Archive: August 2009
Bringing your significant other to a business conference
I was in San Diego last week, speaking at a conference for independent professionals. My significant other had some vacation time he needed to use, and flights to Southern California were fairly inexpensive, so he decided to join me on...
All a-Twitter about job search workshops
How does the old saying go? "Do as I say, not as I do"? It's kind of a silly philosophy, especially for someone who purports to be doling out career advice, but it's been in the back of my mind...
Outlawing coffee shop squatters
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal wrote about an interesting war being waged in some of New York's independently owned coffee shops: Tired of freelancers and telecommuters camping out at their tables all day -- often nursing one cup...
Five ways to stay positive in your job search
As any job-seeker over the last year can tell you, there comes a point when you hit a wall. For those who are out of work, there is usually a burst of activity in the first few weeks as networks...
Swine flu revisited: Time to make a fall telework plan?
Ah, back-to-school season. Parents scramble to pick up last-minute school supplies. Teachers pull together their September lesson plans. Summer revelers squeeze in those last few barbecues and beach getaways. And the government tells us that swine flu could infect half...
Job Seeker Network forms 'tribe' for the Eastside
At last Thursday's Seattle Job Social event, the view of the pink-orange sunset over Puget Sound was a breathtaking sight from the 76th floor of the Columbia Tower. At least I think it was breathtaking. I only caught a few...
From self-employed to someone's employee
In her recent Wall Street Journal column, Alexandra Levit makes the fantastic point that returning to an office job after working for yourself should not be viewed as a step backward. Besides benefiting from the steady paycheck and company perks...
In case you missed it: Unemployment rate falls
For the last 48 hours, much of the local news outlets have covered the story of a single local resident who may soon be out of work. After a surprising (but still unofficial) third-place finish in Tuesday's primary, Seattle Mayor...
Seattle Job Social moves to Columbia Tower
The monthly Seattle Job Social event is movin' on up. To a de-luxe apartment in the sky. Well, actually the Columbia Tower Club to be precise, so that's about as high as you can go in this town. After spending...
Strengthening your network with the Seattle Chamber
As you build your network of contacts for potential job leads, you may not have thought of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce as a possible source. After all, most of the work performed by the average chamber is to...
The Sunday night e-mail check
On Sunday, a source I hadn't been able to reach during the workweek for an article I'm writing about labor laws and work/life balance called. She'd just picked up my voice message and was calling from her vacation in the...
Join local networks before looking for greener pastures
One of the symptoms of a sluggish job market is the tendency to cast sideways glances at what looks like greener grass on the other side of the fence. After months of rejections and dead ends, it's easy to think...
How to evade time-sucking, soul-quashing coworkers
We all have coworkers who drive us crazy: the sneaky saboteur, the chest-beating bully, the spreadsheet-happy micromanager, the naysayer who's allergic to change, and the guy who's always popping his head into our office to ask one more question,...
Stand-up advice for your next sit-down interview
As you walk into a corporate boardroom for an important job interview, probably the last thing on your mind is comedy. You don't want to start spinning off into a bad "Saturday Night Live" skit in front of your potential...
Is the American vacation in danger of extinction?
John de Graaf thinks so. "One of the things that bugs me most is that right now vacations are seen as a luxury we can't afford in this economy," said the co-founder and executive director of Take Back Your Time,...
Job search workshops: Get a jump on the fall season
I always like to say "be careful what you wish for." After surviving more than a week of furnace-like heat in the Seattle area, Mother Nature seems to have overcompensated with a little blast of autumn. Those who had planned...
In praise of naps
I get a lot of flak from friends about my fondness for napping. But give me one rotten night's sleep and I take three times as long to write a sentence as I normally would and the better part of...
National jobless numbers offer glimmer of hope
If our current economic climate made any sense, this morning's announcement that the country's workforce lost 247,000 jobs in July would be greeted as terrible news. And it is terrible. But in light of the 443,000 job losses suffered in...
Is spending less the new normal?
Unemployment numbers improved ever so slightly this month. And a new report from the Society for Human Resource Management anticipates hiring in the manufacturing and service sectors to outpace layoffs, too. Still, we're nowhere near out of the economic woods yet....
Pell Grant offers job-training assistance
As we continue to struggle through this tight job market, many people who have found themselves unemployed for several months are considering going back to school for training in another field. Of course, this education comes at a cost that...
Asking to telecommute in a bad economy
Last week, I mentioned that telecommuting consultant Pat Katepoo of WorkOptions.com was offering a free teleclass on convincing your manager to let you telecommute. In case you missed the class, Katepoo was kind enough to answer a few questions about...
Koda: Social recruiting help for Gen Y
For young Generation Y job seekers out there who are trying (and failing) to gain traction on online social networks, another Web option is emerging that says it is based on "relationship-building" rather than mere job leads. The new site,...
Karen Burns is the author of The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl, a career guide based on her 59 jobs over 40 years in 22 cities.
Lisa Quast is a certified career coach, mentor, business consultant, former corporate executive and author based in the Seattle area.
Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.
Former contributors
Matt Youngquist is the president of Career Horizons, a career counseling firm.
Natalie Singer is a Seattle writer, editor and small-business owner.
Michelle Goodman is the author of "My So-Called Freelance Life" and "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide."
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