I am thankful for the invitation from Career Press to review Peter J. Boni’s new book All Hands On Deck All Hands On Deck is a must read for all those who have an interest in management, and especially those aspiring to become a CEO. Peter J. Boni reveals his strategy to find opportunity in […]

What career should you choose? The reality is that there is more to any job than just the part you may like. How do you balance everything to choose a career you will like, make a good salary, and stay employed? There is a lot written about pursuing your passion in the job market. Like […]

How effective are your communication skills? Most of are socially adequate when it comes to conversation and daily interactions, like talking with friends and ordering at the coffee shop. When it comes more important communications we often find ourselves misunderstood. Even when there was an acknowledged agreement we find things don’t always work out the […]

The other day a friend sent me a Chinese parable that I think is worth sharing. It illustrates several concepts we experience in our thinking and careers. When you read my paraphrased short version of the parable think of situations, which you faced that parallel the parable. In addition, there are three people involved in […]

Graduation is almost here. If you are graduating from high school there are several decisions facing you. Do you plan to go to college? Get a job? Stay at home? Move out on your own? If you are graduating from college are you going to go on to grad school? Get a job? Move back […]

I used to believe there were magic interview words and phases like Ali Baba used to open the magical cave and gain access to the treasure it protected. I read a lot of books and articles on successful interviewing techniques, and never found any real magic words. In my senior year in college there were […]

This week there were several questions on Yahoo Answers related to working under adverse conditions. There were several categories, bad boss, nasty co-workers, critical adversaries, and the list goes on. Although the scenarios differ the common thread is a toxic situation with no apparent remedy. The most common answer posted in response to these questions […]

This week my heat pump broke.  There is a light that indicates the probable cause of the malfunction. After some searching I found the flashing code on the thermostat pointed to a circuit board in the outside unit.  When I took a look, the board in question appeared easy enough to change. A few plugs […]

For the past nine days I was on New England cruise to view the fall foliage and tour several ports of call. During the voyage, by chance, I met a semi-retired physiologist who specialized in helping patients who were having difficulties facing challenges. The bottom line to his clinical observations is many people in challenging […]

One of the greatest clichés is that there are no mistakes or failures only learning opportunities.  While I do believe we learn from our mistakes, I am not sure that we always learn the most beneficial lessons.  More often the lesson we take away is DON’T TRY THAT AGAIN!, instead of learning how to succeed […]

All of the career guidance literature I have seen over my years study says we all have a special talent, and if we develop that talent, work will seem like play and we will magically excel in the workplace. Sounds great! Problem is after 50 years in the workplace, I haven’t found my special talent. […]

Forging alliances at work may be the most beneficial strategic career move a person can make.  Alliances are more than casual friendships, and are formed to advance common goals or interests.  These bonds of common purpose can provide a shield against adversity, and a conduit for opportunity.  Making and keeping alliances can improve and maintain […]

Confidence is a necessary skill that is often neglected in the development of a career strategy. There are different kinds and degrees of confidence, and finding the balance that best suits your personality and goals is often difficult. As many people suffer from over confidence as lack of confidence not only in themselves, but also […]

Most of us spend more time working than at any other activity, but we manage our working relationships less than in any other situation.  In our personal relationships we usually seek and obtain a level of interaction that permits us to enjoy ourselves and grow our skills.  Even in our casual relationships, like recreational activities […]

I am not sure exactly what causes it, but every year at the end of August or the beginning of September, I get the urge to go back to school.  Perhaps it is the realization that summer is drawing to a close as the days get noticeably shorter and there are hints of autumn appearing […]

I re-learned a lesson the hard way this week.  This summer I took a temporary job. When I was hired I was told the job had a definite term, and there would be no more work after the term was over. I accepted the job.  There were several people who were hired to accomplish the […]

This week there was a lot buzz about Psychometrics and other job screening techniques.  questionsIt is probably a sign of the times, as employers are flooded with applications for all available jobs.  The idea of psychometric testing and correlating traits with aptitude and performance is becoming main stream.  So how do you prepare for psychometric […]

This week there was a lot more bad news for the economic recovery. Although some companies reported huge profits, the overall conclusion is the U.S. economy is sputtering, and there could be even more lay offs. For those of us already unemployed the hopes of finding work seems to be fading even more, and those […]

Perhaps the best definition of closing a deal is when a commitment is made.  The classic business definition is when money changes hands, but in our careers and life in general we make a lot of deals that do not involve money.  Deals are a social concept where one side gives some thing in exchange […]

This week there seemed to be a lot of questions regarding resumes, applications and CVs.  What was unusual this week is most of the questions were about getting caught in a lie.  The biggest culprit was grades.  Some added a few points to their grade point average. Others just flat out copied the scores from […]