Was 2017 a bit of a sleeper for you? Lots of change and fresh beginnings going on around you, yet you’re still stuck in a bit of a rut? For many, the end of the year is a reminder of all of the career accomplishments that have been achieved, deals that have been successfully closed and exciting projects completed. For others, however, the year is ending without much to brag about. You have managed to hang onto a mediocre job and pay off a few debts here and there, yet you are lacking the drive to truly get excited about your work. How can you give your career a jolt and look forward to the year ahead? How can you make 2018 the year that will forever change your life and your perspective? The initial step in assessing your level of [...]

The long awaited holiday season is finally upon us, and plans to travel and gather with our loved ones are in full force. There are always unforeseen glitches in our annual traditions that are completely out of our hands, such as flight cancellations, snowstorms, or a last minute case of the flu. However, there is one black cloud that always hangs over our Christmas festivities that we can control, which is our work. Everyone admires a hard working individual, and we're all taught from an early age that good work ethic is something that we should all aspire to embody. The problem, however, is that the message gets skewed along the way, and we get confused regarding the actual definition of what hard work looks like. You can be a hard worker and achieve remarkable numbers and goals for your company [...]

Most of us in the American workforce have been invited to attend some sort of a holiday office party this Christmas season. This might be your first party at a brand new job or something that you’ve experienced for many years in a row. Some companies pull out the red carpet and require formal dress attire with a night of fancy hors d’oeuvres. Smaller businesses with fewer employees might throw together a more casual gathering at the boss’ house.   For some, this is a loose party invitation. Your coworkers might want your white elephant gift at the party or your wife’s famous chocolate fudge, but there is little care as to whether or not you actually show up. For others, the invitation might as well be referred to as a court summons because you either plan to attend or plan [...]

There’s no better time to update your resume than when you have a new job in your sites. Of course, in a perfect world, this is something that you would keep updated on a steady basis.. ready to fire whenever the need arises. But, time gets away from all of us, and we often end up in panic mode, scrambling at the last minute to gather ourselves.   If you have a new job opportunity in view, then it is time to ensure that your resume is polished and prepared for the eyes of the potential hiring manager that awaits you. You don’t want to simply throw together the pertinent details in a haphazard fashion just to get the application in by the deadline, but you want to submit a resume that rises above your competitors. Anyone can piece together a [...]

We’ve all got that friend who would be considered a “job hopper”. The new job is always quick to become the former job. The lofty expectations soon become a watered down vision of disappointment, and the hopes of career growth and success spin into feelings of frustration and failure. Starting a new job is not an easy task to take on!   The question to be asked, however, is who is failing who? Was the new hiring manager dishonest about the reality of this new position? Is the daily workload more or less than was specified in the interview? Is the working environment more harsh or stressful than it was described to be?   Many times, the typical “job hoppers” are those who feel as though they got cheated when, in fact, they were the ones who cheated themselves. Adjusting to [...]