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.
13 Reasons Why I Didn’t Consume Your Content
Are you looking for answers regarding why your intended audience is not reading your content? Here are “13 Reasons Why.” It’s not optimized for search. You didn’t use keywords, and your UX is garbage. I couldn’t find your content. Your content is all about you, your products, your services. I’m not interested in…
Ode to a Catered Lunch
The cart is wheeled in All turn to look Sandwiches! Turkey, roast beef, grilled vegetables Speaker droning on Slide after slide But all attention is fixed on the buffet Finally! We break for lunch The line moves slowly Each sandwich scrutinized, the drones search for the perfect one No tuna? Too much mayo on…
Are you conflict-resistant?
You probably are. At least to some extent, most of us like to avoid conflict rather than face it head on. But conflict is a necessary and unavoidable part of the human experience, and avoiding it can be detrimental. What do you do if you are conflict averse, but a big part of your job…
Bad writing reflects poorly on you
I remember teachers always impressing upon students the importance of being able to write clearly and cogently. I was a strong writer, and banging out a quick five paragraph essay posed no problem for me, only minor inconvenience. I knew that not everyone was as adept at writing as I, but I also recognized that…
To share or not to share.
A client recently shared an email she received from a colleague. It was sent to the entire team. Here it is, below, with personal information redacted: Hi All: I just wanted to let you folks know a little more, as it may impact my work schedule. I’ve already informed [boss’s name redacted]. [Child’s…
Does your audience hate your content?
I’ve written previously that personal branding is an exercise in content marketing. Key to this effort is ensuring that your content is timely, relevant, and interesting to your audience. We all think that we do this well, yet more than 90% of all content--whether b2b, b2c, or b2p--gets ignored. There are a few reasons this…
Defining Career Success
Each year, publications such as U.S. News & World Reports publish lists of the “best” colleges and universities in the U.S. Families are looking at significant investment in higher education, so it makes sense that they would want their children to have the best possible educational experience. As news of rising college costs continues…
Don’t bake cookies for the office.
I recently worked with a mid-career attorney, who, after ten years at the same firm, wanted to make a switch over to the corporate sector. During our conversation, she casually mentioned that, on a weekly basis, she bakes cookies for the office. As you can imagine, I was horrified. I asked her why on earth…
Productivity Versus Being Busy
Super busy. Crazy busy. Overloaded. A to-do list that’s a mile long. Busyness has become a cult in Western culture. Maybe that’s because humans are hardwired with a bias toward action. Maybe it’s because it feels satisfying to cross items off that to-do list. Or maybe it’s because we operate under a self-imposed feeling that…
Other Places to Find Me
Hello, everyone. I hope that 2017 has been treating all of you well. In my last post, I touched on a few bits of career advice for the new year. One of those points was to expand your network. I have been taking my own advice and have been published on two other mediums that…