An unspoken truth in the job search process is that candidates and hiring companies are on equal footing. I know you may feel like the hiring companies hold all the cards, but the reality is that it is exceptionally difficult for them to recruit and retain good people. Now, I will concede that “good people” is a subjective term, and that this problem of talent acquisition is often because of ridiculous arbit...

It is ingrained in us that the employer/employee relationship is inherently unequal, founded on uneven footing, in which the employer holds the cards. This is inaccurate. The employer may be writing the checks, but that doesn’t put them in the driver’s seat. Think about the last time you needed work done on your house or car. You were the one paying. Did you feel like you called all the shots? Of course not....

I’m sure you’ve noticed the ubiquitous statements against racial inequality in recent days. Such statements are being issued by public organizations, educational and nonprofit institutions, and for-profit companies. These statements are, sorry to say, generally mealy-mouthed in nature. It is very unusual for any entity to come out publicly to disavow both explicit racism and microaggressions. (Kudos to Ben &...

My inbox is flooded with questions about COVID-19, including how employers should be handling the crisis and what employees should expect from their management. This is truly an unprecedented event; although companies want to maintain uninterrupted service for customers and clients, that may not be possible. And that’s okay because the employees that make up any organization should be the company’s priority. Thi...

You’ve decided to change jobs. Or maybe you’re looking to reinvent your career completely. Whatever your motivation, you need to clearly articulate what you’re looking for in your next role. And you need to be specific. In my work with clients, I am amazed at how frequently many clients are unable to articulate what they want. I’ve got news for you. No company out there is looking for a Director o...

“Why do I need a resume when I have a LinkedIn profile, a website, and multiple publications on my research into the moss that grows exclusively on rolling stones?” I field questions like this one All The Time. Some job seekers think that resumes are passé, outdated, outmoded, archaic, or have jumped the shark. After all, the thinking goes, there are so many easy ways to find out about a candidate’s...

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 of your professional life is to be the CEO of your career. To do so, you need to build a str...

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 they control for obvious variables. For example, some orchestra...

It’s the fourth quarter of the year. That means that salespeople are scrambling to get deals signed, finance people are getting ready to close out the year, and that the dreaded self-appraisal is upon us. The self-appraisal is a common performance management practice. Ostensibly, an employee’s self-appraisal and rating should give the manager valuable data on the quality of an individual’s performance. It...

A leader can make the difference between success and failure. A good leader has a futuristic vision and knows how to turn ideas into real-world success stories. Unfortunately, there are many managers out there who are poor leaders. This is largely because of the time-honored practice of promoting people into management solely on the basis of their technical knowledge and ability, rather than because they are effective manag...