Archive: September 2010
Even more health care relief for the self-employed
The good news for the self-employed, temporarily employed, under-employed, and other workers who buy their own health insurance keeps on coming: [Flickr photo by shimelle] As I mentioned in a recent post, starting this week, freelancers and other "businesses...
How do you like your job security now?
No doubt you saw the reports earlier this month that the recession officially ended in June 2009. Like many Americans, you may have laughed, scoffed, or yelled at the media outlet from which you gleaned this nugget of information...
Who are the top three 'super connectors' in your industry?
Recently, I gave an assignment to my career boot camp students: They will have one week to identify the top three "super connectors" -- the most influential contacts -- in their industry. Once these contacts are identified, they will have an additional week to make contact with these people and set up a meeting.
Single women outearning their male counterparts? Not so fast
Since last week was Unmarried and Single Americans Week, I thought it fitting to look at some contradictory statistics about single women's salaries I've seen floating around lately. But first, let's revisit just how prevalent not being married has become....
Matchmaker, matchmaker, find me an internship
The leaves are changing. A chill is in the air. The kids are back in school. Time to start thinking about summer. Not the swimming-pool, shorts and sunglasses kind of summer -- I mean summer internships. Since the needle on...
The lost art of taking lunch
In doing some research this week for a story on fighting burnout at the office, I came across a curious paradox: full-time employees who say they stay sane throughout the workweek by taking every last minute of their lunch...
How to stay motivated during your job search
The toughest part of a career transition is managing the negative little voice inside our heads that we call self-talk. It's amazing how we're faced with our greatest fears and self doubts during this time, especially if we have people who depend on us. This fear and negative self-talk can hinder our performance and success. Recognizing it and knowing how to change it is crucial.
Freelance Nation: Surviving the new reality
Most livelihoods have taken a huge hit during this stubbornly persistent recession, but few professions have been as much of a punching bag these days as journalism. Seemingly every day, we hear stories about the imminent demise of magazines and...
Health care relief for Washington state's self-employed
A recent news item from the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner made my week. According to the OIC, come October 1, freelancers, sole proprietors, independent contractors, and other self-employed folks will have an easier time finding and qualifying...
Need a new approach? Here are 16 ways to find job openings
If you've been searching for a job for more than six months, it's probably time to evaluate your job-seeking strategy and see what has been working and what hasn't. Here are some external recruiting practices human resource managers use to source candidates. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list; it's intended to give you some new avenues to explore.
If the job listing says 'no calls, please,' should I call anyway?
Many candidates in my career search optimization seminar ask me, "Can I call a recruiter about an opening even when the job listing specifically says 'no phone calls please'?" The answer is "Yes," and several of my clients have gotten interviews and landed opportunities by ignoring these messages. It's all about using the correct strategy and phone techniques that anyone can learn and master.
A headhunter's advice on changing, advancing careers
Since well before the Obama campaign co-opted it in 2008, "change" has been the watchword in the employment arena. Most workers will change not only their jobs several times over their lifetimes but also their careers, either by choice or...
The perils of on-the-job oversharing
On NWjobs, we talk a lot about what makes for appropriate use of digital and social media -- and what can happen when workers overshare the intimate details of their personal life online. Today I caught wind of a...
How to negotiate an extra $31,200 in less than 10 minutes
A client of mine e-mailed me last night to tell me that his negotiation strategy that we worked on last week resulted in an extra $15 per hour, equaling over $31,000 a year. How did he do it, you ask? How do you get more than what an employer initially offers?
How freelancers can avoid getting stiffed, part two
In my last post, I offered some precautions self-employed workers can take to avoid getting burned by clients who don't pay. [Photo by wsssst] But what if, despite your best deadbeat radar, the many precautions you took at the...
Networking events to help you ride out the storm
While assembling a list of job search events this past week, I've kept one eye on the breathless coverage of Hurricane Earl as it freaked out half of the Eastern Seaboard and thought about how the media so dearly loves...
How freelancers can avoid getting stiffed, part one
Gigaom ran an interesting post this week previewing soon-to-be-announced survey findings by freelance job bidding site Elance. [Photo by stuartpilbrow] According to the Elance survey, more people are opting to work as independent professionals rather than finding themselves working...
Your step-by-step guide to getting your next job
In my recent post about how to get a job in today's market, I promised I would teach you how to create a one-page marketing plan to help you stay focused, goal oriented and organized in your job search.
More behind-the-scenes hiring tips and jobseeker mistakes
LeMaster Daniels is a 100-year-old CPA firm with offices across Washington and Idaho employing more than 300 professionals in the fields of taxes, audits, business valuation, litigation, cost reimbursement, corporate accounting and more. I recently interviewed Wanda Todd, head of recruiting at the firm, about its specific hiring practices.
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."
- career profile (160)
- cool jobs (65)
- education and training (60)
- entry level (70)
- etiquette (104)
- events (71)
- featured (395)
- finding your passion (94)
- health care (72)
- interviewing (87)
- job fairs (59)
- management (86)
- market trends (91)
- networking (270)
- resumes (101)
- salary (83)
- social media (90)
- technology (112)
- unemployment (55)
- work/life balance (89)
Career Center • Blog • Events
