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

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

The 3R’s of How-to-Job-Network: Small Town, Big City

Garnerin releases the balloon and descends wit...
Image via Wikipedia

Research supports that networking is the best way for most (people like you, as Richard Nelson Bolles of What Color is Your Parachute fame and I would suggest) to find your next job.  It’s estimated that 80% of job openings are unlisted, which means that most jobs will be filled through networking, not tossing a resume into a company’s applicant tracking system or even having coffee with your favorite executive recruiter.… Read the rest

[New Rules] Why Your Next Job is (Also) a Temporary Job

It might be nice if you found a job that lasted you for the rest of your life. It’s unlikely to happen –

even if you’re in a profession like a teacher of doctor – and even less likely for anyone who holds what we think of as a “regular” job.

The reality, as career guru Richard Nelson Bolles has said, “is that every job has turned into a temp job — whether people are conscious of that or not.Read the rest

[New Rules] 5 Landmines to Sidestep When Changing Jobs

Changing jobs in today’s economy is tough enough without adding complexity. But something as seemingly straight forward and simple as moving from one organization to another for a job change can get sketchy if you manage to make some highly avoidable mistakes.

Here’s my take on five things – some may be more traps than landmines  –  you can, and should avoid when changing jobs:

Moving from the frying pan to the proverbial fire : In my experience people are either moving to something (e.g.Read the rest