Break From a Busy Life To Find Your Dream Job
“Why am I not happy?” “Why is life a struggle?” “Why doesn’t work work?”
To Be Successful, Return to Basics
When the economy took a downturn at the start of the 1990s, my career — ironically, it’s headhunting — took a downturn, too. I have to admit I wasn’t ready for difficult times. But that rough patch was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. Today, amid another downturn, I’m sharing the
How Careers Evolve With Personal Growth
How many of us secretly want to live a life different from the one we lead now? Relatively successful at what we do, we may be using our talents and deriving pleasure from our activities, but every once in a while, we hear a little nagging voice.
Economists Try to Crack The Compensation Puzzle
Seemingly irrelevant characteristics, including beauty, height, obesity, and even whether one keeps a clean house, are often robust predictors of earnings,” write three well-credentialed economics professors in the December issue of the Journal of Economic Literature.
Dispelling the Myths That Hold Back Seniors
Older workers are easy to typecast because the myths persevere:
Resist the Urge to Take Employees for Granted
We’ve been here before, the point in an economic cycle when managers need to take special care. The job market is awash with candidates and the competition for available jobs is intense; it’s a recruiter’s dream. This type of situation always encourages managers to become lazy about how they treat their employees. As business psychologists,
How to Gain Control Of Your Job Search
Only 25% of all positions are found through published and defined markets, such as employment ads, placement agencies and recruiting firms. Unfortunately, job seekers favor these markets even though they face less competition for the remaining 75% of jobs found through networking and direct unsolicited contact with employers.
Finding Family Support After Losing Your Job
If you’ve been downsized, you may have decided that you’ll just be able to survive what comes next. Congratulations. But your family may not have the same confidence. Anxiety, uncertainty and fear may be gripping your spouse at this moment. Partners try to put up a good front, but down deep they’ve been shaken. Knowing
How to Avoid Search Stress During the Holiday Season
he holidays can be stressful, but job hunting often compounds the problem. Well-intentioned friends and family can hover with questions such as, “Hey, Harry, did you get a new job yet?” As if the external pressures aren’t enough, your own internal thoughts, beliefs and feelings can drive you to distraction.
Jumping Through Hoops: A New Job Requirement
Memo to Human Resources: I am following up on the job candidate I sent you several weeks ago. I wanted to review his status after his most recent interview. You’ll recall I met this young man through one of my professional groups. He has excellent credentials and just earned his M.B.A. He was doing some
A Polished Appearance Pays Off for Candidates
If you’re actively job hunting, paying close attention to your image is as crucial as the scrutiny you give to other facets of your campaign. For instance, you have probably agonized over multiple versions of your resume, attended job-search seminars, identified your key skills and rehearsed what you plan to say in interviews about your
The Best Managers Balance Just Two Needed Skill Sets
During the 23 years that I was the chief executive officer of Hewitt Associates, an international human-resources consulting firm, one of my favorite subjects was how to best develop managers. When I promoted or hired managers, I looked for two skills (after first reviewing their general intelligence and experience qualifications). I knew that if they
Tips for Industry Switchers From an Ex-Academic
Out of the frying pan, into the fire. That’s what frightens many professionals who are considering switching industries. They think potential employers won’t see how their skills transfer and that peers or mentors won’t help, all while the clock’s ticking. And like a talented but green pitcher who’s been advanced to the majors too quickly,
Consultant’s Layoff Leads To Deeper Understanding
Things were bad in consulting: The end was coming, but I had so much fun in my job, I couldn’t bring myself to bolt. I led a global information-technology team, and my task list was rich and varied. While it wasn’t my “ideal” job, it was a good one, and I hoped I could keep
Why Contacting Recruiters Is a Waste of Your Time
It’s a scene that’s played out all too often these days: You’re looking for a job and you’ve read or heard that you should contact executive-search firms. After all, they recruit people for jobs, and you’re looking for a job. You send a well-worded letter or leave a polite voice mail for the recruiter, and