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.
Is Women’s Career Advice a Form of Gaslighting?
Most women’s career advice revolves around balancing work with family obligations, being assertive, and how to act to be taken seriously. All of these put the onus of fixing the problem on the women. What’s even more insidious is the implication here, which is that women are the ones who have caused workplace inequality. That is dangerous, dubious, and wrong….
A Little Empathy Goes a Long Way
Inherent to the human condition is the desire to know that we are understood and valued. That is why the most essential management characteristic is empathy. The ability to connect with people to inspire performance is far more important than being an expert in your field or clearly articulating your expectations. An empathetic leader or manager can create an enjoyable work environment for employees, encouraging growth and productivity….
How to Spot a Bad Boss
A good leader possesses soft skills like effective communication, a commitment to teamwork, and problem-solving abilities. Good leaders motivate and inspire their employees to become better workers, which improves the company’s bottom line while reducing turnover. However, excellent leaders are rare, and bad bosses are everywhere; I don’t know a working professional who has not had an experience with a bad boss. Here are some bad boss behaviors that you should be on the lookout for….
Vulnerability? Or virtue signaling?
This week, a CEO posted a crying selfie on LinkedIn, and it did not go well for him. At all. CEO Braden Wallake posted the photo, along with a lengthy missive about how he was upset that his poor business decisions led him to lay off employees. What did NOT follow was an actual acceptance of responsibility and accountability. Instead, it was all about his feelings. And how much it hurt him. At the same time, his laid-off employees are filing unemployment claims and facing the loss of their access to healthcare. This is not vulnerability. This is the transformation of one person’s feelings into a voyeuristic spectacle for all of LinkedIn to see. And that is why people blasted him….
Leadership & Vulnerability
Being vulnerable and empathetic does not mean you have to share your deepest, most personal secrets and let them all hang out. It means letting your guard down, putting pretenses aside, admitting mistakes, and being yourself. People can tell when you are being disingenuous. The stench of disingenuity and duplicity lingers in the atmosphere. By being open and honest, vulnerable leaders are better able to engage with staff, which inevitably leads to increased productivity, improved morale, faster conflict resolution, and improved recruiting and retention outcomes….
Myth Busters: Employer Edition
Last week I devoted my blog to dispelling some common myths to which job seekers still cling. This week, I turn my sights to the other side of the desk. And let me tell you, employers, you’ve got work to do. Your recruiting processes are broken; your hiring managers don’t know how to conduct an interview; they are indecisive. On top of all that, you seem to have a distorted perspective regarding sourcing and retaining talent. Here are some top examples….
Debunking Myths: Candidate Edition
You know that job-seeking today radically differs from 25 or 30 years ago. Many people continue to hold on to outdated ideas and perceptions that are simply false. You may be getting bad, outdated advice on how to look for a new role from well-meaning but ill-informed family and friends. Here is my top 10 list of job-seeking/career management myths that you have my permission to ignore!….
Practical Advice for New Grads
It’s that time of year again—colleges and universities are unleashing thousands of new graduates, many of whom will be entering the workforce. I recently wrote about what Gen Z wants out of their careers. Because college career counseling centers often dispense outdated, impractical, bad advice, I thought it wise to revisit the topic of What New Grads Need to Know….
How to Know if the Hiring Manager Is a Jerk
Having a great boss can create an environment in which people don’t only grow in their roles but expand. Having a bad boss can ruin everything and make you dread going to work. Bad bosses cause stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and the Sunday blues. Low engagement is a problem across virtually every organization, primarily due to bad management. Bad managers run the gamut from those who don’t delegate work to those who are outright toxic human beings; bad managers exist in 100% of companies….
Data Literacy: What It Is and Why It’s Important
At this point in history, the Information Age is still in its infancy. The very idea of work and what that means is being challenged and redefined. Work itself is transforming from an outcome or result into a process. As the evolution continues, having a good grasp of data will be vital for survival. Understanding data and turning it into something useful will not just be a “nice to have;” it will be a critical imperative. Without the skills and tools to understand it, data is useless….