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.
Body Language Mistakes to Avoid
We all know that body language is of critical importance in all human interactions. This is especially true when interviewing. When you are being interviewed, you are being evaluated on not only what you say, but how you say it. With that in mind, here are the most common body language mistakes people make, and…
How to Navigate Salary Negotiation
Dear Deb: I recently completed four rounds of interviews for a position with a large, multinational company. This role would be a significant increase in responsibility and visibility for me, and I was really excited about it. However, when the HR manager called me with the offer, the salary was only 10% more than…
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…
Career Advice for the New Year
Happy 2017! The beginning of a new year is a time to reflect upon what we’ve accomplished in the past, and envision what we’d like to accomplish in the future. When we think about new year’s resolutions in terms of our careers, it can be tempting to oversimplify by simply stating the end goal. For…
Reconsidering the Performance Management Process
Companies are moving away from the traditional annual performance review process, much to the delight of employees and managers everywhere. The annual performance review process, as well as goal and objective setting, has long since ceased to be a meaningful process that improves productivity and morale. Instead, it is viewed as a bureaucratic time suck…
2016: A Year in Review
As the year draws to a close, I have been reflecting on what I think are the key things that every professional needs to know about managing his or her career. It’s difficult to condense an entire year’s worth of advice into one short article, but here are my top level Most Important Things to…
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…