[Managing Your Career] Mitt Romney Fires Big Bird

Optics – whatever they might be – count. A lot.

Just ask Big Bird.

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney announced that he’d stop funding PBS – effectively sacking Big Bird and the Sesame Street crew that generations of kids and their parents have grown to love – as one of the first steps to lower the multi-trillion Federal debt. It was a rare misstep in a sterling first debate performance against President Obama in Denver.… Read the rest

Sending Out an SOS: How to Ask for Job Search Help

Getting off the dime and asking for help in a job search is often the hardest thing that people encounter.

It doesn’t have to be.

Here’s how:

  1. Be clear about what’s going on. If it’s better spoken, make a call and talk directly. It’s almost always best to make a call and talk directly with close contacts and colleagues before casting a wider net via a broadcast note. 
Read the rest

When Do You Recommend with Reservations?

Chick-fil-A

The email from the prospective applicant family asked my thoughts regarding my son’s grade school.

It could have just as easily been about a place to work or somebody referencing an employee.

It brought to mind a simple question.

When do you shift from “highly recommend” to a more nuanced “recommend with reservations?

Just as the most qualified candidate may not be the best candidate for a job (“He had lots of great skills and experiences.Read the rest