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.
How to Manage Office Politics
Office politics are unavoidable; people bring their unique needs, thoughts, fears, and ambitions to work. Despite people’s claims of hating office politics, like the gossip mill, it continues to flourish. Office politics are the unwritten rules that determine who gets what, when, and how — a promotion, a budget for a project-- and who doesn’t. We dislike office politics so much because our fate depends on these unwritten rules. But there are ways that you can successfully navigate office politics….
Increasing Self-Confidence in the Workplace
One thing that I have learned from my years of working closely with people is that one of the biggest assets, not just in your career but in life, is self-confidence. In particular, developing confidence in the workplace is not easy. It requires work, time, and dedication. If you struggle with gaining confidence in the workplace, here are some tips….
Making the Lateral Move
You have been working hard, tracking your accomplishments, and promoting your brand within your organization — all the right moves to obtaining that promotion you know you deserve. However, instead of receiving the promotion, your boss calls you in for a chat and informs you that they are considering you for a newly opened position – a role within a different part of the organization yet with the same or similar title and pay grade. It would be a lateral move….
Likes, Comments, and Shares
LinkedIn launched in the early 2000s and fundamentally changed how people network. What began as a professional networking site became a social media platform. Whereas people previously only posted or shared updates of a professional nature, such as starting a new position, it has become a place where people come to brain dump. There are now “content creators” who regularly post on LinkedIn. Some of this is helpful, some of it cringey….
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….
Propaganda, Groupthink, and Corporate Terrorism
Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of otherwise well-intentioned people makes irrational decisions out of an urge to conform. One of the most useful tools for promoting groupthink is propaganda. Corporate propaganda can be used to agitate, anger, and encourage fealty among employees. People come to believe company propaganda because they’ve been convinced that the company exists as an entity separate from the people. When this illusion of separateness persists, it can have devastating and even bizarre consequences. Anything good is the company. Anything bad is due to people….
Equity vs. Equality: Musings on International Women’s Day
Simply hiring more women will not solve the problem of inequity. Companies must embrace equity as a strategic imperative. Although women comprise more than 50% of the workforce, there persists a dearth of women in positions of leadership. Within the US labor force, college-educated women outnumber college-educated men, yet the more education they obtain, the greater the pay disparity between them and their male counterparts. And, while the shift to hybrid and flexible working practices has given women greater access to work, especially working mothers, equity does not necessarily follow….
New Data on the Pay Gap Is Out, and It Doesn’t Look Good
The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank, just released its report on the gender pay gap in the United States, and the news is grim. According to the research published on March 1, the pay gap between men and women is nearly identical to what it was twenty years ago. There have been many efforts to ameliorate this problem—from pay transparency laws to increased scrutiny of earnings disparity among employees doing the same job—but the problem persists….
Imposter Syndrome: It Puts You There Where Things Are Hollow
What do an Academy Award-winning actor, an iconic musician, a Nobel laureate, and a Supreme Court justice have in common? Each of them has struggled with imposter syndrome. That can’t be true. Can it? ….
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….