I have a confession to make: I am the worst when it comes to managing time. That's right. The truth is, I put on a good game face. I look the part. As a result, folks around me think I've got it all together. There's some true to that. But there's a side of me that many people don't know. Come to my house, and open the doors to the secretary desk from which I write and work daily, and you'll find evidence of my lack of time management. Books that I'm currently reading (Nobodies to … [Read more...]
Social Media to the Rescue: I Used Linked In to Land a New Gig
By Kristus Ratliff , event and conference manager & blogger at "Hotel Food Chatterbox" Nearly a month ago, someone saw my LinkedIn page and contacted me to request a phone interview for the Operations Manager position at his company. I agreed to the phone interview and two weeks later, accepted the position. The job and company were everything I’d been dreaming of: more responsibility, a promotion, and working in the private industry. However, the job opening was never posted online, … [Read more...]
From Temp to Permanent: How to Turn Your Temp Job Into a Full-time Gig
by Wendy N. Powell, author of Management Experience Acquired So you got the temp job and you are hopeful that you will be hired as a permanent employee. How do you make yourself so valuable they can’t refuse to hire you? 1. Research the company very well. Since you are now a relative insider, use your temp gig as an opportunity to learn about what makes the company tick. Study the information on the internet or intranet and review the mission statement and current goals to make sure you … [Read more...]
How to protect your personal brand
The most recent edition of TIME Magazine arrived in the mail the other day. On the cover: A collage of tiny square boxes. In each of them sits an image of a person's face, or that of several people. Then, embossed over those hundreds of images is the name of a revolutionary social networking site called (you guessed it) Facebook. With nearly 500 million users, the magazine says, Facebook is "connecting us in new (and scary) ways." Indeed, sites like Facebook, Myspace and Linked In have … [Read more...]
When Competition Is Fierce, Self-Promotion Reigns
I never considered myself much of a competitive person. As a matter of fact, I tend to be the one who allows others to shine while I work feverishly in the foreground. In addition, I don't often toot my own horn, as some say. I guess it's part of my upbringing or the culture in which I was raised. It could simply be due to insecurity -- questioning whether my efforts are worth public mention. Some may even label it as humility. Perhaps, it's been a combination of several things that have held … [Read more...]
Trends: 21st Century-Syle Job Search
Get creative with social networking to land your dream job -- or at least a gig that pays the bills. Social networking sites and new digital tools are making it easier and easier for the average person to get noticed in such a crowded job market. Read on to learn more . . . Sites such as Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, along with a relatively new site called SlideShare, are making waves and folks are creatively using such resources to expand their networks, open new doors of opportunity and … [Read more...]
Guest Blogger: Tips for Science and Engineering Careers
Tips for succeeding in science and engineering industries By: Laura Sanchez For many of us our career is the most important thing in our life. But at the beginning of our life, we don't know which path to choose. First, because we are not sure about our skills. And secondly, because we don't know about the real world just yet. This article gives some pointers on how to have a successful career when you're just starting out. First of all you have to assess your abilities because you need to … [Read more...]
From College to Career: How did I get here?
Recently, I came across the video below, which features a commencement speech delivered by Apple Founder Steve Jobs to a graduating class at Stanford University in 2005. The theme of his speech, "Stay hungry, stay foolish," was especially intriguing and I certainly wanted to find out more. So as I watched, I also jotted down a few notes. I'm kind-of a sucker for really good commencement speeches. Truth be told, I can hardly remember what remarks Smokey Robinson gave when he stood before my … [Read more...]
Life’s a Blizzard
In the Northeast corridor of the U.S., we've been battling major weather conditions. In the Washington, DC metro area alone, we've seen as much as four feet of snow and thousands of people are currently without power. Meanwhile, wind gusts are reaching speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, sweeping blankets of snow everywhere. As I sat inside my home, all warm and cozy, I couldn't help but compare how life is much like this blizzard. Such as life, weather conditions can suddenly take a turn … [Read more...]
Are you prepared for opportunity?
A lot of people wonder why opportunities don't come knocking at their door. They feel as if they've been dealt an unlucky set of cards or that life's just unfair. Some believe that outsiders simply fail to see their worth or talent, and therefore are bypassed opportunities. While those scenarios could certainly be the case. More often than not we -- ourselves -- are the reason why chances at success fall short of landing in our path. If you've ever wondered why it seems you never get a … [Read more...]
Are You Getting in the Way of Your Success?
Several years ago, I moved from my small hometown in Georgia where I grew up to Los Angeles after high school graduation with the hopes of pursuing an acting career. But after attending acting classes for one academic year, I decided to try college once again and then enrolled into a two-year institution in Culver City, Calif. It was a tough road. I was completely on my own, without the financial help of my parents, making ends meet by working at a popular L.A. shopping mall. Despite that, … [Read more...]
Guest Blogger: Becoming Carrie Bradshaw
When Carrie said, "I'm looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love," on Sex and the City, she could have been talking about her career. Frankly, I already have career-love. I'm a consumer affairs mediator. My job combines shopping, helping people and the occasional entertaining crazy. Bliss. And yet. It's not my dream. Or it's only part of it. My childhood hobbies included reading fashion magazines and creating puzzle, mystery and … [Read more...]
New Year. New You?
Over the holidays, I had a chance to read the book The Noticer, by New York Times Bestselling Author Andy Andrews. It truly is a moving story. The book is centered on the life of an old drifter named Jones, along with his mysterious encounters and impromptu counseling sessions with a number of residents living in a small Southern beach town. Jones possesses an uncanny -- some might say spooky -- way of looking into the lives of those around him to reveal their weakest link. Some how, some … [Read more...]
