Tag: careers

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[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

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Your Career: The Too-Brief Goodbye

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

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Job Hunting? Avoid that Job Title (Unless It’s a Really Good One)

The prospective client I met yesterday had a great set of skills, and an accomplished career.

CEO

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

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Career Smarts: How Do You Know When Your Run is Done?

There are jobs that last a lifetime, and jobs that are over before they really start. In between is the job that has a predictable arc with a start and a finish; you just need to know when it’s time to move on.

And in the C suite, where fortunes might be made, and juggling competing egos and agendas can be a full day’s work all in itself, the risks and rewards of figuring this timing stuff out is even greater.… Read the rest

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What’s Your Handle?

People pursuing career transition or simply a new job search need crisp, succinct ways of communicating what they’re looking for, and the skills, experiences and background that serve as their foundation.

I call it a “handle.” Something that gives somebody something to grab on to, or something that gives some stickiness – think of two sides of velcro sticking together.… Read the rest

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The Job Market: Quickening Thaw or Just a Hot Flash?

Image by bgottsab via Flickr

The job market – something I survey as unconsciously as most people breath air as part of my work  –  seems to be telling us something this first week of the Gregorian new year.

But what it is?

For a large part of the US population the Great Recession is like a parallel universe; heard about, but not part of anyone’s day-to-day existence.… Read the rest