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.
You were laid off. Stop saying you were fired.
Being involuntarily separated from your employer can be devastating. Not only are there worries about finances, but there are concerns about how quickly you can find a new job, and how to position the separation. If you’ve been hit with a layoff—as has been the case for many productive, valuable employees since the early 1990s—I…
Submitting a Bill after an Interview
Hi Deb: I’m currently employed, and have been interviewing for a few months. A friend of mine just told me that he submits a bill for his travel expenses to his interviewer after the interview is complete. He will bill the interviewing company for his mass transit ticket, parking, mileage, and any other expenses associated…
Don’t Lowball Yourself
There is much advice on how to deal with a lowball offer from a prospective employer. We talk about how to avoid being on the receiving end of a lowball offer, and how to negotiate your way out of one. But what we don’t talk about all that often is how candidates sometimes lowball themselves.…
Help! I’ve Been Fired!
One of the questions I frequently field pertains to how a job seeker should position himself when he’s involuntarily left his previous position. Many people think that being involuntarily severed from a previous employer leaves them with an indelible mark and that they are forever stained. This simply is not true. Many, if not most…
Top 10 Outdated Job Search Tips
I’m sure you’ve heard some of these from well-meaning friends and family. What worked back in the era of the 3 martini lunch—or in the era when MTV still played music—doesn’t work today. If you hear any of these bits of advice, you have my permission, and encouragement, to ignore them! Drop your resume off…
How much personal information should I disclose when interviewing?
A reader writes: Dear Deb: I have recently re-entered the job market, after being in my previous position for nearly ten years. One of the reasons that I stayed in that role for so long was that it offered enormous flexibility of schedule. I have a special needs child, and I really need the ability…
Women’s Day Off
October 24, 1975. 90% of the women in Iceland went on strike. No work. No cooking. No shopping. No cleaning. No caring for children. Almost 25,000 women assembled in the capital city of Reykjavik in protest of economic inequality of women. The impact was enormous. It paralyzed the economy, and put the tiny nation of…
Ten Tips for Successfully Negotiating an Offer
This post is part of part of Job Action Day 2016 https://www.jobactionday.com Undoubtedly you’ve heard the adage that everything is negotiable. Whether or not this is true is up for debate, but what is true is that in any situation, it’s worthwhile to explore options. When you’ve been engaged in a job search, it can…
LinkedIN Endorsements vs. Recommendations
Dear Deb: I am trying to build out my LinkedIn profile, so I can make it as complete as it can be. I know you frequently discuss the importance of LinkedIn, so would you be able to answer why I need to have recommendations? Aren’t endorsements the same thing? Signed, Marco Dear Marco: Thank you…
Five Top Reasons to Leave Your Current Employer
We all know that it is very unlikely that anyone is going to stay with the same company for 40 years, collect a watch and a pension, and then go off into a blissful, stress-free retirement. Those days are over, and in the new era of work, it is incumbent upon the individual to take…