Having changed employers and roles several times over the course of my career, I’ve learned that getting off to a fast start in a new position hinges on building credibility in the new role. To do so, you need to deliver early but enduring results. Planning your first few weeks on the job is the
Fantasies can come true. Just ask Ann Krcik, a rock climber who dreamed about quitting her marketing-operations job to work with fellow adventurers in the great outdoors. She made the leap by launching a Salt Lake City, Utah, firm that represents “extreme” athletes, signing them up to appear in commercials, and as models and motivational
At age 35, Paul Gauguin was working in a bank. A year later, he chucked that job, along with his wife, his children and his prosperous but predictable Parisian existence for a tumultuous life as an artist in southern France and then Tahiti. It was a life he later described as “ecstasy, peace and for
Switching from a military to a civilian career is a big step. It also can be extremely difficult. Military officers may be highly qualified for many business positions. However, their backgrounds are so different from those of typical executives that employers often can’t tell if — and where — they’d fit. To start with, military
By payroll size, the biggest U.S. employer isn’t General Motors Corp. or Wal-Mart Stores. It’s Manpower Inc., a temporary services firm in Milwaukee, which employs 760,000. Manpower sends all types of employees into companies to fill temporary roles ranging from traditional filing and typing to complex computer, marketing or finance positions. Because these jobs aren’t
Despite the corporate layoff announcements piling up, the overall employment picture is still quite healthy. What better time to go into business for yourself? If you’ve yearned for the freedom of being your own boss, be warned: Experienced independent professionals will tell you that there’s little that’s “free” about being a free agent.
Wendy Brawer was an English teacher in Japan vacationing in Bali when she noticed how peaceful, rural hideaways were turning into tourist hotels. When she returned to the U.S., she was determined to shift environmental attitudes. She eventually hit upon the idea of helping communities create maps of their ecological and cultural resources. In 1995,
One reason many people find it difficult to change careers is they think they have to do it in one big leap. Another is simple inertia — it’s easier to stay with the familiar pain of doing what they don’t like than brave the unknown. But you don’t have to change careers in one fell
So many people aren’t happy, fulfilled or even moderately satisfied with their work. The constant changes taking place in companies, including the temporary nature of jobs that were once relatively permanent, create a stressful work environment in which it’s difficult to feel satisfied, let alone happy.
A lack of jobs in a particular field or geographic region or simply the poor economy can stymie some b-school graduates attempting to make career changes. These factors have been working against Kathryn Wiyninger since she earned her M.B.A. from the University of Oklahoma’s Michael F. Price College of Business in 2001.
Many of us dream of finding the perfect spouse, a fantastic place to live and the absolute best college education for our kids. But most romances, house hunts and academic pursuits aren’t as perfect as we’d hoped. Your spouse is loving and understanding, but snores. A house is large and airy, but expensive to heat.
A 31-year-old career changer has made a proposal to a company: “On paper, it doesn’t look like I have the experience, but I know I have the skills you need. I’ll work on an intern’s salary for four weeks, and then you decide if you want to hire me.”
Are you happy with your chosen profession? Only about half of all U.S. adults are satisfied with their jobs, according to several recent surveys, so there’s a good chance you’d like to try another career. There’s an equally good chance that you don’t know how to change career direction without major pain and disruption. But
Most people start their careers on a certain path — and rarely veer far from it. And then there are those who decide that the only way to happiness is to take a sharp turn. The impetus may come from the workplace or from home, from a premeditated decision or a bolt from the blue.
Confused by recent headlines about money and happiness? Here’s a quick cheat sheet summarizing recent academic studies on the link between the two. Relative income and happiness Summary: While the rich are generally happier than the rest of us, your income compared to your peers is a stronger predictor of happiness. The higher the income
Please don’t sign, or let your salespeople sign, a non-standard contract to supply staff without taking advice first.
Some employers may not ask for references and others will routinely call your past employers with or without your permission. The references we will discuss include those you voluntarily submit to a prospective employer. In selecting these references, use the following criteria:
Self-Assessment is the process of determining where you’ve been, where you are, and where you are going by examining your current needs, your personal strengths and your personal weaknesses. Once you have identified these factors you can begin to build a career roadmap.
Many people fail to understand the process of salary negotiation. It is not simply demanding more money for your services. Communication, preparation, trust, a mutual understanding of each party’s position and willingness to compromise are the key ingredients of successful negotiations. In the end both parties must believe they have reached an agreement that serves
WASHINGTON — Private-sector employers accelerated their hiring last month, adding 217,000 net new jobs in the best performance since June, payroll firm Automatic Data Processing Inc. said Wednesday. The job growth topped an upwardly revised 196,000 in October and was another positive economic signal, adding to the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will hike a
