Category: Professional Development

Building skills on the job

Defensive Pessimism

by candacemoody

According to Julie K. Norem, Ph.D., a professor at Wellesley College Department of Psychology, defensive pessimism is a strategy used by anxious people to help them manage their anxiety so they can work productively. Defensive pessimists lower their expectations to help prepare themselves for the worst. “Though it sounds as if it might be depressing,” reads the site, “defensive pessimism actually helps anxious people focus away from their emotions so that they can plan and act effectively.”

The Four Zones of Interpersonal Space

by candacemoody

Tony Alessandra, PH.D, is the author of Charisma: Seven Keys to Developing the Magnetism that Leads to Success. His book discusses ways to increase your personal magnetism, or charisma. His theory is that there are several components of charisma, all of which we possess to one degree or another. We can also improve our command of all the components

What’s New

by candacemoody

Winifred Gallagher is the author of New: Understanding our Need for Novelty and Change. Her book explores why we humans are so attracted to things that are new to us. I should start by saying that not all of us are. Gallagher calls people who are not open to new experiences “neophobes,” as opposed to “neophiles,” who seek out change and new experiences.

What did you Learn Today?

by candacemoody

When was the last time someone asked you that? I’m betting that it was around the sixth grade, at the dinner table. While you were in school, you should have had a good answer to that question every day. Why is it that many adults give up on learning after they graduate?

Oh, we don’t give up entirely, of course. Some of us have to keep up with our professions: healthcare regulations, the new tax code, programming languages. But when was the last time you learned something brand new to you in a field that has nothing to do with your job?

I Wish I Knew How to Quit You

by candacemoody

Goldman Sachs employee Greg Smith made a big splash with his March 14 resignation. He emailed his bosses at 6:40 A.M. London time, but neglected to inform them that a long op ed piece would appear in that morning’s edition of the New York Times. The 1,300 word letter described a culture of greed and contempt for clients, with employees referring to them frequently as “muppets.”

Making the Most of Networking Meetings

by candacemoody

Arrive with an agenda. Laskoff says that he’s sat through several uncomfortable meetings where the requestor had obviously used all his energy in getting the meeting and had not had any energy left to plan what to say once he got there. Laskoff says he tries to help out when the requestor is at a loss for words, but suspect other busy people will simply toss the jobseeker out on his ear. For the record, my experience has been that most people are too polite to toss anyone out. But I, too, have experienced an uncomfortable silence after opening the meeting with, “How can I help you today?”

Land on the Right Side

by candacemoody

Most job search advice books are serious, well-meaning and bland. I read so many that when I find one that’s funny and profane, in equal parts, I can’t help but share the advice with you. Michael Laskoff is the author of a “survival guide for the recently unemployed” called Landing on the Right Side of Your A**. (Title redacted; this is a family friendly blog, after all.)