The global economy is in flux and the outlook for the future is not as rosy as it has been. Before the inevitable downturn occurs safeguard your career with these strategies. Be visible — in a good way! When I worked in outplacement a lot of very talented individuals were stunned to find themselves downsized out of a job. Afterall, they kept their heads down, did good work and didn’t cause any trouble. Why...

A limp handshake, lack of eye contact, and shaking voice: sound familiar? If you don’t feel confident in yourself, you may have trouble presenting yourself in an effective and professional way. Whether we like it or not, moving up the career ladder and achieving your professional goals often depends on more than just your work: it’s also often based on the way you carry yourself and interact with others. I of...

Boards of Directors are always looking for strong candidates. Some Board positions, for local nonprofits, companies, or educational institutions may be by invitation or word of mouth. They may be easy to obtain because fewer people contend for a spot. But candidates for Board positions at major companies, institutions, or nonprofits must have a resume and must have a strong network because director positions are not adverti...

What’s a resume worth? It’s just a piece of paper, after all, with a minuscule amount of toner attached, and it can’t be worth more than a penny or so. Perhaps it’s worth two cents if the paper is fancy enough. In reality, though, a resume can be worth millions, even billions. This sheet of paper has extraordinary power. It’s analogous to the well-known calculation of a person’s ele...

Can you and should you back out of a job offer? If you’ve accepted a job offer, what should you do if other opportunities then present themselves? I’m a firm believer in keeping your job options open until the day that you actually start work. Things can fall through at the last minute, and few things are more difficult than resuming the search after you thought it was over. But what happens if your post-o...

Is your resume a turn-off to employers? Chances are that it is. 75% of HR professionals say that they routinely receive resumes that are not on point. That is significant. Are you committing any of these Crimes Against Employability with your resume? You don’t tailor your resume for the job opening. Seven seconds. That’s how long a recruiter looks at a resume before deciding to move the candidate along to in...

Worrying all the time is a reality for many entrepreneurs. Long hours working alone, increased pressure to succeed and the rigorous demands of running a business often result in concerns that multiply and go unchecked. Whether it’s one or two big problems that nag at you consistently throughout the day or a host of little things that zip in and out of your head and break your concentration, there’s one simple...

When do you stop your job search? “Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.” – Gever Tulley In the job search, making assumptions can be a dangerous thing. Making assumptions, for instance, about what a prospective employer should be looking for, instead of researching its actual needs, can lead you to create a resume that hig...

Many of us at one time or another have been baited and switched. You know, when you’re applying for one job with a certain job title, description, and salary, and at some point during the hiring process the company will change one or more of those. For example, Jade applies for a marketing manager position that pays $95,000 a year. That’s what the advert says; that’s what she and her interviewer discussed....

The marketing profession leads in many career directions: community and media relations, in-house or agency positions, website or proposal writing, digital or print communications, and so on. However, there are a few common denominators to all of these potential career paths for marketing professionals. Your resume should focus on: Your unique value. For example, have you experienced success in market research or soci...