Why did you leave your last job is a common question job seekers get during interviews. There are a multitude of reasons as to why. Some of them are good (“I was recruited!”). And others, well, not so good. (“I got fired.”) Why did you leave your last job? Spin your answer to this routine question because it can make or break your candidacy. Why did you leave your job, when it appears on paper that things were going great and you were being successful? How do you communicate that in your answer? Ways to answer the question What’s the answer to “why did you leave your last job?” A good way to a ..read more

Managing up as a way to get what you want is a great trick. I got my first glimpse of this technique when a former boss once spoke about management by attraction. This is the process by which you create such a great work culture that it simply draws people in organically versus having to work hard at promoting it. Managing up as a way to get what you want is actually a microcosm of this concept. What you are doing is managing the person in a way that draws them to you without realizing that you are actually using this process to help manage them and their behavior. Don’t worry. Managing up is ..read more

When personal trauma affects work, things can go sideways fast. Traumatized employees have anaffected ability to learn, think, manage change, and relate to others. Your mental state and even attention can be completely distracted from the work that needs to be done, resulting in costly errors or accidental omissions. Additionally, when personal trauma affects work, it can trigger an unintentional emotional response to co-workers that can have long-lasting impacts on relationships with co-workers and even clients. Things happen. It could be a divorce, death in the family, a difficult family si ..read more

How to get promoted isn’t difficult, but it does require a lot of pre-planning. Oftentimes, people will assume that bosses see each individual worker on their own merits, and approach that person about promotions. The reality of how to get promoted is much more complex than that. Identify your career target Know what the next step is for you career-wise. This is important so you know how to get promoted, and to which position. Be realistic as to the next logical level that you aspire to, and examine what skill sets are necessary to perform those tasks. Gain new skills Zero in on your target an ..read more

When leaders need to gracefully exit is directly tied into their EQ. But more importantly, it really says more about their character. I recently worked with a leader diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and this person had finally reached the crossroads of their career with a decision to make. This was the pivotal moment of knowing when to step down while they were still capable of doing the work before the condition began affecting the quality… so they were still able to hand off the “baton.” This alone speaks to this person’s integrity. When leaders need to gracefully exit, they need to make ..read more

Declining a job offer is a tough thing, especially when you need a job and money NOW. However, sometimes, it is the right thing to do and not necessarily easy, since you don’t want to burn any bridges. You never know where the people of the company may land in future jobs.  Or, you might want to apply to the company in the future following any staff or organizational changes. But it is a healthy attitude to realize that sometimes, a sure thing isn’t the best decision… on a lot of levels. REASONS FOR DECLINING A JOB OFFER Factors that provide a reason for declining a job offer include: Th ..read more

Compensation negotiations are a funny and fickle thing. Most people spend more time researching and preparing for large purchases like cars and houses. But they spend less time on preparing for getting the compensation they will need to pay for those big ticket items. Most people get so focused on the salary part of the compensation negotiation that they forget there’s a bigger picture at work here. Compensation negotiations include a multitude of things, and job seekers need to be focused on the whole package. GETTING THE BEST DEAL After getting a job offer, it’s time to get into compensation ..read more

Why is everyone quitting their job? The year 2021 wearily stepped out the door and a tentative 2022 entered. Workers have been eyeing this new year, wondering what it will bring, especially after the seismic shifts the previous one delivered. News reports are abuzz with one of the biggest trends that 2021 produced: Everyone is quitting their job. More Americans left the workplace: Baby boomers retired early Employees were laid off from COVID-impacted businesses The younger generation walked away from low-wage entry-level jobs. There are a million different reasons why this whole shift trans ..read more

ASS-itude is a term coined by a friend of mine and I liked it so much I thought it worthy of a blog post. There is nothing wrong with being assertive on the job, but when it turns into ASS-itude, that’s where things are very likely to end badly. Yes, we have good days and bad days, but the trick is not to let the bad days overtake the good days, because that’s where ASS-itude gets a toe hold and starts to grow into a full-grown problem. REAL LIFE ASS-ITUDE Here’s an example, taken from my personal experience when I was a young “pup” in the workplace: It was the holidays, and I was working reta ..read more

Here we go again! Networking in the time of COVID-19… We are in this really weird space in time when people are out looking for jobs but one of the major drivers of building pathways to a new position is shaken up. Thanks, COVID-19. Networking in the time of COVID-19 has taken a hit, and changed how networking can happen. Or has it? For the ebb and flow of being able to meet face-to-face to lockdowns, it’s an ever-changing roadmap that job seekers have to navigate. Certainly, nothing can change that lucky happenstance of bumping into someone at a networking event and striking up a conversatio ..read more