There’s so much that’s uncomfortable about this whole career thing. Facing rejection as you interview, embarrassing yourself when networking, coming across as a desperate job seeker, having to ask your network for help, being unclear about your career direction when you think everyone else is clear, or desiring a career reinvention but being unsure about even where to start.Yuck. Uncomfortable terrain.I don’t care if you’...

When is the very best time to look for a job?a) When you have a job (so don’t quit before you find a new one).b) When you have time to devote to finding a job.c) When you’re “ready” and focused to look.d) Once your resume gets updated.e) Only after two years in the same job.f) None of the above.The correct answer is (f) none of the above. The ideal time to look for your next job is the day you start a new job. If you’re li...

Following up after an interview is tough. How much follow up is too much? Does the prospective employer even care if you send a thank you note? Is there even a point to following up? Time for a candid reality check…No one has ever received a job because he or she followed up. No one. Think about it — no hiring manager has ever said “John, I’m so glad you followed up with me. I was going to offer the job to another c...

As a career coach, I get a ringside seat to great brands and so-so brands. But so do you - take your experience as a consumer and think about your favorite brands. What's their emotional appeal? Are they quirky? Are they innovative? Are they reliable? The brands that come to my mind: Southwest Airlines is Quirky, Apple is innovative and Maytag is reliable. Now think about your current or past co-workers. Who among the...

Jackson was really frustrated with his job search. He knew something was off, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. You might identify with how he assessed his pros and cons related to his job search situation: Pros Great past working relationships. Interesting work history, thread is strategic partnerships and communications. Extensive professional network, but hasn’t been nurtured in past few years. Unusual ba...

I blogged about awkward LinkedIn invitations and it was my most shared blog post ever. Wonder if it has anything to do with the Kelly Blazek fiasco that happened around that same time? You know, the Cincinnati-based, self-professed mentor who wrote a scathing response to a LinkedIn request. Epic fail in the career karma department for Kelly. Ouch. Seems like there are a lot of conversations happening around networking b...

I used to be skeptical about personal brands. They felt contrived and a bit manipulative – and far too self-promotional for my liking. I like to think of myself as discerning – I hate feeling like I’m being sold on anything. I was wrong. Personal branding is just another way of saying that you’re clear about you. Your brand is your authenticity. It’s that simple. What shifted for me is that I see branding as a way to s...

One of the best parts of my job is seeing clients be successful. Especially when their success comes as a bit of a surprise to them - unexpected or unintended success. That's what happened to Rob, one of my Brand You Boot Camp participants. What I love about his story, and why I asked him if I could share it with you, is that Rob was a bit skeptical about personal branding. You know I love a challenge! Rob has a backgro...

I started this blog post a few weeks ago. In one week, I had basically the exact same “LinkedIn versus resume” conversation with almost everyone that I met. Note to self: When you have the same conversation more than once, it usually means you have a blog topic at hand. One of the people I follow on LinkedIn is Lindsey Pollak, and when I was starting to blog about resumes and LinkedIn, she posted this article on...

Wrapping up my LinkedIn Profile series by covering some of the sections that you might have overlooked or ignored (I know you’re busy so I’m here to help.) Let’s look at the Education, Skills & Expertise (endorsements), Recommendations, Certifications and Additional Information sections. Then, some top secret LinkedIn tips for using groups and some insight into LinkedIn search algorithms. Education – LinkedIn wants you to...