Sometimes, one of the most important things you can do to protect your career and career advancement is stand up for yourself when someone takes credit for your ideas or your work. Here is one story I received from a reader about a credit-stealing boss and my response. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m excited to announce my book “Your Career, Your Way!” is a National Indie Excellence Book Awards Winner! I’ve been honored with a win in the “Career” category!

 

If you’re looking for help getting your professional life on track, get a copy here. It also makes a great gift for high school or college graduates!

In today’s workplace, if you want to stand out as a valued employee, don’t bring problems to your manager — bring solutions. Why? Because there are too many problems for managers to solve all by themselves; that’s why you were hired. So don’t be part of a problem. Become a solution-generating employee and you’ll increase your value to your manager and to the company. Read the rest of this entry »

“But I just want to hire a résumé writer. Can’t you just re-write my résumé for me?” she pleaded.

Thus ended my conversation with a woman who had called to inquire about hiring me as a career coach. She didn’t like the answer I gave her, which was, “No.”

Sometimes in our careers, as in life, taking on challenging tasks can lead to personal growth and learning. My potential client didn’t see it that way – she wanted me to do everything for her. Here’s the conversation (condensed) that led us down that discussion path…  Read the rest of this entry »

Working for a not-so-great boss doesn’t have to stall your career, but it does mean you’ll need to figure out how to take the lead in communicating and asking for help. Like my friend learned, it might also save your job… Read the rest of this entry »

In my last blog I discussed how to conduct a personal S.W.O.T. analysis, an exercise businesses use to assess themselves and competitors to formulate strategies. This week’s topic is about another process companies use that you can apply to yourself and your career…branding. Read the rest of this entry »

You love the thought of obtaining a job in sales, but you’ve been wondering if you have the right personality type to be successful. You think back to your group of high school or college friends and their different personalities and social styles. And you wonder, “Do I have what it takes to be successful in sales?” Read the rest of this entry »

The latest legal issue regarding social media use in the workplace is that of employee versus employer ‘ownership’ of company social media accounts. Find out why this issue is coming up, how ‘ownership’ may be determined when there is a dispute and what employees and employers can do to avoid litigation in this interview with Renee Jackson, Labor & Employment attorney at global law firm Nixon Peabody LLP. Read the rest of this entry »

As you’ve read in my past blog entries, I am a big proponent of women pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers, an area in which women are hugely under-represented. Cindy Yeilding, a senior geologist in the oil and gas industry, shares those same values.

She is the Vice President of Exploration & Appraisal at BP and is an example of a woman who has risen near the top of her company through a science track in an industry that is historically male-dominated. Read my interview with Cindy below where she discusses how her love of geology developed, what it’s like working on an offshore rig with an all-male crew and how she volunteers her time to inspire students to consider careers in science and technology. Read the rest of this entry »

In my last blog I provided tips on what to do “When A Co-Worker Takes Credit For Your Work.” But what if the credit stealer isn’t a co-worker? What if the unethical person is your boss? Remember the 1988 movie, Working Girl, where Melanie Griffith plays a secretary whose idea is stolen by her boss? One of my favorite parts in that movie is the elevator scene where Tess proves the merger was her idea and then her boss ends up getting dramatically fired.

However, not all boss credit stealing situations are resolved as easily or as theatrically as in Hollywood movies. For the victims it’s a difficult situation to deal with – because the balance of power is tipped in favor of the boss, since managers often control the fate of subordinates through performance appraisals, work assignments, and promotion opportunities. Similar to my tips on dealing with a credit stealing co-worker, dealing with a credit stealing boss also depends on how egregious the credit taking that occurred. Read the rest of this entry »