Archive: October 2012
Help your contacts help you: set clear career goals
The other day, I had the pleasure of sitting down with a senior executive in town who wanted to get together for lunch. He wasn't looking for a new job, though; he told me that he keeps running into people...
Do you have a terrible job or just a bad attitude?
We've all had some jobs in our experience that we regret — the high-school cash register job, the unappreciated office drone, the back-breaking summertime construction job. They're all part of our career evolution. But have you ever been in a...
Confronting the passive-aggressive boss
A friend of mine took on a part-time job not long ago at a small nonprofit organization. The pay was decent, the hours fit with her freelance schedule and she liked the causes being supported. Still, each time I saw...
One simple way to increase your response rate
A woman came in the other day to meet with me. She seemed distressed and said she really needed to talk with a career coach to address a serious job-search problem she was having. When I asked her what challenge...
When life gives you lemons, squeeze them into your resume
The current employment climate can create many unlikely scenarios on the job market. As candidates vie for a shrinking number of positions, they get increasingly creative in their tactics with hiring managers. For instance, there's the story of Greg Drevenstedt,...
Keep your binders and your flirting and give me equality
I just read about some research that seems to prove women can get ahead in the workplace with a little bit of good, old-fashioned ... flirting. Ha. You thought I was going to say hard work, huh? Nope, flirting. That's...
When it comes to resume success, keywords are king
While nearly every expert continues to debate the recipe for creating a great resume, there's one rule of thumb that is almost universally agreed upon. In today's world, for your documents to make the cut in most organizations, you need...
Investing in job seekers, both today and tomorrow
As most of the candidates running for local and national office have stated during this long election season, something needs to be done to create jobs during this country's painfully slow economic recovery. While some insist that this is solely...
Flex time is great, but if we're lucky enough to get it, we have to 'bring it'
Everyone talks about flex time as if it's the Holy Grail for office workers, the golden ticket. Flex time allows for better "work-life balance." Flex time is good for morale, saves employees cash, can reduce workers' stress and improve their...
The 'Seattle freeze': change, adapt or surrender?
While "going viral" may be an overstatement -- especially in an age where a goofy Korean music video has now been watched more than 360 million times on YouTube -- I was nonetheless blown away by the number of comments...
Logistics training a logical choice for job seekers
Anyone who's been through the holiday season knows that it can often be a logistical nightmare. But the season isn't just about finding a parking space at the shopping mall and preparing for your in-laws. It's also about retailers and...
No free soda, sauna or shuttle, but what perks are you missing?
So maybe you're sweating it out at a not-so-great-paying job, just trying to stay positive and make some solid career moves to take you ahead. But it seems like while you're counting pennies all you hear about from friends, or...
Negotiation nuances: talking money after the offer
In last week's post, I shared some recommendations on how job candidates should respond to salary questions during interviews. This week, I'll discuss some strategies to use when a viable job offer is on the table. First, a few disclaimers:...
A positive response to rejection can reap later rewards
Like the quest for true love, the course of a job search usually takes people down a series of dead ends and disappointments before a desired destination is found. According to career coach and author Orville Pierson, the average job...
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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