You think you can’t. I say you can. Don’t over-think it, make it too big, or get in your own way. Just try it. Plug the gap. Being out of work, creates a glaring gap on your resume. Your work history has come to a (hopefully temporary) dead end. This makes job seekers lose sleep at night and I don’t blame them. So the question is: “What can you do about it?” I say, “Plenty, if you have something of value to offer.” Everyone...

Here one day and gone the next. It’s a fickle state—our self-confidence. The littlest thing can fuel it or snuff it out. Self-confidence is part of our brand identity. Our bosses and coworkers look for it, even evaluate it. It’s part of our behavioral attire, so we must do our best to wear it well. The fear of exposure The problem is that we’re not always self-confident. When we’re not, o...

Internships are almost a right of passage to getting hired. The thirst for them has stirred businesses of every stripe to offer internship opportunities, particularly unpaid ones. There’s an upside and a downside to unpaid internships. So you need to know how to get the most “up” out of your choices. Make your free labor pay. The CBS Sunday Morning program ran an eye-opening segment called, “Internships: A foot in the door?...

Under-performers are part of the landscape in any workplace. You know who they are and so does your boss.None of us is perfect. Without guidance, it’s easy to adopt behaviors and habits acceptable to us that, ultimately, don’t wear well with others.As employees we need feedback from day one. There is no better (or cheaper) way to teach us the skills and behaviors we need to be successful.Performance feedback is one of the m...

Superstars aren’t just sports and entertainment icons. They’re also us. Every workplace and every career has its superstars. There’s no reason why you aren’t among them.By definition superstars are individuals in prominence who attract attention. Look around: That’s lots of people you know.We have to perform well and consistently to be considered a superstar in our line of work. On-the- job superstars are those indispensabl...

Bosses have employee issues. Employees have boss issues. Coworkers have peer issues. Isn’t working together supposed to be easy? We often set ourselves up for the people problems we face. When we fail to set boundaries that keep out unwanted coworker behaviors, we pay a price. Ominous signs People problems generally sneak up on us. One day we realize we’re caught in a cycle we don’t like—one that’s interfering with our work...

Your best answer is, “I am.” Unfortunately, the common answer is often, “I’m not really sure.” That’s because we often don’t know how career growth happens. We’re told that the silver bullets are: Doing a great job with high performance appraisal ratings that validate itAttending training and/or taking outside coursesServing on teams and working on special projects Then, after we do all this stuff, someone in the next cubic...

Things don’t always go our way at work. Sometimes it’s because we haven’t: - Mastered all the skills we need - Performed well at the right time - Solidified our support system - Been realistic about our readiness That leaves us open to disappointment when we don’t: - Get hired for a job we really want - Promoted to a position when we believe we’re the best candidate - Hear our name mentioned as a key project contrib...

One day you’re following direction and the next you’re giving it. Promotions to leadership positions are watershed moments. If we’re not careful about how we wear our new leadership mantles, we’ll find ourselves isolated. The chilling effects of deference Employees try to figure you out as soon as you become the big cheese. New leaders, even when they’re colleagues we’ve known for years, are inevitably su...

Nothing is more glorious than time off. When we get hired, our burning question after salary is usually about vacation days. That said, it’s been written that Americans often don’t take all their vacation time. In some cases it’s because we: Don’t want to fall behindWorry that things will go wrong in our absenceAre reluctant to delegateLack confidence in our job securityHaven’t developed motivating interests outside of work...