This week I responded to a question posted on answer.yahoo.com. The question read; “My new boss has told me and my other 2 colleagues that she is going to change our job titles as its not working for the private hospital we work in. Our titles are Team Leaders and she wants to change it […]

I recently received a request for advice on selecting a postgraduate course of study.  My colleague, who I met though Yahoo.answers.com, has an under graduate degree in accounting and, is currently employed by a small accounting firm.  Recently he enrolled in PGDIBO (Post graduate diploma in International Business Operation) at IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open […]

In an attempt to keep a finger on the pulse of the workplace and honing my skill as a  mentor, I participate in yahoo answers Yahoo Answers as the PracticaL Mentor. Perhaps  it is the season for graduation, but there are a lot of people asking how to choose a career  or advice of choosing […]

It is the time of year when Colleges and Universities are in the midst of graduating the new crop of job seekers with degrees in almost every conceivable major. Unfortunately most are joining the ranks of the unemployed with the added disadvantage of no work experience. Work experience sometimes appears as insurmountable obstacle or catch […]

The time, energy and expense of getting to and from work appears to be assets down a rabbit hole.  Although some try to put a positive spin on it, very few workers like their commute.   As commuting time and expenses increase the more it impacts our quality of life.  Is there anything we can do […]

Good job with great benefits, nice place by the ocean, active social life with lots of friends, what more could you want?  Isn’t it everyone’s dream to be financially secure, live in a nice house, and have lots friends? The term “golden handcuffs” is often used to describe a state where apparent benefits hold us […]

There are a lot of articles floating on the web questioning the value of a college degree.   Several try to answer the question of the value of your degree based on earning power versus cost.  The rational is that as the cost of attending college rises, the financial burden may negate the benefits of a […]

Are you a good negotiator?  Most of us have been negotiating since we were toddlers making deals with our parents to get what we want.  Our negotiating skills continue develop with our interactions with others, and our confidence grows the more we successfully obtain our objectives.  However, how do we do against a skilled negotiator?  […]

For the past couple of weeks I have been advising a young person who moved to a new area and was looking for a new job.  She had an impressive resume and is very good at preparing and presenting herself at interviews.  Although we did discuss some ways to phrase touchy interview questions, such as […]

Opportunity often appears at the worst times and in the strangest places.  Sometimes they are disguised and hard to recognize.  For example, one day I got on the elevator at work to go down from the seventh floor for lunch.  The car was empty and I thought I might have a chance for a non-stop […]

Most of us talk a good game of wanting to climb the corporate ladder and assume leadership roles.  We discuss education, skill sets, and career strategies to achieve our goals.  For most of us our strategies never seem to achieve our objectives.  In many cases we choose too narrow of a career path to follow.  […]

Every office could use an office cowboy (See the video on the welcome page) to take care of the office loudmouth. I am not sure why, but no matter the make up of the group someone always emerges to fill the role of the office loudmouth.  Perhaps it is an unwritten law of human nature […]

We often think we have very little power in challenging situations, but perhaps a change of perspective could improve our position. There is a joke making the rounds on the Internet about girls at a private school putting on lipstick after they got to school and testing it on the girl’s restroom mirror leaving scores […]

Last week’s post “Difficult Boss” discussed the importance of getting along with the boss.  Many of us fail to consider that managers also answer to bosses.  There is often a misconception that management is a club where once you are a member everything becomes easy.  Managers get paid more for doing less.  All a manager […]

The yearly review process has been with us for a long time, and will likely stay until the end of time.  To say the least it is an imperfect process where management and employees meet to discuss the previous years performance, and in most cases determine next year’s pay or this year’s bonus.  There are […]

Hello, I don’t see a place where I can ask generic questions so I am commenting on your latest post. It’s Q1 meaning yearly reviews are around the corner. Any tips for preparation and what percentage raise/cost of living should I strive for? I understand the economy last year resulted in NO raises. What do […]

Professional image is how we are perceived in the workplace.  Most jobs require interaction with customers, management, and coworkers. Every interaction leaves an impression, and collectively these impressions make up our professional image.  A good professional image is important in advancing your career.  There are several strategies in developing a professional image.  In most cases […]

The goal of the PracticaL Mentor is to provide advice and a forum on career issues and challenges.  Often when a workplace issue arises, there is no place to turn for sound advice.  The PracticaL Mentor is an open forum to gather information and ideas that may be helpful in developing a successful action plan.  […]

PracticaL Mentor provides insight on workplace issues, challenges and problems.  Many sites on the web promise to reveal the secret of success, abundance and happiness in our daily lives with little or no effort. Others give simple formulas to achieve goals and climb the career ladder.  All of these sites may have merit, but in my experience […]

The goal of the PracticaL Mentor is to provide career advice and strategies to help survive and advance on the job. By addressing workplace issues and challenges the PracticaL Mentor will supply a forum to share ideas and experiences on issues and challenges that occur in the workplace.  Some may sound trivial, but even a small problem at work […]