Expert Articles

2010 In Brief

Let’s face it: I went pretty much native, digitally at least, in the year 2010. In 2009, after almost 25 years as a law firm partner, I decamped to start my business providing career development coaching. I used a new Mac and assorted Geniuses to dispatch the news and build a website and I refined my training curriculum through a Ning-powered worksite.

But I truly crossed over in 2010: I renovated my presence on LinkedIn (complete with upgraded profile, membership in a few alumni groups and several rather pompous status posts), endured severe RSS burnout, adopted a dign…

One recent workshop attendee asked: When creating a profile specifically for a company’s hiring site, what is the best, most effective “generic” cover letter for different positions within various divisions?

There are a number of sub-questions implicit in this one question.

First of all, should you ever write a generic cover letter? The ideal answer is no. You should have a specific position in mind and a specific person to whom to address the letter. Knowing the position enables you to highlight the right skills and experiences within your background that position you appropriately…

Sometimes I wonder if we would be better off with fewer English speakers on the planet. Why? If we were forced to hear people speaking from a different platform than our own and had to “translate,” we would be confronted by an obvious difference and prepare to accommodate it. And we may presume that other differences also lurk and raise our awareness.

But instead, we are numbed. Americans are especially prone to this problem because we constantly hear our own language spoken by new Americans. Their heavy accents create an uncertain consistency in our language. There is no “right” way to s…

One reader asked: I had an interview with a small financial services firm this week. I thought it went well and the interviewer (in this case, the owner) muttered that he would decide to hire me by the end of the day. 3 days have passed and I have not heard anything. He seemed like he would tell me either way. I really want the position and it seemed like we connected. How long do I wait before contacting him? What do you suggest I do or say?

While I normally advise waiting a business week before following up, if you know a decision is forthcoming much earlier or much later, then you foll…

Do you know what it means to have 20/10 vision? To be able to see things clearly at 20-feet, that other people can only see while standing 10-feet away — literally having a bird’s eye view of your world.

What would it mean for you to have 20/10 vision in your life? Can you think of how much more you could accomplish with this level of attention and motivation in 2011?

Focusing on your vision will help increase your confidence, so you’ll be able to meet your current challenges; plus you’ll learn to anticipate and sidestep new roadblocks that might pop up throughout the year. One way…

What prospective employers really think when they see a gap in your resume depends on the length of the gap, the industry and function you are targeting, and how the gap compares to everything else in your marketing campaign.

Length of the gap matters because a few months or even up to a year can be explained away with non job-related activities – travel, sabbatical, etc. That said, you still want this explanation to sound empowered and interesting, not as if you just dropped out of your career. After a year, however, you really need to demonstrate that you’ve stayed active in your targ…

The most well-known diversity initiative is the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission established by The Civil Rights Act of 1991. Its mandate was “to identify the glass ceiling barriers that have blocked the advancement of minorities and women as well as the successful practices and policies that have led to the advancement of minority men and all women into decision-making positions in the private sector”.

The Commission was directed to conduct a study of opportunities for, and artificial barriers to, the advancement of minority men and all women into management and decision-making positi…

For many people, the past few years have been full of uncertainty, turmoil, and the word “no”. No to family vacations, ski weekends, or beach house rentals. Women especially have said no to themselves, prioritizing kids, parents, and spouses over themselves when it came to anything involving scarce financial resources. Kid’s soccer camp won out over mom’s yoga retreat weekend, as the guilt got in the way.

Enter 2011. After 2 years of saying “no”, women are starting to say “yes” – to themselves. With the stock market no longer teetering on the edge of a cliff, and layoffs seeming less…