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.
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….
What You Should Know about the Changing Tech Industry
Once the unstoppable engine of modern innovation, the tech industry has fallen from this lofty position. The emergence of AI will fundamentally upend the industry. AI is going to be leveraged to increase productivity in tech workers. Meta and Google are already building internal AI tools for coding and other functions….
Is It Worth It to Work Yourself to the Bone?
Language is symbolic, and one of the most commonly used structures of symbolic language is idiomatic expression. An idiomatic expression conveys meaning via metaphoric rather than literal expression. The meaning of an idiom cannot be inferred from the definitions of the words that comprise it. Break the ice. Cut corners. Piece of cake. Break a leg. Kill two birds with one stone. These are just a few examples of idioms that permeate vernacular English. A common idiom used in reference to work and labor is working oneself to the bone….
Theatre of the Absurd Leadership
Social media is rife with stories of out-of-touch CEOs exhibiting tone-deaf or outright shocking behavior. Recently, Daksh Gupta, CEO of AI startup Greptile, joined their ranks with this post on X….
Ask Deb: Why Was I Rejected for a Low-Paying Retail Job?
The company I worked for was acquired by a larger company in the same industry, and I, along with many of my colleagues, was summarily laid off. A few weeks ago, I decided that I needed to do something, and for the sake of my sanity, I had to get out of my house more frequently than my daily walk with the dog or my trip to the mailbox. I applied to be a stocker at my local Trader Joe’s. I thought my experience in managing inventory and improving processes would make me a good candidate. I spoke with the store manager, who told me to apply online. I applied online. A week later, I got a typical rejection email about hiring candidates with better qualifications. I have gone from managing contracts valued at 7 figures to being unable to secure a retail job! What is going on with this job market?….
Office Party Etiquette
The holiday season and the end of the calendar year are times of celebration, which means that the office holiday party season is upon us. Some people love corporate holiday parties. Others loathe them. Some people attend out of a sense of obligation. By far, the number one question I get about office holiday parties is, “Do I really have to go?” No. Of course, you do not have to go. Attendance is not required. However, you should at least put in an appearance if you can do it without real hardship. Even managers who say the party is optional often care on some level if you skip it (especially if you skip it multiple years in a row), and you risk being perceived as less engaged with your job or team. With that in mind, here are some tips about office party etiquette to get you through the evening and ensure your reputation remains intact the following day….
Mastering LinkedIn: Strategies for Presenting Your Best Professional Self
Every day, I scroll through LinkedIn and see more and more job seekers positioning themselves as job beggars. You’ve seen it, too. These folks post lengthy screeds on the platform, detailing the horrors of their job searches. They will describe applying for hundreds of jobs, being ghosted, getting no offers, and getting the run around from employers. Their stories are not unique. We know that this is the way job searches go….
The Virtual Interview Overreach: When Privacy Takes a Backseat to Transparency
Job interviews are inherently awkward and vulnerable situations. Sitting down in front of a stranger and basically saying, “My financial stability is in your hands,” never gets any less stressful, no matter how many jobs you apply for. These days, most initial interviews are being conducted via video conference. This medium can make the whole interview process more nerve-racking because it can be difficult to read body language when you’re not in the same room as the interviewer….