Maybe you just got your MBA or maybe you are looking for the next step in your career. You may have your sights aimed on Silicon Valley or one of your dream companies that you’ve been wanting to work at for as long as you can remember. As an employee of a large tech company, I receive hundreds of LinkedIn messages a month from curious, determined and even sometimes demanding people.
5 Things That Happen to Young Professionals in Their “Late” 20’s
1. You may wish that you would have kept a diary.
Remembering what happened last year can be tough, yet 10-15 years ago. Actually, I can’t even remember what I did yesterday. Time suddenly starts to blend together, as your days get busier and busier and you’ll wish that you could have something to look back on. Good thing is, many of us have Facebook or even MySpace to look back on. Live Journal anyone? Continue reading
I Got No Job, But I’ll Get One Again
Losing a job can be a positive experience
My daughters tease me about how I’d always sing the wrong words to popular songs. The best example was the Chumbawamba hit Tubthumping from the 90s. The song lyrics say, “I get knocked down but I get up again,” but for some reason I heard it as “I got no job but I’ll get one again.” Sadly, a few months ago I was singing that song and the lyrics matched my situation for real –my personal version with the wrong lyrics about not having a job. Continue reading
4 Ways to Manage Your Time as an MBA Student
It’s a Saturday morning and as the sun peeks through the blinds at 7am, I’m sitting here staring at my to-do list for the day. It’s overwhelming! As a Weekend Executive MBA student at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, my time has been limited. In fact, my time has become more and more precious.
My Saturday Morning To-Do List
- Clean the house
- Grocery shopping
- Go to Home Depot
- Team call to go over our assignments at 12pm
- Call the security company to come fix the video camera that stopped working
- Visit my Mom (I have to make time for this one!)
- Study for our upcoming weekend of classes at Duke
- Spend time with my husband
- Workout
- Me time…(last priority)
5 Things That Happen the 1st Month of Your MBA Program
When you start your MBA, your life will change. Thirty days ago, I started my Executive MBA at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Fuqua was my “Hail Mary” shot at a top business school, and here I was on Day 1 standing in the Hall of Flags under a balloon arch that said “DUKE”. I couldn’t help but feel like exploding with excitement! Continue reading
6 Ways to Make the Most of Summer Even if You Are Out of Vacation Days
Remember the feeling when it was the last day of school and the thrill of running out of the entrance doors into the great, wild and wonderful unknown of summer break? College days were the same after the last finals and the car was loaded up to drive home there was a sense of freedom and accomplishment. As working adults, unless we are teachersl, we are lucky to get a week or two off or perhaps a long weekend. Even so the thrill is pretty much the same. Turn off the laptop, close the office door, kick off the pumps and off to get some well-needed R&R while singing the Alice Cooper song “Schools Out for Summer!” Continue reading
4 Things You Need to Know When Searching for a Job
Tip #1: Use LinkedIn as a Tool NOT a Turnoff
If you haven’t already done so, create a LinkedIn page. Include a professional picture and make sure your profile is up to date with any awards and past job descriptions.
Unless you are a professional athlete, keep the action shots for Facebook. The same goes for selfies and partying. Recruiters on LinkedIn aren’t looking for the next best party. They’re looking for professionals who have a welcoming and friendly profile picture. Continue reading
Happy Feet = Happy Day, Knowing When to Leave those Spikes in the Closet
I pulled out my favorite black pumps today to wear to work with a black skirt and my Jacksonville Jaguar colored suit jacket. I looked at the shoes for a moment and felt a little daring. I think I will dump the sensible pumps for my favorite patent leather stilettos with a stylishly pointed toe. Yeah! I have a presentation to give and those shoes will look so good! Plus, I didn’t have much walking to do today.
Bad idea. Continue reading
Two Reasons to be Genuinely Nice to EVERYONE at Work
You’re walking down the hall at work and you’ve had a pretty unpleasant morning. You got to work late, missed part of your 8am meeting, and then you spilled coffee on your shirt. But, as you walk down the hall with your stained shirt and your coffee in hand, another fellow employee is approaching. At this point, you are DONE with your day and it’s only 9:15am. What do you do?
5 Really Cool Ways to Make Your Resume Stand Out
Today, when job seekers find a position they want to apply for, they do so through a tedious on-line application process, submitting their resumes and cover letters electronically. Information received by the hiring manager or HR recruiter typically goes through a computer screening process where only the resumes determined to be from qualified applicants are viewed. Unfortunately, qualified applicants are sometimes missed in this electronic screening process for a variety of reasons. Here are five ways to assure your resume gets through to the hiring manager. Continue reading
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