How much are you assuming people already know or understand about you? A radio ad gives a good reminder about how important it is to make yourself clear! There used to be a radio advertisement running on one of the stations I listen to regularly. It’s an ad for “the beaches of South Walton” and hopes to inspire listeners to vacation there. The problem is, the ad’s writers assumed a lot about the audience when they created t...

Many job-seekers underestimate how important it is to have an online presence—a digital footprint to help convince potential hiring managers that they are right for the job. There is no question a person's online reputation makes a big difference for job-search success. But ironically, the worst outcome of having a recruiter search for you on the Web would be if he or she found nothing at all. In a digital age, having nothi...

Looking for a job? There’s no question volunteering helps you expand your network, and networking is always key for job seekers. Volunteering may help you get a job, but the question of whether or not to include volunteer work on your resume is a common one, especially for people whose best and most relevant experience for the job is unpaid work. In the February, 2012 issue of Real Simple magazine (page 100), Laura Vanderka...

EmailShare The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” – Mark Twain, in The Success Principles, by Jack Canfield It seems obvious – you can’t be successful until you get started. You can’t get started on everything at once, so break it down and work on one thing at a time. My fri...

“To thine own self be true.” It’s more than just a line from Shakespeare! Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone who worked had the luxury of spending their work hours doing something that they enjoyed and was true to their values and skills? If you are considering a new career, have you done any thinking about how that career intersects with who you are (or want to be)? Focusing your your values is one way to help direct your sea...

Career fairs can be the perfect occasions to network with recruiters who could help you land an interview. Don't waste your chance to make a good impression. Follow these tips and put your best foot forward: 1. Know what type of job you want. Don't attend a career fair without knowing what type of job you want to land. Most fair organizers publish company participant lists in advance. Investigate those organizations' needs...

I was watching one of the Sunday morning political shows this week, and I couldn’t help but be inspired to write about some of the topics they discussed that mirror personal and professional issues we all face. Maybe you’ve heard the news that, as a teenager, Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was involved in some activities we would identify as bullying. Whether or not you believe how someone beh...

Last week, I traveled to Chicago to speak at the CFA Institute’s annual conference. Traveling into the city from the airport, I knew I should be able to see the skyline…Maybe I am biased (having grown up in the area), but I think Chicago has one of the most lovely skylines of any city. My family moved away from Illinois after I graduated from high school, so even though I haven’t been back in many years, I knew enough to kn...

You have been working so hard at your job search or trying to start a business. Maybe you feel kind of like a newly-hatched chick? Did you know it can take 24 hours for a chick to hatch its way out of a shell? That is a lot of hard work…No wonder it looks practically lifeless upon emerging into the world! The chick incubator was always one of my favorite exhibits at Chicago’s Science + Industry Museum when I used to visit a...

Many job-seekers underestimate how important it is to have an online presence—a digital footprint to help convince potential hiring managers that they are right for the job. There is no question a person's online reputation makes a big difference for job-search success. But ironically, the worst outcome of having a recruiter search for you on the Web would be if he or she found nothing at all. In a digital age, having nothi...