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.
Ask Deb: Must I Attend the Team Building Event?
Everyone hates team-building exercises. They are universally reviled by people at all levels of the organization. Who wants to spend three days with coworkers while not doing any actual work? Team-building exercises are pointless because they suggest that if your team members spent more time doing silly things and solving group problems together, climbing trees, and rolling around on the floor, they would work more effectively together the rest of the time. There is absolutely zero research that supports this belief. Employees work to get a job done and, more importantly, to get paid, not to play inane games with coworkers….
Interviewing for Schrödinger’s Job
I had a conversation with a client today about her job search. She has been doing several interviews, and her persona is quite polished and professional. During today’s call, she told me about an odd experience she had recently. I will paraphrase for you….
It’s Time to End Unpaid Internships
Internships should be learning experiences designed to expose students to a company’s people, products, and processes. They are intended, ostensibly, to give students a taste of what it’s like to be a part of the workforce. Well, a key part of being in the workforce is being compensated! Labor should always have dignity, which requires a decent wage payment. I am not against volunteerism; that’s great. However, organizations that have resources and ask people to work in real jobs for no money should be ashamed of themselves. Exchanging labor for “experience” only on a resume is the definition of exploitation....
An Open Letter to Gen Z and Those Who Employ Them
Dear GenZ:
I see you in the headlines. They’re saying that you’re “challenging” and “difficult” to work with. They say you’re lazy and don’t take direction well. You lack work ethic, and you have attitudes, And you’re getting fired at a rate higher than your counterparts from other generations....
Interview Prep: Your Key to Success in the Job Search
The job interview should be a conversation between interested parties to determine whether or not working together might be mutually beneficial. Candidates often go into interviews with little preparation and just wing it. You want to be sure that you tell a compelling, coherent story about your professional history and the value that you bring to the role. Here are my top tips for preparing for your next interview....
Delta Airlines Dictates Guidelines for Candidates’ Underwear and Other Stupid Things
I was astounded to come across this article about Delta Airlines’ new guidelines for candidates’ grooming, hair, jewelry, and clothing—and its specific requirements for candidates’ undergarments. According to the memo, those interviewed for flight attendant roles should not wear athletic shoes and must wear heels, slingbacks, or closed-toe flats instead. Candidates must wear “appropriate” underwear that is not visible. Dresses and skirts must be knee-length or lower. Hair and eyelashes must be “natural looking,” fingernails must be “neutral,” (no neon colors, airbrushed, or long fingernails are permitted,” tattoos must be covered either with clothing or waterproof makeup, and only two earrings per ear are allowed. Whew. Interestingly, the only appearance edict specific to male flight attendants is that they must wear collared button-down shirts and ties....
Hustle Culture: Cultural Hegemony in Action
In the early 20th century, Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci was dissatisfied with the failures of the revolution in European countries and sought to explain why the revolution wasn’t taking place in these advanced capitalist countries. He developed the concept of cultural hegemony as an explanation. This concept posits that through the institutions of society—schools, media, religious organizations—the ruling class enforces its moral, political, and social values onto the rest of society. Through hegemony, the apparatus of the state keeps its subjects repressed and suppresses revolution and dissent without the use of violence or force.
#TLDR: The group that maintains control over the institutions controls the rest of society....
Lipstick, ChatGPT, and Your Social Media Brand
Two weeks ago, I posted a blog about lipstick. This post was a test, a test to determine whether or not those responding to my article actually read it before commenting! It would appear that most do not. This is a problem for you and your brand....
Labor & Labor Day
On May 3, 1886, unarmed strikers clashed with police at Chicago’s McCormick Reaper Works factory. The deaths of six workers became a call for direct action, and a public rally was called for the following day to be held in Haymarket Square. Again, the police and the strikers clashed, but this time, a bomb was thrown, resulting in the death of seven police officers and multiple other injuries. The police, uncertain about the source of the bomb, fired into the crowd, killing four of the demonstrators....
Throwing Shade
In the world of cosmetic preparations, lipstick probably has the most intriguing and varied history. The earliest known use of colored cosmetics was in Mesopotamia 5000 years ago, where precious and semi-precious gems were ground and applied to lips and eyelids. In Ancient Egypt, much of the population used cosmetics for beauty enhancement and to protect themselves from the sun and desert wind. Lipstick became part of ancient women’s daily routines....