Thoughts on people, teams, organizations, communities, effectiveness and success
There are a number of ways to say goodbye to a job – some helpful and effective, some not-so-great.
Here’s a goodbye email that I received this week (names and contact info fictitious) sent blind copy from their work email account:
“I’m leaving Salesforce.com. Please use “george.richards@gmail.com.
My cell phone number will remain the same: 1-650-299-4242.
George”
What works about this blast email?… Read the rest
We – you and me – sometimes draw a hard line in the sand.
Most of them, like what waves at the beach do to sandcastles, end up being washed away.
It’s a smarter practice to draw a soft line with a qualifiers – words like “unlikely,” “maybe,” and “probably” unless you’re willing to go to the mat for something.… Read the rest
It’s great to have choices but what if it’s a quandary?
One job offer is a role that fits you to a “T” with a boss with an awful reputation, the other is a poor-fit job with a well-regarded terrific boss.
While some thrill to have any job offer, figuring out which of these to take can be tough.
The right role fits you like a glove; it’s got stretch when you need it, and plays to your strengths, not your liabilities.… Read the rest
Dear Back West:
“What if you interviewed for multiple jobs, accepted one and 3 weeks later got a second offer for a bigger company with more $.
You told your new boss–he did not offer more money and I did not ask (hinted)–but asked about longer term.
The boss was a bit stoic only repeating his intentions when hired. I really like the job I am at, the other is more $ and work from home, but feel compelled to stay. … Read the rest
The prospective client I met yesterday had a great set of skills, and an accomplished career.
The problem? Their type of job – and many of the ones like it – were going away as the industry contracted.
If you hang your hat on your job title, there’s not much left to hold on to when that type of job goes away, either due to technological change (think data entry specialists) or an industry consolidates and you’re trying to move to another sector where your skills are transferable..… Read the rest
Is there a perfect first “real” job?
Probably not. But there are some real stinkers to avoid if you have the choice.
And I’m not talking about summer jobs, volunteer work, and or that paid – or unpaid internship – that might be out there. All of them, IMHO, are important.
But for serious importance it’s hard to match that first fulltime real job.… Read the rest