I had a client who was a Customer Service Manager in a hospital. His job was to call patients after they had just had some test and tell them that, yup, a problem had been found and a visit with a doctor for follow-up needed to be scheduled ASAP. Since he was frequently calling people with very bad news, he was not sleeping well and asked me how he could find a job in a new industry given that he had been in the hospital role for the last 20 years.

I helped him see that his gifts included not only his knowledge of medical conditions, but his ability to “deliver bad news gracefully” and help people make thoughtful, well informed decisions when under a huge amount of stress. Read the rest of this entry »

Topics: branding + positioning, career strategy, solving problems | 1 Comment »

Most folks assume getting married or accepting a job will bring long-term financial and emotional security. 10% of marriages end in divorce after 5 years, 40% of marriages by the 50^th year ^(a). Comparatively, the average job tenure is now 2-3 years.

Someone who has been out of a relationship or work many months may take a questionable spouse or job out of financial desperation or the need to be “wanted.”

In both marriage and work, you should do more homework about long-range goals and the cultural fit before committing. Beauty is only skin deep. One-night-stand and one interview decisions carry a lot of risk. Consider Contract-2-Hire. Read the rest of this entry »

Topics: career strategy, negotiating, networking, salary, solving problems | 12 Comments »

There is no doubt that the physical image and confidence of a person can be a roadblock to getting hired and how much they are offered in pay. Read the rest of this entry »

Topics: career strategy, interviews, networking | 5 Comments »