The economic crisis has been difficult for everybody. Many people are out of work. People who have kept their jobs are grateful, but they must complete more work with fewer resources, and fewer rewards. It's frustrating, because in a different market, you may have left your present employer by now. With fewer opportunities, you have chosen to stay put. The good news is you have a job. The bad news is you don't feel good...

Most people I speak with know the value of networking. All the experts, including myself, say it's the best pathway to your next great job or opportunity. But what happens if you don't like to network? Or more specifically, you are afraid of it?You are not the only person who doesn't like to walk into a room of strangers and bare their soul. There are many people like you who are uncomfortable opening up to people they've n...

How did I get here? How did this happen to me? These are crucial questions I get from clients on a regular basis. In addition, why did my career seem so certain one day, yet so uncertain on another? I answer these questions by asking a question of my own: "Are you listening to what your career is telling you?" Most people don't listen to themselves. And, when things go wrong in their career, they don't understand why. In m...

As a career coach, people are always talking to me about their careers. We discuss their dreams, wishes, and future plans. But when I ask some of these people how they will implement their plan, their reasons for not moving forward begin to flow. Their reasons vary. Some people tell me they are too old. Some are too young. Some have the wrong education or not enough. Some have too much experience, while others don't have as...

It happens to the best of us. You hit a bump in the rocky road of your career and find yourself out of work for longer than you'd like. Being out of work for an extended period of time does more damage than just a gap in your resume. It affects your self esteem, how you view yourself, and what you believe you can bring to the table. Everyone has doubts at some point in their career; this is your time. Know that you can and...

As the mother of a toddler, I go above and beyond to ensure that my son is not afraid of the world. I tell him I love him regularly, we spend quality time together, and I make sure he is safe.When he questions the world, or is afraid of something, I comfort him and tell him it's going to be ok. Then, he smiles at me and goes along his merry way.How come as adults, we don't have more people in our lives telling us that thing...

Another year has gone by. For some of you, it was filled with challenges. For others, the year brought some surprises. Wherever you are today, you are here because you said by your actions that you wanted to be here. Some of you set goals. Some of you wanted to wait to see what happened before you said what you wanted. Others told yourself that setting goals was not worthwhile. The pathway to achieving goals is straightforw...

When we struggle in our career, we usually look outward. Maybe there is a book, TV show, or colleague who can tell us what to do. The truth is the answers you seek come from within. You can tap into outside sources for information or validation, but the true next steps usually come from you.It takes courage to have a career you are passionate about; a career you enjoy that makes a difference in the world. Seem like a lonely...

Are you in a career that you dislike but you feel there is nothing you can do about it?Many of us stay in our careers (and jobs) longer than we want because we are unsure what we would do next. We tell ourselves that the answer will come to us someday. Then, we will make our move. Or, when the economy improves, we'll go. But in the meantime, we stay where we are, stuck and unhappy.Your career does not get better until yo...

It's hard to get excited about our careers sometimes. Especially when bad news surrounds us. Between high unemployment, low morale, and reduced compensation, who can blame you for not wanting to jump out of bed energized and ready to start each day?Maybe what you need is a new game to play. Something that gets you excited again. Whether it's a new job or a new way of doing something in your present position, a new game (or...