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Conquering Rumors

My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Conquering Rumors.” In it, I provide advice on how to prepare when you hear rumors that a layoff may be coming at your job.

It seems that every week there’s another rumor. Some big corporation is going to lay off its employees. A company’s going to relocate to another city. A department is going to be restructured.

Whatever rumor you’re hearing, it can make you nervous. It can even keep you up at night. You may wonder how long it will take to find another job – or worse, if you’ll find one at all. What if you have to move? What if you can’t sell your house? Most of all, you may worry about how the situation could impact your family’s future.

If you find yourself in this boat, you’re not alone. Whether or not a layoff ever occurs, the thought can be daunting. The best thing you can do is be prepared. In fact, this even goes for when there are no rumors at all. It’s better to start early than late.

To read my entire article, and learn about how you can conquer layoff rumors, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.

 

Dressing for Career Success

My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Dressing for Career Success.” In it, I provide tips on what to wear to ‘knock ’em dead’ at your next interview.

You’ve been applying online for months, and finally something has clicked. You have an interview in a few days for the perfect job at the best company in town.

This scenario sounds great on the surface, but can often lead to stress and anxiety when job seekers prepare to suit up for their next interview. And it makes sense, because your outfit can impact your overall interview success.

A friend who lives on the more casual West Coast interviewed for a position in the more formal East Coast. Unaware of the difference, he wore jeans, surprised everyone with his casual attire and lost out on the job.

Fortunately, there are a few simple rules you can follow to help you prepare. Overall, you want to minimize distractions. A job interview is about your skills. It’s about what you bring to the table. Dressing in an inappropriate or flashy way will take the attention away from your talent.

To read my entire article, and learn about how you can dress for success, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.

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Scaling Your Career

My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Scaling Your Career.” In it, I encourage you to consider transition between different industries – and to learn about the differences that may hold you back during your search.

One of the most exciting career transitions job seekers make is changing industries. You may want to move from nonprofit to corporate or from a large organization to a small business. These moves expose you to a new workplace and can reenergize you if you’re feeling burnt out in your current environment.

However, the one issue many job seekers struggle to understand is scalability. Scalability is an understanding of how your old work environment translates into your new work environment.

For example, a friend was recently working as a manager at a major university. He had 75 employees, large-scale projects and an impressive budget. Interested to move to a corporate job, he was concerned about titles such as “manager” and “director” that appeared on job postings. In the university setting, these titles were reserved for a select few with expansive responsibilities.

To read my entire article, and learn about how you can learn more about how to scale your career, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.

 

Networking Over Coffee

My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Networking Over Coffee.” In it, I encourage you to expand your network and learn more about new industries.

Workers change jobs more frequently now than ever before. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employees only stay at a job for a little over four years on average.

In the past, people making quick transitions were sometimes looked at as flaky or unstable. Today, it’s common to assume those who transition more frequently are also more experienced. They’ve seen different environments, and have been forced to grow their skills.

If you’ve decided to become part of this growing trend, you may wonder where to start. You’ll need to decide if you want to keep the same type of job, or try something new, and whether or not to stay in the same industry. When changing careers, it’s often easiest to either keep the same job function in a new industry – or try a new job function in the same industry.

But first, you need to decide which job function, and which industry. This is a place where people often get stuck. They wonder how to gather enough information to make this decision.

To read my entire article, and learn about how you can learn more about different industries and jobs, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.

 

Transitioning Between Corporate and Nonprofit

My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Transitioning Between Corporate and Nonprofit.” In it, I give you tips on how to transition your career from corporate to non-profit or from non-profit to corporate.

Career transitions are all the rage these days. Whether it’s moving between jobs more frequently or updating your skill set midstream, change is happening. One trend growing in popularity is employees who are making a move between the nonprofit and corporate worlds.

Regardless of which side of the fence you’re on now, the grass often looks greener on the other side. And, the good news is, many employers are warming up to the idea to. Now the questions becomes, how do you make such a bold move?

To read my entire article, and learn about how to successfully transition your career, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.

Negotiation 101

My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Negotiation 101.” In it, I encourage you to begin to negotiate your job offers.

Negotiation is one of my favorite topics. You negotiate things every day – from which movie to watch to what to eat for dinner. At work, your ability to negotiate can hit close to your wallet.

I learned the importance of negotiation at 19. I was given the opportunity to spend the summer working as an engineer for General Motors in an automotive assembly plant. It required me to relocate over 1,500 miles, so I hoped the company would pay to move me cross country.

Unfortunately, they didn’t – because I didn’t negotiate.

To read my entire article, and learn about how you can avoid the misstep I made at my first job, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.