nail in the resume’s coffin and asserted job boards are on their way out as a result. There’s lots of push back from the recruiting communi...

When you’re in the midst of a job hunt, you never really know what will make the difference between being hired and coming in second place. When there are many qualified candidates, employers often rely on subtle, nuanced reasons to choose one candidate over another. Maybe one applicant seemed to have strong observational skills or one candidate seemed a better fit for the team than another.One way to help you stand out fro...