PhD’s at the Crossroads: Career Counseling and Coaching for a New Direction

MCDA Newsletter – April, 2019 Universities are producing PhDs in record numbers in all disciplines. It’s exciting to have all this brain power!  We have phenomenal technologies and research coming from university labs, while our PhDs are being groomed to continue their research and teaching. Yet, according to Nature, while the number of academic PhDsContinue reading “PhD’s at the Crossroads: Career Counseling and Coaching for a New Direction”

Career Conversation-Why am I doing This?

Chances are you’ve asked yourself this question when the going got rough at work. What were you thinking!? Really. What were you thinking when you were excited about this job? Spend a few minutes recalling what is appealing to you.  List those things that are  still present.  Do you still have the opportunities to learnContinue reading “Career Conversation-Why am I doing This?”

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”

Two Key Questions for Your Next Job

“Why are you interested in this job?”  This is a standard interviewer’s question, or should be. The hiring manager is wise to ask about your motivations to determine if you’ll be a good fit with the team and organization. In looking for your next job, your first step is having a good idea of whyContinue reading “Two Key Questions for Your Next Job”

Accomplishments: Meaning in the Mundane

The key to every self-performance appraisal, resume,and interview  is capturing our accomplishments.  Many of us don’t feel we have any because we just come in and do our jobs.  Others of us believe that our good work will get noticed by others and we don’t have to remind them. We are carefully taught not toContinue reading “Accomplishments: Meaning in the Mundane”

A Crystal Ball – Skills for Now and the Future

A research report from Apollo Research Institute gives us a crystal ball for looking towards 2020.  “Future Work Skills 2020” I like the way this report takes the major global trends and matches them with the skills workers need to thrive now and going forward. Its very useful for  the many people needing to re-skill,Continue reading “A Crystal Ball – Skills for Now and the Future”

Exposure – Key Element in Career Search

  My mother would take me to symphony concerts when I was a child.  I was so bored!  There was no action!  Then she told me to watch just one or two musicians throughout a piece to see what they did both while they were playing and especially when they weren’t.  That kept me awakeContinue reading “Exposure – Key Element in Career Search”

More Boomers Starting Own Biz

Reuter’s Wealth Blogger, Mark Miller, shared the statistics of Entrepreneurs age 55 to 64 now represent a rising share of start-up activity, according to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, accounting for 23 percent of new entrepreneurs in 2010, up from 14.5 percent in 1996. As this age group experiences the early buyouts, early retirementContinue reading “More Boomers Starting Own Biz”

Career Decisions – How Much is Enough?

When do you know you have enough money? Do you always need a higher salary, or an increase in revenue? To some these are moot [aka “dumb”] questions because of the belief that “more is always better.”  Much has been written and espoused on the Scarcity vs Abundance perspectives and their impact on the wayContinue reading “Career Decisions – How Much is Enough?”

Thinking of Retirement?

Is retirement an option for you? Are you facing a decision due to mandatory or an early retirement offer from your employer? Have you reached that milestone point in terms of tenure or age? “Retirement” is really a word only used in financial terms now – you are eligible by either age or time inContinue reading “Thinking of Retirement?”