Blog
Debra Wheatman, President of Careers Done Write, provides expert insight to the job search process that puts your career in gear with tips for interviewing, networking, job search strategies and how to create a winning resume and cover letter.
How to Resign with Dignity, Grace, and Professionalism
Most of my advice to job seekers centers on the broad topic of searching for and securing a new role. But just as it is important to approach your job search with professionalism, it is also critical that you resign from your current role in a dignified and diplomatic manner. You may not think resigning needs a strategy behind it, but it most assuredly does. Considering that your resignation will impact your brand, you want to think carefully and act mindfully when resigning….
My Husband Cheated on Me, and I Posted about It on LinkedIn
Scroll through LinkedIn, and you will find a mix of rampant virtue signaling, cringeworthy titles, and stories that are more appropriate for Facebook. Your feed is probably rife with motivational nonsense, corporate shilling, and abject narcissism disguised as positivity and healthy self-celebration. Or, it’s a forum for “humblebragging,” with people being “honored” or being nominated for some unknown award, receiving a promotion, or starting a new job. When did this happen? LinkedIn used to be a place for serious and useful content that related to career management and for sharing best practices in your field or industry.
Here are a few examples of egregious, inappropriate content that has been published on LinkedIn….
Doing Networking Right
Networking. You know that you should be doing it. But you’re a bit unclear on what it actually is and how you build and manage your network. When I advise clients on the importance of networking, their responses tend to go something like this: Oh yeah, I’ve got a network, but I don’t want to bother anyone until I need something. It is astounding, and I hear this All The Time….
Embracing Criticism
The very idea of criticism gets a bad rap. In common parlance, the word carries a negative connotation. Most of us think criticism points out what is wrong with something or why something “isn’t right.” The concept of “constructive criticism” seems like a lofty goal. Most people think criticism=BAD. But this is not the case. Criticism is the act of evaluating the merits and demerits of something and then making a judgment. Literary or artistic criticism, for example, is not about finding fault but about explaining and analyzing a given work. Criticism can be positive and, when delivered as such, can be a powerful tool in changing your behavior and perceptions or those of the people around you….
Up Your LinkedIn Game for 2022
You know you need to have a LinkedIn profile—if you’re not on the platform, you don’t exist. LinkedIn remains the most important digital networking site. LinkedIn currently has more than 800 million members and continues to grow. However, only a small fraction of those members maximize the platform’s capabilities and reach. If you are not getting the desired results you want from your LinkedIn experience, you may be making the following mistakes….
Become a great listener and people will LOVE talking to you
You may have noticed that many, if not most, people are not very skilled communicators. This puts the onus on you, as the listener, to untangle the meaning of what is being conveyed. This can be difficult and arduous. Even if the speaker is clear and cogent, there may be concepts that are still hard to grasp. We tend to think of listening as a passive activity, but nothing could be further from the truth. Good listeners know they must listen intently and actively and ask questions when they need clarification. Here are some tips to help you become a great listener….
Is it too late to start over?
Life is a series of changes, not a constant along a continuum. Conventional wisdom posits that it is too late to change careers in your 50s. There are multiple examples of people making extraordinary advancements and changes in their careers in their 40s, 50s, and beyond. For women, in particular, having, or wanting, to redefine oneself in midlife is not uncommon at all….
Give meaningful feedback to get the results you want
If you often lament that your colleagues, peers, and direct reports don’t produce the results you desire, you should take a good long look at the type of feedback you provide and maybe more importantly, how you deliver that feedback….
Are you making LinkedIn work for you?
LinkedIn is no longer some stuffy career website you use as a last resort in your job search. It’s the largest professional network with millions of job postings and nearly 10 million companies….
Here’s why everyone dreads your meetings
You know those people. Your colleagues, customer, or manager whose behaviors irritate you. You’re not one of those people. Or are you? Do any of these sound like you? I Love the Sound of My Own Voice. I might not have anything substantive to say—in fact, I usually don’t—but that doesn’t stop me from…