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A client recently shared an email he had received from a “competitor” in his industry. The author of the email was attempting to position himself as an expert in their trade and belittle my client for his unique style of doing business. The email carried a negative tone and read as a stream of consciousness...

Interviews are performances, and performances must be practiced. You must be prepared to answer tough interview questions. Have you prepped properly? What is your opening branding statement? What questions have you anticipated, and how are you prepared to answer them? Have your top TSNs (Three Sentence Narratives) primed and ready. It is always best to...

Studies have shown that losing a job is one of life’s most emotional events. It ranks slightly behind losing a love one, divorce, serious illness, extraordinary debt and homelessness. When losing a job, a small percentage of individuals experience anxiety levels considered to be medically dangerous. A majority experience an emotional roller coaster bouncing back...

When I was working for a Not-for-Profit organization, we were allocated $25.00 each for professional development! As part of our annual review, we were challenged to identify something we wanted to learn that would benefit our role, and stay within budget. Being a researcher and lifelong learner at heart, I scoured the internet to see...

All employers want to make good hiring decisions, and you want them to select you!  Make it easier for prospective employers to realize the great value that you can bring to their organization (and thus how good you can make them look too!) by maximizing the value of ‘Social Proof’ on your LinkedIn profile.  Doing...

When someone signs up for a new account, LinkedIn automatically assigns an address that typically looks like this:  linkedin.com/pub/firstnamelastname/8/9b5/7a – rather messy. Taking charge of your LinkedIn address by customizing it to your own name will:  Allow you to add your LinkedIn address to your resume which will alert prospective employers to know you are positioned there,...

Years ago, just as I was about to begin a presentation to a group of job seekers, I realized I needed something from my office nearby in order to begin.  I rushed back, searching quickly to grab what was needed.  A colleague sensed my high level of distraction and hurry, and told me to ‘Stop...

The Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com) article, ‘Assistance for Laid-off Workers Gets Downsized’, posted Feb. 17, 2014 brings to light the financial pressures large Outplacement firms have succumbed to in order to cut operating costs. While doing so, they have been touting the benefits of technology and streamlining (read ‘impersonalizing’) services by relying on group enrollment...

We have all heard this as the “icebreaker” question in job interviews or networking opportunities to begin the exchange of information. While the TMAY question sounds innocent and is an easy way to start the conversation rolling, the quality of your answer directly determines the interviewer’s level of interest in further considering you for opportunities...