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.
Debunking Myths: Candidate Edition
You know that job-seeking today radically differs from 25 or 30 years ago. Many people continue to hold on to outdated ideas and perceptions that are simply false. You may be getting bad, outdated advice on how to look for a new role from well-meaning but ill-informed family and friends. Here is my top 10 list of job-seeking/career management myths that you have my permission to ignore!….
Counteroffers: Why You Should Not Accept Them
In this candidate’s job market, it is not unusual for people to be juggling multiple job offers at once. It is also not unusual for candidates to be presented with counteroffers when they give notice that they are leaving their current company. While a counteroffer may be tempting at the moment, I advise my clients not to entertain them….
Ask Deb: Should I Take This Job?
Hi Deb:
I’ve been at my current company for 4 years. I was not actively looking to leave, but I was contacted by a recruiter on LinkedIN about a job at a competitor of ours. Long story short, I went through the interview process and now have an offer in hand. The compensation package includes a base salary that would be a 30% increase. However, there are several things about this company that give me pause.
I think I have the answer to my dilemma—I’m leaning toward declining--but I wanted to run it by you before I made a decision….
Recruiting Is Broken, and It’s Repelling Candidates
These last few weeks, there have been many alarmist stories on social media and in traditional media about impending layoffs and recession. Inflation is kicking up, and with it, so are the prices of consumer goods. However, unemployment remains historically low, and it is still a candidate’s market. Many companies of all sizes in all sectors have open roles that they’ve been unable to fill. I’ve had hiring managers ask me why recruiting in this market is so hard. After all, in such a hot market, shouldn’t there be a flood of qualified applicants for an open req? Yes, but also no.
Resign the Right Way
We are in the midst of the hottest candidate market in history. This has been colloquially termed “The Great Resignation.” Over the last 12 months, I have come to realize that many people don’t know how to resign or what the best approach is. The best way to resign is to do so briefly and directly. Mr. Nixon had a massive scandal and a public relations crisis hanging over his head. But his actual resignation was brilliant. In fewer words than the limits of a Tweet, he resigned from the most powerful job in the world. If the President of the United States can resign his position without going into gory details of his reasoning, so can you. My top-line advice for resigning is to keep it simple, but here are some more specific tips….
Practical Advice for New Grads
It’s that time of year again—colleges and universities are unleashing thousands of new graduates, many of whom will be entering the workforce. I recently wrote about what Gen Z wants out of their careers. Because college career counseling centers often dispense outdated, impractical, bad advice, I thought it wise to revisit the topic of What New Grads Need to Know….
How to Know if the Hiring Manager Is a Jerk
Having a great boss can create an environment in which people don’t only grow in their roles but expand. Having a bad boss can ruin everything and make you dread going to work. Bad bosses cause stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and the Sunday blues. Low engagement is a problem across virtually every organization, primarily due to bad management. Bad managers run the gamut from those who don’t delegate work to those who are outright toxic human beings; bad managers exist in 100% of companies….
Ask Deb: What Do I Do About My Boss’s Habit of Blaming Me?
Hi Deb:
We have a new VP who came into our organization about 6 months ago. He is building out a large team, bringing in people from his network, and shaking things up. He is the kind of guy that my grandfather would have said “talks out of both sides of his mouth.” When I’ve tried to bring up these issues, he just talks and talks and talks without saying anything. What do you suggest I do about being constantly thrown under the bus here?….
It’s Graduation Time. What Does Gen Z Want in a Career?
Gen Z-ers want meaningful careers, not just jobs. As an employer, building awareness of what candidates look for in the ideal position is key to connecting with the applicants. If you’ve been out to any campus recruiting events, you’re well aware that as a group, Gen Z is focused on values first and specific roles second. Having a better understanding of the needs and values of these recent grads can help bridge the gap in employer recruiting while improving the chances of making good hiring decisions….
Your Job Description to Plain English Pocket Translation Guide
We put people first. We are a profit-first organization.
Is the scope of this project reasonable? How much money are we going to make on this?
We need motivated team players. We provide no training or guidance so you’ll need to ask your colleagues how to get things done.
The ideal candidate is a skilled multi-tasker. We expect this person to do anything and everything….