While it's definitely not in the top echelon of tips one often hears regarding the job search process, many experts recommend that job hunters set up a regular reading regimen as part of their efforts -- and that they ingest a healthy amount of news, information, and written material on a daily basis during the course of their search. The alleged benefits of this approach? For starters, some would tout the fact that it keeps [...]
With the economy continuing to be turbulent -- and a ton of change and uncertainty taking place at a national level right now -- it's probably not surprising that there's been an uptick in job seekers reporting feelings of stress, anxiety, and cynicism lately. While there's obviously a certain amount of worry that accompanies any period of unemployment, in any economy, I think this we're seeing a more pronounced degree of this phenomenon right now [...]
With a brand new year upon us, and a new presidential regime taking over this year, it's safe to say nobody quite knows how the job market will respond and whether the economy will be taking a turn for the better or worse in the months ahead. And while the U.S. unemployment level remains at a relatively low 4.2% rate, it's also safe to say that such statistics don't always tell the full story and [...]
With the new year upon us, I think it's traditional for all of us to examine our lives -- and our daily routines/habits -- and determine if there might be some new routines we want to adopt, going forward, to improve our happiness and success. Career advancement is no exception to this rule, in my opinion. And one of the most important things job hunters can do is to question and let go of certain [...]
With the start of each new year, it's inevitable for each of us to reflect back on the state of our lives -- and careers -- and give some thought, either super-serious or bemusedly casual, as to how we might improve them. Whether this is due to the concept of a "new year's resolution" being so prominent in our culture or whether it's a more primal urge, based on seasonal and weather changes, is hard [...]
Happy new year, everybody, and with 2018 now officially upon us, I've (predictably) seen a ton of articles and news stories coming out reporting on the state of the marketplace and discussing the overall health of the economy -- as well as offering predictions for the rest of the year to come. In observing these reports, however, I find that many of them fail to make a distinction that's vitally important to the fortunes of [...]
While a small minority of people I've met seem to really enjoy the job hunting process, and thrive on the challenge of going out and promoting themselves to new organizations, let's not kid ourselves -- for most folks, the job search journey is a roller-coaster ride and there are points where one is likely to feel significantly lost, stuck, frustrated, and confused. All of this, I can assure you, is perfectly normal and part of [...]
While the field of psychology may not be everybody's cup of tea -- and some of the deeper stuff being done out there on the subject tends to get pretty dry and clinical -- I recently stumbled across a fascinating list of over 100 psychological theories/principles here, compiled by the folks at changingminds.org. This site, if you're not familiar with it, is dedicated to helping people "change what others think, feel, believe and do" and [...]
Ages ago, back in the last millennium, I distinctly remember sitting in a conference room in downtown Seattle and working with a client who had recently been laid off. He said that he'd been ramping up his job search and was channeling five or six hours of focused effort into the process, each day, in the hopes of turning up a new opportunity. He said he felt pretty proud of himself, until he described his [...]
Like many of you out there, perhaps, I tend to plow through a hefty amount of media each month -- reviewing hundreds of articles on various business subjects in the hopes of spotting some interesting new tip, insight, or market development. For the most part, however, it tends to be a pretty barren sea. So many articles these days seem like lightweight fluff pieces, don't they? Or nothing more than a thinly-disguised press release where [...]