Success – Page 19 – Your Work, Your Way

The Law of Random Relationships

July 18, 2011 by candacemoody

Spaulding tells the story of applying for a prestigious Rotary scholarship, one that will give him a year of study abroad. By the time he applies, Spaulding is in college; he managed to find one small school that would take a chance on his academic record. He applies for the Rotary scholarship and is notified that he is one of ten finalists. Spaulding travels a very long distance back to his home town to meet with the selection committee. When he arrives at a local restaurant for the interview, he sees the group of tense and wary competitors lined up to wait their turn. The finalists’ name tags read like a Who’s Who of prestigious universities: Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. All but Spaulding’s, which read: East Carolina University. His spirits and confidence plunged as he considered the competition.

Consider the Source

July 11, 2011July 1, 2011 by candacemoody

Honest feedback is a rare commodity; very few people will trust someone enough to open up and tell you exactly what they think. When you hear a piece of honest, thoughtful criticism, you should be grateful. Criticism is a gift; knowing where you stand is valuable intelligence, even when that knowledge stings. Here are some tips for dealing with criticism.

Summer Reading List

July 5, 2011June 27, 2011 by candacemoody

I love hearing from other bloggers – they offer great suggestions for reposts. Many people (including me) are taking time off this week, so I welcome the chance to offer a repost of a list of great reading for people in a job search. These 50 book suggestions come with short reviews and recaps, and all of them will be available at your local library. Enjoy!

Six Steps to the Perfect Elevator Speech

June 27, 2011 by candacemoody

Everyone understands the concept: pitch yourself and your skills in less than a minute (the time to ride the elevator to the top floor.) Here is career coach Tim Tyrell-Smith’s template, designed to work for a networking meeting introduction.

Innies vs. Outies: Introverts in the Workplace

June 20, 2011 by candacemoody

If you’re an introvert in business, you probably feel different every day. Not differently; just different. I’ve met many introverts who feel that they get less attention, less credit, even fewer promotions than their extraverted peers.

Sense Your Humor

June 13, 2011 by candacemoody

There are four humors found in humans, according to this ancient theory. When the humors were in balance, people are healthy; when humors are out of balance, the person gets sick. Around 400 BC, Hippocrates took this theory a step further and developed personality models based on the humors: Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine and Phlegmatic. Although the medical humor theory is long out of the mainstream, you’ll recognize these personality descriptions; we still use them today.

Pulling out of the Process

May 27, 2011 by candacemoody

I recently received an email from a jobseeker who asked whether it was appropriate to pull out of the interview process on her own initiative. While her question was about unemployment claim eligibility, I was curious to know why anyone would decline an interview in this competitive job market.

Top 9 Career Podcasts

May 23, 2011May 14, 2011 by candacemoody

Whether you’re currently in the midst of a career change, you’re hoping to start up your own business, or you simply despise your job and you’re looking for other opportunities, there are numerous podcasts out there on the web that can help.

Results Masked as Advice

May 13, 2011 by candacemoody

One of the barriers to change, according to the authors, is the unhelpful advice people give you when they see you have a problem. We’ve all experienced this and the authors call it “Results masked as advice.” In other words, people are telling you what results that want you to achieve, instead of telling you what to do next. “Be a team player” or “Be more open to constructive criticism” sound like good advice, until you actually try to do it.