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.
Now Is a Great Time to Look for a New Job!
Informally termed the “September surge,” this time of year means more job openings as companies must use up budgets and close open requisitions before the end of the year. Expect to see more recruiters than ever in your inbox, even if you are not actively looking for a new role. To position yourself to succeed and use the September surge to your advantage, you should take stock of your personal brand, reach out to your network, and create a plan….
Quiet Quitting: This Is Not A Thing
Over the last few weeks, a trend that began on TikTok has made its way to LinkedIn and mainstream media. “Quiet quitting” is everywhere, and everyone is acting like this is some new revelation. To my understanding, quiet quitting is when employees choose not to go above and beyond their jobs, including refusing to answer emails during evenings or weekends or skipping extra assignments that fall outside their core duties. Reading all of these articles and seeing these videos, I couldn’t help but wonder why this is newsworthy….
I Apologized to the Boss Who Fired Me
Last week, one of my readers reached out to me inquiring about whether or not she should apologize to the boss who fired her over two decades ago. After providing my advice, I received the following update from her….
Ask Deb: Should I apologize to my former boss?
Almost 20 years ago, I was terminated from my job for performance issues. And I absolutely should have been. I had no idea about the stress I had put on my boss, how much of her time I took up, and the truly awkward position in which I put her. She really didn’t want to fire me; I gave her no choice. In the intervening years, I’ve had to manage people’s performance issues, and I now know what it’s like to be on the other side of that desk. I feel like I owe my former manager an apology, an explanation, and an expression of gratitude for what she ultimately did for me. I have been giving this a lot of thought lately. Would I be out of line if I reached out to her now and told her the full story?….
A New Reality: Rescinded Job Offers
Despite the “Chicken Little” headlines, the current job market remains the hottest it’s ever been, with more open roles than candidates. However, there are some sectors that are already being hit by economic factors beyond anyone’s control. B2B tech is one such industry, and this is having an impact on hiring. While hiring freezes and layoffs are common responses to high rates of inflation and economic uncertainty, this time around we are seeing the very uncommon practice of hiring companies rescinding offers. Although this is by no means a pervasive practice, going from virtually zero to even a fairly small amount of rescinded offers feels like a huge shift. And of course, it is the rescinded offers that are getting the most attention both in the mainstream media and on LinkedIn….
Vulnerability? Or virtue signaling?
This week, a CEO posted a crying selfie on LinkedIn, and it did not go well for him. At all. CEO Braden Wallake posted the photo, along with a lengthy missive about how he was upset that his poor business decisions led him to lay off employees. What did NOT follow was an actual acceptance of responsibility and accountability. Instead, it was all about his feelings. And how much it hurt him. At the same time, his laid-off employees are filing unemployment claims and facing the loss of their access to healthcare. This is not vulnerability. This is the transformation of one person’s feelings into a voyeuristic spectacle for all of LinkedIn to see. And that is why people blasted him….
Leadership & Vulnerability
Being vulnerable and empathetic does not mean you have to share your deepest, most personal secrets and let them all hang out. It means letting your guard down, putting pretenses aside, admitting mistakes, and being yourself. People can tell when you are being disingenuous. The stench of disingenuity and duplicity lingers in the atmosphere. By being open and honest, vulnerable leaders are better able to engage with staff, which inevitably leads to increased productivity, improved morale, faster conflict resolution, and improved recruiting and retention outcomes….
Prospective Employers: Information on a Need-to-Know Basis
The Great Resignation and the ensuing candidates’ market have exposed how broken the hiring process is. Employers opine on why they can’t find any qualified candidates while candidates wade through systems and processes that can best be described as Kafkaesque. And, despite there being far more open positions than there are candidates, employers continue to approach hiring as if it is an unequal relationship in which they call all the shots. Nothing could be further from the truth….
The Myth of Cultural Fit
It is no secret that hiring is broken. The current system works against recruiting, hiring, and retaining talent. From candidate experiences with clunky ATS systems, hiring managers ill-trained in conducting interviews, to the seemingly endless rounds of interviews, it is surprising that anyone gets hired. Another factor that impedes hiring is the idea of “cultural fit.” While it is undoubtedly essential to determine whether there is a cultural fit on both the part of the company and the candidate, many people on both sides of the desk get this wrong….
Myth Busters: Employer Edition
Last week I devoted my blog to dispelling some common myths to which job seekers still cling. This week, I turn my sights to the other side of the desk. And let me tell you, employers, you’ve got work to do. Your recruiting processes are broken; your hiring managers don’t know how to conduct an interview; they are indecisive. On top of all that, you seem to have a distorted perspective regarding sourcing and retaining talent. Here are some top examples….