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.
Labor & Labor Day
On May 3, 1886, unarmed strikers clashed with police at Chicago’s McCormick Reaper Works factory. The deaths of six workers became a call for direct action, and a public rally was called for the following day to be held in Haymarket Square. Again, the police and the strikers clashed, but this time, a bomb was thrown, resulting in the death of seven police officers and multiple other injuries. The police, uncertain about the source of the bomb, fired into the crowd, killing four of the demonstrators....
SEO, Branding, and Your Career
As a personal branding consultant, I frequently field questions about what branding is and how to effectively execute a personal branding strategy. Branding embodies the captivating experience you curate and the lasting impression you leave upon every interaction. It becomes a powerful essence that defines your identity in the minds of those with whom you engage. Why is it so important to have a strong brand? In this ever-evolving world of work, the paradigm of lifetime employment with a single company has shifted. Embracing this new reality, it becomes imperative to adopt the mindset of a CEO for your own career, strategically marketing your most vital product—YOU. By taking charge of your professional journey and proactively shaping your personal brand, you pave the way for limitless opportunities and extraordinary growth.
Creating a successful personal branding strategy has three main components: Content, Context, and Consistency….
Crafting the Perfect Elevator Pitch
These days, we toss around the term “elevator pitch” without understanding what that is. Everyone knows they need an elevator pitch when looking for a job. When working on your 30-second pitch, you need to focus on the value you bring to a hiring manager and your ability to solve problems. In those 30 seconds, you want to convey that you are the answer to the problems the hiring manager is dealing with. Most so-called elevator pitches fail—they are too wordy, overly complicated, and not compelling….
Ask Deb: My Job Was My Entire Personality. Now What?
I was laid off from my executive position last June and have been actively networking, consulting, and searching for a full-time role. The problem is that when people ask me what I do, I feel like I no longer have a good response. I used to say that I was a vice president for a major financial services company, where I led product and platform development for our investment management line of business. I admit that I am now embarrassed when I’m asked about what I do or when I meet someone new. I have nothing to say anymore….
Counteroffers: Why You Should Not Accept Them
In this candidate’s job market, it is not unusual for people to be juggling multiple job offers at once. It is also not unusual for candidates to be presented with counteroffers when they give notice that they are leaving their current company. While a counteroffer may be tempting at the moment, I advise my clients not to entertain them….
Gaslighting in the Workplace
Some people are toxic; they become abusive managers, scheming co-workers, and vicious competitors. They manipulate their victims into believing that they are to blame for something or that they are just being “too sensitive.” One of their favorite tools is gaslighting. Gaslighting is a covert form of mental abuse. It involves the abuser creating a false narrative presented to the victim as truth, making the victim question their judgment and perception of reality. Examples of this are “jokes” made at the victim’s expense, telling the victim that something did not happen, or discrediting the victim. Here are some examples of how this translates into the workplace….
Your New Year Career Resolution
As we close out the first week of 2022, some of us may already be lamenting that we’ve broken our New Year’s resolutions. Plans to get healthy are sidetracked by indulgence in food and wine; decisions about keeping an organized workspace become buried under the clutter on our desks. The problem with most New Year’s resolutions is that we see them as all or nothing. Either we are 100% compliant, or we are total failures. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Making a resolution is about deciding to change a behavior, and that’s something that happens gradually over time. Here are 5 tips to making your career resolutions for 2022 stick….
Things to do differently in 2022 to better manage your career
As 2021 winds down, it is only natural that we look to 2022 with renewed optimism and hope. The New Year is always a time designated for getting out of old routines and looking toward the future. We’ve all heard the adage that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is insanity. There is truth in that statement. As the end of the year approaches, evaluate how you’ve managed your career and what you can do differently. Change can be scary, overwhelming, and daunting. But it’s the only way to improve. If you continued to exercise your muscles by executing the same movements and lifting the same weight, your strength and endurance would never improve. Your career is like a muscle. Without exercise, you run the risk of stagnation, at best, and atrophy at worst….
What You Need to Know When You’re in a Career Transition
Your career is all about transition, and transition can be transformative as long as you remain agile, flexible, and adaptable. People change jobs every 2.7 years. However, it’s even more interesting to note that the average worker will change careers 3-7 times during their life. I’m sure you know people who have done just that—the engineer who became a calculus teacher, the accountant who now makes cupcakes, or the database administrator who currently does interior design. We all know people who have completely transformed their careers and their lives. If you’re in the midst of such a transition, whether you are transitioning from one career to another or transitioning to something new, here are some things to consider….
The Great Resignation is Upon Us
According to the World Economic Forum, a wave of mass resignations is coming as the restrictions imposed by the pandemic begin to lift. With up to 40% of workers considering leaving their jobs, economists are warning that this “Great Resignation” could have far-reaching consequences for the labor market. But what is driving this impending trend? Simply put, this last year has prompted a cultural shift, and few workers want to return to the way things were….