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.
International Women’s Month: Women Achieve and Men Take Credit
The Matilda Effect was first described by suffragette Matilda Joslyn Gage, who posited that women in science become overlooked because many of their discoveries and breakthroughs are attributed to men. As it evolved over the last century, the Matilda Effect has come to describe the idea that male experience is representative of general experience, and female experience is women’s experience only. There are many examples of this throughout American history….
Black History Month: The Economic Powerhouse That Was Black Wall Street
In early 1921, the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was home to one of the most affluent African American communities in the United States. More than 70 businesses, mostly owned by Black Americans, lined up in just the 100 block of Greenwood Avenue in Tulsa. This single block was home to four hotels, two newspapers, eight doctors, seven barbers, nine restaurants, and a half-dozen professional offices of real estate agents, dentists, and lawyers. The economic success of Black entrepreneurs in Greenwood added to the striking image of Tulsa as America’s Black Wall Street….
Black History Month: The Famous Entrepreneur You’ve Probably Never Heard About
Last week, I devoted my blog to Black entrepreneurs’ often-overlooked contributions to American history. This week, I’d like to tell you about a famous Black entrepreneur of whom you are probably unaware. She also happens to be a woman….
The Vital Role of Black Entrepreneurship in US History
Black-owned businesses have a long and rich history in the United States. But today, minority-owned businesses have a harder time getting access to capital and, therefore, have higher rates of failure compared to white-owned businesses. The plight of minority businesses in the US is finally being recognized and addressed. In 2024, the federal government put $30B into a Small Business Opportunity Fund for minority-owned businesses. In the wake of social protests in 2020, companies like Citi and JPMorgan Chase pledged millions of dollars in funding to uplift Black and Hispanic-owned businesses. These actions are the first steps on a long road to equitable opportunity for all businesses….
Why DEI Matters for Everyone
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs are on the chopping block, which should concern everyone. One by one, DEI programs at some of the country’s biggest companies began falling apart in 2024, and efforts to reverse DEI initiatives are ramping up in 2025. Major companies, including Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Ford, Toyota, Meta, and Amazon, heeded the calls and dialed back their DEI programs, particularly after social media-driven campaigns by conservative influencers. This means ending racial training programs for staff and evaluations designed to boost supplier diversity and withdrawing from the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index….
New Challenges for Civil Servants
On January 28, the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent nearly all of its 3 million employees an email offering deferred resignations and warning that they may be laid off or reassigned if they choose to stay. The goal is to cut 75% of the federal workforce to improve government efficiency. The offer is available to all federal workers except for postal and military service members and “those in positions related to immigration enforcement and national security.” This attempt to cut federal workers regardless of their titles has sparked alarm for its potential impact on the range of services these agencies provide….
Why You Should Hire Former Teachers
If you’re a hiring manager looking to fill a role with high-performing top talent, you should consider hiring a former teacher. No, teachers will not have industry experience, won’t know specific software programs, and will not speak in the corporate lexicon. What they do have are finely honed soft skills, which are often challenging to assess during the interview process but are unquestionably crucial to success in any role. Here are ten attributes that classroom teachers have that can make a profound impact on your business….
A Job Is Not a Gift. Work Is.
During the last two lazy weeks of 2024, I noticed more than a few LinkedIn users posting that all they wanted for the holidays was a new job. I recently blogged about how begging for a job is not a smart strategy. To reiterate the main point of that blog, desperation will not get you a job. A job is not a gift. A job is earned through expertise and a record of success in delivering results
Managing During a Natural Disaster
Like most Americans, I have been watching the coverage of the California wildfires, and I am horrified. California’s wildfires typically occur in the more rural parts of the state. These fires are especially deadly because they are raging through highly populated areas of Los Angeles. Powerful winds spread embers, resulting in more fires, and people have evacuated their homes. In California, workers are protected by SB 1044, which gives employees the right to refuse to go to work during emergency conditions. This law protects those who work in jobs that must report to a physical location but does not specify anything regarding white-collar workers who can work remotely….
Career Trends for 2025
I know we are all bombarded with “new year, new you” messages everywhere during these first weeks of the new year. We all know that New Year’s resolutions are notoriously difficult to maintain and that most of them fall by the wayside by mid-February. So, I won’t advise you to make monumental shifts in your career management strategy. I want to point out that you are the CEO of your career, so it’s incumbent upon you to manage your career just as you would any team or project. In line with that, here are some trends to keep on top of for 2025….