What’s Holding You Back?

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For the past two years, I've been providing free content on the topics of career management, personal branding, personal marketing and various motivational tips on jobs and starting a business. It's certainly been very rewarding to serve you in this way, and I've gotten a lot of great feedback over the years. However, in an effort to provide the best advice that's useful to you moving forward, I need to hear directly from you. What's holding you back from achieving your career dreams? The … [Read more...]

Bigger Cities Not Always Better For Hiring in 2011, Data Shows

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Mid-size Cities May Be Hotter For Jobs than Larger Cities Especially for Tech, Sales and Engineering Irvine, CA (January 4, 2011) CareerBliss, the leading online career community helping people find joy and success at every step in their careers, announces new data revealing the Top Hiring Cities and Jobs for 2011. The information is based on analysis from 2010 which evaluates what cities had the highest number of open job listings per metro area. Based on the information, … [Read more...]

What to Do When Job Searching Takes Longer Than Expected

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Even the most talented, educated and experienced job seekers have a difficult time finding a job in today’s economy. Most people hope the transition between jobs or finding a job after college graduation lasts only a few weeks, the reality is that many job seekers spend months, or even a year, trying to secure work. This delay can wreak havoc on a job seeker’s confidence, motivation and sense of pride—all of which are characteristics that need to stay in tact in order to build … [Read more...]

Unemployed? Don’t Be Afraid to Talk About It

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I've never been fired or laid off from a job (thankfully), but I certainly know a few people who have. And in this tough economy, I'm sure you do as well -- if not yourself. While I can't personally relate, I can certainly empathize with the uncomfortable feeling of trying to explain your current job situation when there is none. Thankfully, one author offers tips on how to overcome that uneasiness. When faced with a sudden job loss, many people are "so overcome with shame and … [Read more...]

Trends: 21st Century-Syle Job Search

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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...]

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...]

Rejuvenate Your Job Search

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New Year's Resolutions For Job Seekers I'm not generally someone who believes strongly in creating New Year's Resolutions. They're mostly rooted in lofty thinking and, for much of the population, are very rarely based on definitive plans.  I do recommend, however, using the start of a new year as an opportunity to explore your accomplishments from the previous one, and consider what your life could look like in the days ahead. In lieu of the new year, (and for those die-hard resolutions … [Read more...]

Seven Steps to Kick Job Dissatisfaction

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Let’s face it. Even with the unemployment rate jumping above a whopping 10 percent, as reported today, job dissatisfaction is still running rampant and folks are looking for a way out of their existing 9-to-5s. If unhappiness and disgruntlement are getting the best of you. I’ll offer some tips and probing questions that will hopefully help you assess where your allegiance really lies, and that will hopefully help you see your current gig and the future a little more positively. But first … [Read more...]

Get What You Can, While You Can!

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Yesterday, I attended the funeral of Ms. Amanda Lloyd -- my husband's grandmother. As funerals would go, it began and ended with a mostly somber and reflective undertone. Even though she reached 90 years of age, and had suffered from several medical issues in most recent years, it was still difficult to see her be laid to rest and to say "farewell," particularly among immediate family members. We had to travel about three hours to attend the funeral. As the day ended, my husband and I, along … [Read more...]

Your Dream Career Awaits, Start Here

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A few months ago (literally) I sat on my couch pouting about how I wanted to more aggressively pursue my writing dreams and gain greater traction in the publishing world. But then I realized (with the help of some trusted friends, and lots of trust and prayer) that if I fail to take a step of faith and actually put myself out there to claim my destiny, then how in the world was I ever going to accomplish my life-long goals? After mustering some courage, I got rid of the self-doubt and … [Read more...]

When Negative Voices Crowd Out the Positive 


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I had a great conversation with a friend last weekend. We talked about some of our latest business ventures, and she shared with me how some of the people who she thought would be supportive, were in fact, the complete opposite. Usually, when starting something new --whether it’s a new job, business venture, or new career track altogether -- you’ll likely find that the people closest to you, particularly best friends and family members, are generally in your corner, rooting you along the way, … [Read more...]

Got a Job? Give a Job. Four simple things you can do today to help the unemployed.


These days, especially in times of economic downturn and as available jobs dry out, it seems that everybody’s only looking out for themselves. But what if we all took personal responsibility for our fellow jobless professional and saw to it that they had ample opportunities ahead? It might be absurd to think that you (yes, you!) could actually award another human being a job or career. After all, you’re not the founder of your own company, or the CEO of another business; and you don’t even … [Read more...]

Going Green’s the Going Thing in Jobs


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Everyone's talking about being eco-friendly -- from what you wear to what you put in your body. But increasingly, more people are having serious discussions on what the job market has in store for workers and businesses that implement environmentally conscious design, policy, and/or technology to boost conservation and sustainability. This evening I attended an informational session focused on the topic: “What is a Green Job?” led by Reclamation Energy, a Washington, DC-based organization … [Read more...]