I have become a statistic. I am now one of the 5.7% people without a job. Laid off, reorganized, restructured. Whatever term you choose, the result is the same – without a steady paycheck. I survived a merger and two reorganizations and now when I least expected it, the big conference call announcing the end. [...]
Archive for Career
10 Tips for Proactive Career Management
Image by Engin Erdogan via Flickr In yesterday’s post I shared the stories of two professionals laid off form their jobs. Crisis career management is always more challenging than proactive, consistent career management. Many mistakenly believe that the only way to manage your career is by doing good work, navigating office politics and developing effective relationships [...]
How Inertia Can Impact Your Income
Image by kiddharma via Flickr Six months ago I received a call from Donna*, a former resume client. Two years ago, I had provided resume services to her company when they went through an acquisition and major reorganization. Donna had found work but was laid off again. Fearful of a tight job market and shrinking [...]
How to Stop Being a Victim and Own Your Career
I heard the soft shuffle as the man behind me took his place at the counter. The clerk greeted him by name with a smile and he responded in kind. His hair was white and his voice was raspy and tinged with defeat. She asked him about work and I watched as his already sagging [...]
Using a Step Back as a Savvy Career Move
Image by Chewy Chua via Flickr Amanda is an attorney. She spent 10 years building a successful solo practice. At what seemed like the pinnacle of her success, her life shifted dramatically. Her husband, Joe, lost his job and they lived in a state that had been decimated by the down economy long before the [...]
Healing Career Dissatisfaction
Are you working longer hours at your job with little to no appreciation for your efforts? Was your hard work rewarded with a 1% increase during review time because you have reached the top of your salary grade? Do you feel trapped by the rotten economy in a job that makes you miserable? If this [...]
Transitioning from Colleague to Boss
I shared a post today from BNET, The Rookie Manager’s Guide to Office Politics on Facebook and Twitter. The post provided solid tips for new managers. However, some took issue with the advice about managing the relationship with former peers. The authors wrote: “If you’re managing former peers, now’s the time to put up some walls [...]
Gig Your Way to Success
I was featured in a piece for ABC World News that discussed a rising trend of creating your own full time income from multiple jobs. While I have been gigging for six years, the economy has made it an attractive option for many workers who never planned on being entrepreneurs. Gigging is all about creativity [...]
Reality Check 2010
Image by Piez via Flickr Susan stared at the notice in disbelief. Her hands shook and the words began to blur as tears formed in her eyes. She felt as though someone had punched her in the belly. A rush of emotions flooded through her as she tried to compose herself to speak. Her boss [...]
Making the Best out of a Layoff
Being laid off can feel like the end of the story but in fact it is simply the ending of one chapter. The movie trailer below demonstrates how many professionals made lemonade out of their layoff. The trailer below is for a new documentary, Lemonade. Watch and be inspired to write your next chapter.