You’re interviewing for a job and the interviewer wants to pick your brain. You sense they want your expertise without paying for it.
“Real” consultants run into this challenge all the time. Most of us learn to charge for “diagnostic” or “test-drive” challenges.
When interviewing, you may feel more constrained, especially if you need or really want […]

On a recent post, a recruiter “The Headhunter” columnist answered a reader’s question about performance reviews. “I haven’t had a review in 4 years,” the reader said. “What should I do?”
The columnist advised the reader to press the issue. If necessary, he said, “Go to the Human Resource department. It’s possible your boss isn’t following […]

Last week a reporter from Australia emailed me, getting background for an article about careers. As it turned out, the questions related directly to my ebook on “Ten things to do when you really, really hate your job.”http://www.cathygoodwin.com/hatejob.html
An example of the career advice I shared:
Q. How do we ‘readjust’ our attitude to be […]

When reviewing career change books, I sometimes add the comment, ‘This book seems more appropriate for 20-somethings or 30-somethings. But midlife career changers will resist.”
(1) You need different networking systems. A Young Career Changer (YCC) can ask for informational interviews. He can ask to shadow someone for a day or two.
But if you’re in your […]

As a long-time Apprentice fan I looked forward to the move to Los Angeles. This one was over the top.
First, do you believe the losing team really slept outside in the tents? This scene has to be staged!
Second, we need two judges. This time around, Donald has decided that the winning project manager […]

Some time ago, Wall Street Journal featured a long article about starting a business at retirement age.
The article took a cautious tone. Don’t gamble all your life savings on a business. You won’t have time to recover from a massive failure (as you would at 20 or 30). And so on.
But as the article […]

Q. I’m changing jobs. Before leaving my current position, should I get letters of reference?
A. Probably not. In my experience, corporate employers rarely pay attention to “To Whom It May Concern” letters. They’ll prefer phone calls that aren’t recorded. When they need a letter, they’ll have their own forms and they’ll want letters […]