In the Business of You

Just a few months ago, I’m betting that the conversations around your holiday dinner table did not at all include a serious pandemic or the global economy taking a gut punch as a result of pretty much everyone on the planet being told to “stay home”. Well…here we are, watching unemployment claims being filed at a pace well beyond anything in history, duct taped “X’s” on the floors of grocery & drug stores to help ensure we don’t get too close to each other, cancellation of basically every imaginable event, including church services, along with the delay or cancellation of the seasons for all professional and amateur sports. Some experts are predicting that unemployment might go as high as 32%, which is nearly ten times what it was in January…just three months ago. If your employer isn’t included on the list of essential businesses, you’ve most likely been furloughed. Although none of that news breeds much confidence, it’s not time to throw your hands up in the ...

Tough question…but, it shouldn't be. Although there is no “one and only” expert when it comes to the nuts and bolts of putting together a strong and effective job search strategy, there are a whole lot of folks out there giving advice that ranges from “not really accurate” to horribly wrong. The frustrating part for job seekers is that they often hear presentations by or have one-on-one discussions with people (describing themselves as career experts) who may speak about similar topics, but provide sometimes wildly different advice. Unfortunately, this wide range of advice/opinions not only confuses the job seeker, but often adds significantly to their already high levels of confusion, frustration, anxiety, and diminishing feeling of self-confidence and self-worth. For example, during a recent networking event co-sponsored by my company, one of the attendees (who has been in transition for several months) told me that she had attended a presentation at a local job seekers g...