INSIGHTS FROM MINDY THOMAS
Career Blog
Career advice, job search strategies, resume tips, and insights to help you land the career you actually want.
Work Would Be Great If It Weren’t For the People – Is It Them or Me?
I cannot begin to tell you how many clients...
How to Stay Positive While Job Searching this Holiday Season
You can control the effort that you put into your job search, the quality of your resume and cover letter, and the networking opportunities that you pursue.
Making Your Next Career Move: How Do You Know When the Time Is Right?
I encounter clients every day who absolutely know when the time is right for them to make a career move. They are the folks who call me and sign right up for resume writing services. In today’s economic climate, changing jobs can be a scary proposition, so I admire those folks with the guts to go full speed ahead and plunge into finding a better way of life for themselves. But there are many others who stand still, paralyzed by fear but stuck in a job that does not make them happy.
A Job Hunter’s Nightmare: When a Recruiter Crosses the Line
Can you imagine working with a recruiter on your seemingly confidential job search, and you find out your recruiter crossed the line?
When my client told me he was terminated from his job, I wondered why. He was an absolute star performer and had a track record of success that didn’t quit. In fact, he was actively being sought after by multiple companies.
Emotional Anorexia: Are You Starving Yourself While Striving Towards Your Career Goals?
I don’t know whether you agree, but I think there is always a cost to leveraging your career in the workplace. I’m talking about the emotional, physical, spiritual, or just plain psychological toll that we pay when we push to achieve our career goals and delay gratification in other areas of our lives.
Rising to the Top: Busting Job Search Myths at 64
When my boomer buddy, a global SVP, informed me that he landed a new job in less than 60 days after getting laid off from his company after 20 years, I shouted with joy. With over 3 million baby boomers currently unemployed, we all know how tough it is.
I asked him, “Do you realize that you just shattered your own myth about not being hireable because you are ‘over the hill’, have grey hair and are 64 years old?”
When Your Career Is in a Downward Spiral, Remember That Nothing Is in Stone
I get knots in my stomach when I hear about how twisted this job market is becoming. Frankly, the stories are never ending. From nurses at Penn who are completely skilled in their profession but have new educational mandates to complete by a certain date (or else!), to recent college graduates who are overwrought with confusion about what to do next, to baby boomers who are pressured to take severance packages before the ax hits, it’s no wonder that we’re all losing it.
Wasted Talent: Are You Working for the Right Company?
Wasted Talent. Sadly, I see it every day in the business I’m in.
When I hear about how troubling the workplace has become, and specifically the toxic cultures and environments some people work in, I get knots in my stomach. As a resume writer and career counselor, I often find myself serving as a trusted confidante and advisor. Many times that translates to hearing the dirty secrets about the abhorrent lack of leadership, the narcissistic, egomaniac supervisor, and inept managerial incompetence in the workplace.
Get Noticed with a Resume Focused on Your Achievements
The number one fatal flaw in nearly every resume I review is that they are written in what I refer to as the “80s” style. By this I mean that every job and every “given” responsibility is listed in a bulleted format. Are you telling your career story in this way?
Radical Career Changes – Where Do You Begin?
It seems like everywhere you look, people are thinking and talking about making career changes. They’re unfulfilled in their job or don’t get along with either their boss or their toxic co-workers. Or, even worse, the company leadership is so darn weak or even non-existent that they are going nowhere in their careers. What does it take to make a radical career change today and how do you begin what may seem like a daunting process?
Why Right Now Is the Right Time to Take Charge of Your Career
When I read the title of a recent Wall Street Journal post, “In This Economy, Quitters Are Winning,” frankly, I thought I misinterpreted something. People are quitting jobs, moving on to new positions, and making more money.
MainLine Magazine: 10 Ways to Achieve Your Personal Best in 2017
Wasted Talent. Sadly, I see it every day in the business I’m in.
When I hear about how troubling the workplace has become, and specifically the toxic cultures and environments some people work in, I get knots in my stomach. As a resume writer and career counselor, I often find myself serving as a trusted confidante and advisor. Many times that translates to hearing the dirty secrets about the abhorrent lack of leadership, the narcissistic, egomaniac supervisor, and inept managerial incompetence in the workplace.
If You Want a New Job, Cover All Your Bases
According to a recent survey by Jobvite, which conducts the most comprehensive Social Recruiting Survey of its kind, “An astounding 94 percent of recruiters used or planned to use social media in their recruitment efforts last year. That’s an increase of 16 percent since 2008. And 78 percent of recruiters made a hire through social media in 2013.”
Career Resiliency: What Does It Take?
No doubt there are many tough career stories in the naked city. I interviewed a close family friend yesterday about what it took for him to stay in the game. I have to tell you that I was completely moved by his brutal honesty in discussing having been fired four times over the course of his career. Mind you, I am not talking about downsizing or the company going offshore. I am speaking about being let go for politically incorrect behavior on the job. At the same time, what is even more remarkable is the fact that today this individual is an out-and-out complete success in his given industry.
You Want an Edge in This Job Market? Create That LinkedIn Profile NOW!
Why? It’s simply a no brainer. The funny thing is, no matter how many times I read an article or a blog post touting the validity and importance of LinkedIn, I end up befuddled by the resistance of this networking and job search tool. Boomers hide their head in the sand. College students look the other way. And, forget about the people who are trying to transition in this job market. They just fast forward their way to the resume process and don’t want to hear one more word about LinkedIn. Say what?
Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship Are Here to Stay! Are You Ready?
Last year, Forbes reported on a startling finding that by 2020, 50 percent of the workforce will be self-employed. That’s only 7 years from now. When I digested this possibility, it reminded me of the fact that I NEVER had a desire to be self-employed. Nope. Not me. No way, ever.
Let’s Face It: Your Career Development Is in Your Hands
As we take steps to achieve success in our chosen careers, we sometimes search for mentors as well as role models. We quickly realize that many celebrated individuals who have been catapulted onto the world stage arrived there, not only as a result of hard work, but also after being closely mentored. In the past, men have been dominant in, but not limited to, business, entertainment, sports and politics. They arrived at the top of their game often times, as a result of not only of their hard work, but because they had someone in their life who gave them sorely needed direction.
Break Through the Barriers with Career Counseling
What do you do if you can’t sort it out? What happens when you become so fed up with trying to figure out next steps? You and I both know there is a huge cost to this kind of storm that might be brewing inside you.
Getting Ahead: Don’t Forget to Feed Your Spirit
As Blake Shelton from the popular show “The Voice” might say, “What kind of bull crap is this?” To the contrary, Blake definitely knows what I’m referring to because it’s clear that one of the ways Blake feeds his spirit is through country music.
3 Considerations that May Trump Your Career Transition
There are many people that want to cross this bridge to the other side, however, career changes cannot be made in isolation. In fact, when we make a change, we need to consider the context of our personal life and overall life goals.
Your Career is Your Business. Isn’t it Time For You to Manage it Like a CEO?
Please call Professional Career Counselor Mindy Thomas, MS, CPRW, CLC, CJC, CJDC directly at 610.937.5632 or send us a message.