Bruised and Gun-Shy: How to Heal After a Layoff

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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...]

10 Common Job Interview Blunders

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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...]

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

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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)

Bestpublicist

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...]

Manage Your Career Path With These Personal Branding Tips


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Personal branding is for anyone who wants to achieve certain goals in life and in career. Do you want to stand out from the crowd? Advance your career and in your industry? Harness your inner passion and core values to get ahead and stand for something? Gain the respect of those around you? If you answered 'yes' to any one of those questions, then the personal branding process is for you. While there are varying descriptions and definitions for what personal branding is, I personally … [Read more...]

11 Smart Career Tips for 2011

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By Kathyrn Ullrich Andy Warhol said, “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art.” As a passionate executive recruiter, I couldn’t agree more, particularly when it comes to professionals being good in managing their careers. Here, for the New Year, are 11 career tips for 2011: 1.  Look out for #1. Take responsibility for your own career development. Many large organizations have scaled back on training and development—a common outcome of the economic downturn—and small … [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...]

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...]

Guest Blogger: Becoming Carrie Bradshaw

Sex and the City's 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...]

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...]

Listen to Your Inner Voice

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Has there ever been a time in your life when you pushed through to accomplish a goal, but it seemed you were getting no where fast? Perhaps during that time, you had a number of people around you who, in their attempts to offer sound advice, only threatened to thwart your agenda. You knew you could do it, but the well-meaning voices surrounding you seemed to stifle and inhibit your gut intuition. In the end, you stopped pursuing your dream, and resorted to that little, "safe" place in your … [Read more...]

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

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I love songs that encourages a state of mind that supersedes life's circumstances and challenges. It's amazing how music can alter a mood, lift spirits, and dramatically change one's outlook on careers and life. I had a conversation with a friend yesterday. I asked her whether she liked her job, in which she quickly replied: "I'm just happy I have a job!" She went on to explain how she used to complain and grumble due to her work conditions or overall dissatisfaction with her role, but in … [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...]