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.
The difference of a decade
As we begin not just a new year but also a new decade, I’ve been reflecting on the cultural changes that have impacted both job seeking and hiring practices over the last ten years. You may have noticed some of these as well. In 2010, the United States was beginning to emerge from the…
Lessons of 2019
As we begin not only a new year but also a new decade, I’d like to share with you the top lessons for job seekers from 2019. As you know, I talk to a lot of people in my work as a career coach, and this is what I’ve gleaned from those conversations. Please…
Personal branding & your career
A question I’m frequently asked is, “What is personal branding, and why should I care?” My advice is the same regardless of career level or aspiration. Your brand is the experience that people have when they interact with you, whether that’s in person, on social media, or via your content. The number one goal…
Drive meaningful change with meaningful leadership
Leaders inspire people to achieve great things. They have followers, not subordinates. Leaders create value; they don’t simply measure it. Are you a leader who inspires your people to higher levels of accomplishment and satisfaction? Do you want a culture based on rules, fear, and compliance? Or do you want one rooted in creativity,…
Use LinkedIn to your advantage and make it work for you
LinkedIn—its use and importance have exploded since the platform’s inception in 2002. What began as a place for job seekers to connect has transformed into the premier professional networking site. You can now access all sorts of data points relative to your profile, from how often you turn up in search results, to the…
Why women at your workplace don’t report
You’ve seen the stories. You’ve followed the #MeToo movement. You’re an ally of women. You understand. Your company has policies, procedures, precedents. No woman at your workplace would feel anything other than complete and total support. Hmm. Okay. Have you vetted this with the women with whom you work? All the policies and procedures,…
Why your people leave
Attrition. It’s costly, and if your company has above-average rates of turnover, not only are those costs borne in terms of hard dollars and time, but there could also be irreparable damage to your brand. Your employees are your profit makers. Without them, you would not be able to do anything. You want to…
When job interviews go weird
There is a theory out there that postulates that traditional job interviews don’t give hiring managers or recruiters an accurate read on a candidate’s likely performance in a certain role, largely because interviews can be too brief, formulaic, formal, or riddled with bias. Some organizations are taking a scientific approach to interviewing in which…
Embrace different work styles
I’ve previously written about how managers who hire people who remind them of themselves (“mini-me” syndrome) do themselves and their organizations a disservice. Diversity, in all its forms, makes for innovative, creative thought, and improves productivity. A topic related to hiring a mini-me is the common management practice of assuming that there is only…
Know Your Audience
Your high school English teacher taught you several valuable things: how to write a five-paragraph essay, how to discern meaning from complex texts, and the importance of knowing your audience. This last part—the part about knowing your audience – is critical when you’re writing a resume, giving a presentation, developing a marketing strategy, or…