I shared the story of my career transition from Opera into the Professional Development work I do today. Making that change eighteen years ago was a huge challenge. My career journey all of the sudden took a turn into uncharted territory and I was shaken to the core, but also changed for the better. If you find yourself in the midst of a career change where you find yourself “off-roading” away from the safe o...

When it comes to career, there’s a lot of pressure in our culture to achieve our goals…to “make it”… to “get there” – yet each time we “get there”, there’s always a new “there” to get to. We reach a goal, and that brings us to ‘What’s next?’ – and then we’re off again – working toward the next new goal on the...

Millennials have been the focus of a lot of analysis and discussion in recent years, often to lament their shortcomings and the skills they lack for functioning in society or the workplace. But this generation, raised around technology from day one in a quickly changing world, brings certain skills to the workplace. Whether you’re a hiring manager wondering if a millennial is worth the hire, or if you’re a mille...

It’s never too early or too late to create a picture of what you want in your life. Dreaming big and imagining all the possibilities open to you is a fabulous start to shaping your life and planning your future. For many, the dreams seem clear, but achieving them remains elusive. If this describes your situation, then get moving in the right direction and make an investment that can ensure your dreams are actually rea...

Maintaining a positive, self-confident attitude when letters and phone calls are not returned or interviews bring rejection letters can be disheartening, particularly during prolonged job search. But perk up. There are ways you can stay enthusiastic and optimistic. - Know what you want. It’s very important that you have clear career goals that represent your passion, not what others think you should be doing. It&...

As you know LinkedIn is the world’s largest online professional network. Therefore, you want to be sure your profile is a compelling and accurate portrayal of your professional brand. Whether you are actively seeking new opportunities or not, it’s important to maintain your LinkedIn profile to keep it fresh and up-to-date. A few minutes a week is all you need to maximize your visibility and capture the attentio...

I spent 18 years in corporate life, and experienced some great successes that I’m proud of. But I also faced some dismal failures. The failures weren’t around outcomes I generated, or projects I launched – those tended to go well. The failures centered around my emotional and physical well-being, how I was treated, and the lack of integrity, meaning and purpose I felt doing work that wasn’t aligned w...

This can be a sticky, tough question for a lot of job seekers. On the one hand, you don’t want to give away too many details as to why you’re looking for a new role. On the other, you don’t want to come off as wishy-washy with a non-answer. How do you best effectively answer this most common question? Let me start by saying that this question is one of those often used but irrelevant questions. Irreleva...

Most job seekers are leaving one of their most powerful tools unused on the table. Social proof can convince employers to trust you, believe you – and hire you. Why do you need social proof in job search? When a job posting brags that the company has “a very inclusive culture” and “great work-life balance,” you take it with a grain of salt, right? Sure. And that’s the same way they...

Do you like working for your current organization? Does it enable to express your purpose, satisfy your needs, and use your interests, skills and other characteristics? Do you know what kind of company culture would best fit you? Organizational culture is defined as the underlying beliefs, assumptions, values and ways of interacting that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization....