Career | The Career Pioneer | Motivation to help you change careers or start a business you'll love

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.

2 Comments

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

Leave a Comment

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

5 Comments

Image: luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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

Leave a Comment

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.

Leave a Comment

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

Leave a Comment

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 — They … [Read more...]

10 Tips to Get Noticed In a Tight Job Market

2 Comments

I just recently spoke to a group of graduating high school seniors on the topic of social media -- the power and pitfalls that lie within. Laying the foundation for your career can never start too early (or too late, for that matter.) What you do now, will most certainly impact what happens later in your life. Appropriately, I got an email the other day with tips for college graduates from job expert Janice Bryant Howroyd. And although they are intended for college kids, I'm sure anyone -- … [Read more...]

10 Common Job Interview Blunders

Leave a Comment

Did you know that five out of six Americans will be looking for a new job position this year? That's according to a recent survey conducted by job-placement firm Manpower. If you're planning to look for a new gig, then you might want to pay attention to some advice Executive Search Consultant Kathryn Ullrich has offered to TheCareerPioneer.com readers.   Ullrich is the author of Getting to the Top: Strategies for Career Success (Silicon Valley Press, 2010), and also serves as associate … [Read more...]

If You Could Do Anything

Leave a Comment

I grew up in rural Southwest Georgia, on a small hog and chicken farm no-less, where I had plenty of time to think about what impact I wanted to have on the world and in my community. When you're young, you tend to dream big. There's no holds barred on what you can do, think or dream up when you haven't yet tasted the Real World and all its cynicism about life and work. As for me, I dreamt a lot. Early on, for example, I had my heart set on becoming a pediatrician.   During a vacation … [Read more...]

Are You Addicted to Your 9-to-5 Job?

Leave a Comment

Listen to podcast Several years ago, Kristin Cardinale, PhD, was working in a demanding job and on the brink of burn-out when her company announced, on the day she was leaving for her honeymoon, that it would be undergoing a reorganization. Unsettled and frustrated by the announcement, Cardinale said what happened in that moment was life-changing. "I decided for myself that it was no longer a match," she said in a recent interview. Corporate organizations are "just a big political … [Read more...]

Be Your Own Best Publicist (With Audio)

2 Comments

Seasoned public relations pros Jessica Kleiman and Meryl Weinsaft Cooper break down the nuts and bolts of PR and how you can use them in your everyday work and business life to successfully promote yourself in their newly-released book Be Your Own Best Publicist In one of the toughest job markets in more than 20 years, applying the art of self-promotion is more vital than ever, they say. Their goal, they say, is to show anyone looking to land a new job, attract freelance … [Read more...]

8 Secrets to Achieving Overnight Success

Leave a Comment

Now that I've gotten your attention with that scintillating headline, please allow me to burst your bubble. The first secret is that becoming an overnight success will require years of hard work, perhaps slugging away in the wee hours of the night while your spouse and kids are sound asleep. That's right: success is not what it's made out to be in the blockbuster movies. The next superstar singer is no longer discovered while riding public transportation. Becoming an Internet sensation is … [Read more...]