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.
Resumes Lessons from a Can of Soup
Many food companies are savvy enough to know that most shoppers read food labels, despite being short on time. A label with eye-catching key statistics can give that product an edge over another product, especially if that product touts qualities such as low sugar, low calories, and zero trans fat. Companies are wise to invest…
Resume Help: The Wrong Way to Handle a Career Break
Marlo is quite self-conscious about her eight-year career break. Like many parents, especially mothers, she took a hiatus to raise her two children. When her children were of school age, she decided to return to work. She is so worried about showing that she was filling her time with worthy pursuits (other than raising her…
Finding Temporary Work
Dear Deb: My husband will be off work four months due to a hiatus at his production company. It’s the nature of the entertainment business. They are highly compensated when they are in production and that makes up for the down time that happens every two or three years. Here’s my dilemma. We have healthcare…
User Experience Matters on a Resume
When I pick up my email messages on my phone, I open and answer the short messages. I save the long ones for later, when I have time. Who has time for long messages? Nobody! The same attitude applies to resume reading. At some point, your resume will most likely be read on a small…
Telling Co-Workers You're Leaving Your Job
Dear Debra: I just gave a two-week notice to my supervisor. She asked that I wait one week before telling anyone, including my co-workers, clients, and vendors. That’s fine. Many of my co-workers are in the other branches, but we interact frequently online and by phone. What’s the best way to say, “good-bye” to my…
A Goof-off Day: Just What This Career Coach Recommends
March 22nd was National Goof-off Day. While the origin is unknown to me, I definitely see the value in such a day. I don’t mean a day to go skiing, get caught up on household repairs, or take the kids to an amusement park. My definition of a goof-off day is a day that does…
Resume Help: Stick to the Facts
Today’s candidate, Harold, presented a five-page, long-winded resume that was so full of fluff that one could hardly discern the value he offers. The resume is loaded with errors and language that makes little sense. Suppose we remove all the errors and then edit that language so that one could read the document with greater…
Do I Really Want The Job?
Dear Debra: In my third interview for a customer service manager position, the interviewer (who runs the branch) asked me if I really wanted the job. He said, “I want to be sure that you really want this job” It’s like he wanted me to convince him. In my mind, the fact that I am…
Men vs. Women: Who is More Competitive at Work?
During my career, I have reported to, worked with, supervised, and competed with both men and women. Having experienced the full spectrum of personality types, I have encountered extremely competitive men and women. The prevailing thought seems to be that men are competitive in the sense that they take greater risks and compete for high-reward…
Should Recent College Grads Care about Finding out what’s on Their Record?
Thank you to Michael Klazema for his guest post on "Should Recent College Grads Care about Finding out what’s on Their Record?" So you just graduated from college and you’re launching headfirst into the job search, ambition burning in your belly and plenty of prospects on your mind. You fill out dozens, if not hundreds…