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.
What You Need to Know When You’re in a Career Transition
Your career is all about transition, and transition can be transformative as long as you remain agile, flexible, and adaptable. People change jobs every 2.7 years. However, it’s even more interesting to note that the average worker will change careers 3-7 times during their life. I’m sure you know people who have done just that—the engineer who became a calculus teacher, the accountant who now makes cupcakes, or the database administrator who currently does interior design. We all know people who have completely transformed their careers and their lives. If you’re in the midst of such a transition, whether you are transitioning from one career to another or transitioning to something new, here are some things to consider….
Recruit and Retain Talent in a Competitive Market
Employees are a company’s innovators, its profit-makers, and the public face of its brand. Without employees, a company cannot make, market, or sell anything. Recruiting and retention become equally difficult as employees are more empowered than ever. What can you do to recruit and retain people in this candidate's market?….
2022 Job Search Trends to Closely Monitor
It’s officially the holiday season, and that means it’s time for the annual retrospective, along with a look forward. Each year, I like to reflect upon the past year’s trends and what we can expect in the coming year….
What Salary Are You Seeking?
Although most of the questions brought up in a job interview are asked to see if you would work well within the company culture, there are practical questions as well. There has long been a prevailing idea that discussing salary is somehow crass, as if the primary reason people work is something other than being able to support their families and pay their bills. In previous years, it was considered bad form for a candidate to inquire about the salary for the position. Thankfully, times are changing….
Is subtle sexism holding you back in your career?
We all know a sexist comment when we hear it. Or do we? Sure, particularly egregious ones like “I’ll have my girl run it over to you” are easy to spot and remind us of something from Mad Men. But far more common are instances of subtle, casual sexism that constantly undermine women’s credibility and hold them back….
What’s great about the Great Resignation
You’ve undoubtedly heard the term “Great Resignation” concerning the current job market. It is undeniable that the Covid-19 pandemic has completely rewritten the rules of engagement regarding employment and job-seeking. While the Great Resignation exposes some long-held bad practices among management, it also provides all of us with a new perspective on work, life, and the integration of the two….
How to have better internal meetings
Let’s be honest. Few things can be less exciting than the prospect of an internal meeting. You dread creating the request and sending the invitation, and those receiving it dread adding another meeting to their calendars. Meeting culture has become so pervasive that internal meetings are now the #1 barrier to productivity. One client told me that her company is looking to mandate one meeting-free day per week so that people can focus on their work! I don’t think that’s the solution to the problem either, because the problem is that most internal meetings are inefficient and unnecessary….
Is the customer always right?
Businesses exist for one reason: to solve market and customer problems. If you work in a business, you have customers and clients regardless of whether it’s b2b, b2c, or b2g. A great customer experience (CX) is critical to building brands, driving retention, and scaling revenue. When a business has excellent customer service and CX, its customers will pay a premium price. Think about the difference between the experience of going to Walmart and going to Nordstrom. Both are large, multinational retailers, yet the two shopping experiences could not be more different. Customer service is ingrained in the Nordstrom brand—people who shop there do so because Nordstrom is committed to providing superior experience and service. No one shops at Walmart for these reasons; people shop at Walmart because of price….
Handling bullies in the workplace
I’ve often said that the workplace can be a microcosm of middle school behavior. You have your popular kids, the “star players” who aren’t all that smart, the geeks and nerds, and the bullies. Workplace bullies are more common than you may think. A full 30% of people recently surveyed indicated that they’d been the victims of such behavior. Bullying is a form of harassment—uninvited, undeserved, and unwarranted—and should not be tolerated as with any other form of harassment. However, we all know that what should happen and what does happen in real life can be two different things. Bullies are sneaky and pull their stunts when no one is around to witness them. Also, it can be problematic to get HR and management to understand the extent of the bullying and the impact of this abusive behavior. That’s why everyone should be armed to stand up to such conduct and defuse it….
Ask Deb: What should I do when people interrupt me in meetings?
Hi Deb:
I love working remotely. I really do. But one thing I’ve noticed during the last 2 years is that there are more meetings than ever before. And with those meetings come more interruptions than I have ever experienced in my career. I have tried asking people not to interrupt me and to allow me to speak, but it continues. In fact, it’s getting worse. Do you have any tactics that are effective in stopping interruptions?
Thanks,
Alicia….