It can be hard to stay positive in today’s tough job environment, but it’s critical. Becoming cynical or depressed will work against you, in part because most interviewers, no matter how much you fake it, will pick up on your real feelings. Actively manage your emotions so that you are truly happy, focused, and energetic:
Career Strategies
Is Success Due to Hard Work and Determination — Or Is There a Lot of Luck Involved?
In a commencement address he gave at his alma mater on Sunday, author Michael Lewis — best known for the nonfiction classics Moneyball and Liar’s Poker – told the assembled graduates something that many of them most likely …
Find a Mentor Who Scares You
Every newbie professional wants a caring and supportive mentor who will usher him into his next role. But when you’re a rookie it’s a good time to take risks. Better to face criticism now so that you avoid it later on when the stakes are higher. Go out and find the most qualified and talented mentor, coach, or manager you can, and …
Find Career Opportunities by Asking Questions
Asking the right questions is the key to finding innovative solutions to any problem, even finding a job. Instead of asking “What job can I find today?” what if you asked, “What kind of job can I create today?” The slight twist of one word might hold the key to more helpful answers. Take a few minutes a day to write down nothing but …
Summer Jobs Market Bounces Back — But Most Teens Won’t Work Anyway
Hey teenagers, your chances of landing a summer job appear to have vastly improved. A new report shows that the number of teenagers hired in May 2012 was more than double the figure from May 2011, indicating that the jobs market …
The Skills Gap Myth: Why Companies Can’t Find Good People
Last week’s disappointing unemployment report has refocused attention on the question of why, despite modest signs of economic recovery in recent months, American companies aren’t hiring.
Make Office Politics Work for You
You may try to avoid it, but the reality is that office politics is how power is managed in many organizations. Here are three ways you can navigate the system, even if you object to it:
Insult to Injury: Rise in People with Student Loan Debt—and No College Degree
It’s bad enough to graduate from college with a mountain of student loans in a world where the prospects of landing a good job are terrible. But at least grads have something that should help their careers in the short- and …
Find Your Willpower
Mustering willpower is a struggle for almost everyone — and it’s getting harder. Today, more distractions make it difficult to focus on your goals. To keep yourself on track, try the following:
How to Make Recruiters Work for You
A call from a recruiter is more likely to be for their gain than yours. Still, that call could be the springboard for your next jump up the career ladder.
Hire for Passion, Not Just Talent
People are more creative when they feel passionate about their work. Whether they are driven by interest, enjoyment, satisfaction, or a sense of personal challenge, they are more likely to take risks, look for multiple solutions to a problem, and seek out the best one rather than the easiest. These are the people you want on your team. …
Buffett’s New Message: Damn the Deal, Keep Work and Life in Balance
It must be great to be Warren Buffett, and not just for the money and influence. Recent court testimony in the insider-trading trial of former Goldman Sachs director Rajat K. Gupta elicited this gem: while negotiating a $5 billion investment in Goldman at the height of the financial crisis—an investment that would shore up the bank’s …
