Your Personal Career BoD

Should I move to take the next step in my career? Is now the time for me to launch my own business? Why should I invest in a Ph.D? A personal Board of Directors (BoD) can facilitate your career decisions. Many of us have our friends, relatives, former teachers, or mentors  that we go toContinue reading “Your Personal Career BoD”

Career Conversation with My Team?

You have a great team! Routine things work smoothly and challenges are handled. There are occasional blips to manage, but overall, its business as usual. Great! This is not the time to coast.  Its the very best time to build your team’s bench strength. How well do you know each person on your team? DoContinue reading “Career Conversation with My Team?”

Bridges to Career Conversations

Career conversation can happen anytime and be about so much more than how to get a promotion. But I often hear people say they can’t initiate them without hitting a wall. If your  manager doesn’t seem warm to the conversation… What’s your history with similar conversations? Is it always about more money or a promotion?Continue reading “Bridges to Career Conversations”

Translate Your Resume: Show How You Make a Difference

To all my scientist, engineering and IT people – your resume needs translation! Your CV needs to showcase how your work makes a difference! No longer will just a list of technical qualifications be enough. If you want to take your passion to the next level, do you know what that next level is?  IsContinue reading “Translate Your Resume: Show How You Make a Difference”

Coasting Through Your Career?

Do you have more days at work when you are bored than engaged?  Are you counting the days until the next big thing will be over?  What have you done to jump-start your career lately? Check your career map. Oh, you don’t have one?  What happened to that plan you drafted, the professional development planContinue reading “Coasting Through Your Career?”

Do You Deserve a Raise?

Last October I posted Ask for a Raise the Right Way  with good tips and infographic.  You absolutely must do your homework to effectively leverage your value to your employer.  Start with your accomplishments – the stand out things you did this year.  But go further. Update your inventory of the  knowledge and skills youContinue reading “Do You Deserve a Raise?”

You just had a Career Conversation

Were you paying attention? Not all career conversations are directly about you and getting ahead.  Getting personal feedback is great, but it is only one aspect of career conversations. Career Conversations come from many sources, not just bosses and mentors. They may be hiding in meetings and other conversations. If you just had a hallwayContinue reading “You just had a Career Conversation”

Career Conversations, part 4 – Raise Your Hand

One of the most effective career conversation you can have is asking to do something for your boss. When my boss was sharing some of the company’s plans for re-structuring, we could see that there was a big piece missing (aka “opportunity”) in managing the transition. Turf protection was high and we knew that gettingContinue reading “Career Conversations, part 4 – Raise Your Hand”

Friends – What are you expecting?

I’ve been hearing a theme from people and reading the advice columns of how often we are disappointed with our friends. It sounds like this: “I always do [fill in the blank] for her, but she never reciprocates.”  “I was there for him, but now he’s too busy to help me.” Whether its remembering birthdays,Continue reading “Friends – What are you expecting?”

Career Management in 10 minutes or less

You can forge the direction of your career with short, strategic conversations. We often only think about our careers once a year as a new year resolution or a performance review.  Yet we know that frequent feedback, sharing information and asking for help are the keys to growing and developing our careers. If you keepContinue reading “Career Management in 10 minutes or less”