Today's guest post is written by Marie Buckner, who made a career change after working in accounting for 20 years. Here's her advice: Changing careers can seem daunting, but I have done it and found it less frustrating and scary than I thought. I was holding down a position at the time and did not let anyone know about my desired career change. Remember that saying "loose lips sink ships." I say that you never know if your private conversations will reach higher-ups in your firm, who may fire … [Read more...]
The Power of Paying Your Dues
During my baby shower yesterday (yep, I'm expecting baby number two in August), a good friend and I started talking about where we had previously lived several years ago. Together with three other friends, who were all either in college or barely trying to make ends meet in our newborn professions, we shared an old rowhouse near the iconic neighborhood of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. That's right about where the glamor associated with that house starts and stops. And you'll soon … [Read more...]
BlackEnterprise, Dell Launch Online Small Business ‘University’ (and it’s free!)
BLACK ENTERPRISE and Dell are launching the Black Enterprise Small Business University Powered by Dell, an eight-week, online video course offering expert advice to entrepreneurs looking to start and grow profitable small businesses. It's not too late to sign up! Small Business University registrants are eligible to win a grand prize package that includes $5,000 in cash, a $10,000 Dell Office Setup, a free one-on-one consultation with a small business development expert, a profile in … [Read more...]
How to Find the Perfect Professional Mentor
Today's Guest Post is courtesy of Melissa Crossman, a professional writer living in the Indianapolis area with her two dogs. She writes extensively about education and technology and blogs on behalf of American InterContinental University. The Importance of Finding a Mentor In a competitive job market, working with a mentor can mean the difference between struggling to get hired and moving swiftly through the ranks of a prestigious company. Mentors can prepare you for the … [Read more...]
The Benefits of Being Shy
I was quite shy as a little girl, and that certainly didn't change as I got older. I could easily spend hours upon hours in my room playing "pretend" in the company of my dolls and teddy bears. As an adult, I preferred a movie outing alone rather than dinner with friends. What did change as I matured was my ability to cope and socialize in small to large groups. But I always thought I was an odd ball because I wasn't as outgoing as other people appeared to be, and I struggled to talk about … [Read more...]
Break Through Barriers In Career, Business (And Everywhere Else in Your Life)
Happy New Year, friends! I hope this year is starting off well for you. It's certainly been an eventful transition for me. Like a lot of you, I've been examining my personal and professional life, trying to figure out how I can take things to another level in some areas of my life while maintaining other areas without driving myself into the ground. That said, one of the things that I'm resolved to commit to this year is Balance. Last year was a milestone year for me: I turned the big … [Read more...]
My Interview with the Progressive Women’s Business Network
I had the honor and privilege of being the first interviewee at the Progressive Women's Business Network, an online-based community that aims to foster networking opportunities and cultivate resources for ambitious women in business. I really enjoyed answering the questions for this interview; it gave me a chance to reflect on my early career years. I actually learned a few things about myself as I answered the questions. Namely, that I've come a long way in the years since attending and … [Read more...]
Don’t Be a Stranger — Like Me.
I know what you're thinking: Where have you been, Emily? Well that's why I'm writing you today. I owe you an apology. I haven't been as active on the blog as I'd like to be or as I have been in the past. And there's good reason for that. Excuse the melodrama -- I know -- but I really do feel I owe readers/subscribers an apology for my inconsistencies. What I'm about to share will make up for that, and hopefully this anticlimactic blog post will turn out to be worth your time. Check out … [Read more...]
Bruised and Gun-Shy: How to Heal After a Layoff
It's difficult enough to be issued the Pink Slip, but how you deal with the sudden unemployment in the weeks and months that follow is what matters most to your future success. You can either crawl into a hole and feel sorry for yourself. Or, you can pull yourself up by the bootstraps -- putting one foot in front of the other -- and start the next chapter of your career. In order to the do the latter, however, you may need to do some soul-searching first. Even though the circumstances … [Read more...]
How to Become a Freelance Writer Who Gets Paid
People often ask me how I got started as a writer, and how I found my work from home job. Thankfully, I currently write full-time for a trade publication, and I do get to work from my home office. But that hasn't always been the case. Most of the writers that I know -- in journalism, public relations and marketing, at least -- are still required to work in a traditional business setting, in an office. But with the power of high speed Internet connection in homes, and the fact that more … [Read more...]
The ‘Unbeatable Resume’ – How to REALLY Get Hired
Did you know that the average job opening receives more than 200 resumes each time it's posted on the Internet? Did you know that 60 percent of those resumes are never read by the person on the receiving end -- a hiring manager or recruiter? And did you know that MOST resumes are read in under 10 seconds? Well, honey, now you know! According to Tony Beshara, America's top recruiter and regular guest on the Dr. Phil Show, it's better to be aware of these statistics and make efforts to craft … [Read more...]
Leverage Your Power at Work. Here’s How.
This guest post is by Terry Bacon, a Scholar in Residence at the Korn/Ferry Institute. Need to up your professional voltage? Plug in to five major power sources. Power at work is like power in a battery—more voltage, more impact. Yet, today, almost one-half of working professionals say they are dissatisfied with their jobs, according to a recent survey by consulting firm Accenture. Only 30 percent, however, have any plans to switch employers. The rest, seven out of ten, say they want … [Read more...]
How to Deal With the Difficult People In Your Life
Do you recognize these people? The Know-It-Alls — They're arrogant and usually have an opinion on every issue. When they're wrong, they get defensive. The Passives — These people never offer ideas or let you know where they stand. The Dictators — They bully and intimidate. They're constantly demanding and brutally critical. The "Yes" People — They agree to any commitment, yet rarely deliver. You can't trust them to follow through. The "No" People … [Read more...]
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