[Secrets from the HR Underworld] The Job Title Scam

Do job titles matter?

And if so, what should you do to make sure you get the one that’s right for the role you’re seeking?

In an ideal world, a job title or “role” – words that are sometimes but not always synonymous – would connote scope of the person’s job and level of responsibility. Externally it give you  a sense of who you’re dealing/working with, and internally signals relative position and responsibility in an organizational hierarchy for those who put importance on those sorts of things things. … Read the rest

[Your Career] Hiring Time?

There is  seasonality –  cyclic variations based on the time of year or season – to any number of things. Just as it helps to know that back-to-school hits in July/August (so you avoid ending up with the dregs of what’s left for your kids), it advantages you to know the times of year when firms are hiring, and times when they’re likely not.… Read the rest

[Anatomy of Success] The Perfect Job (or Career) Hunt

The winners in this month’s women’s and men’s U.S. collegiate basketball “March Madness” tournaments will show us how to hit the sweet spot of three qualities that every job hunter or career considerer (try saying that word fast) should target as they think about their job hunt, or  career switch.

On the subject of careers, I’ll be one of three speakers on a panel this upcoming Thursday morning, March 25th in Oakland sponsored by the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of Financial Executives International.… Read the rest