May 2007 - Posts

• 21st Century Career: The Virtual Assistant

  Flexible work opportunities just keep on expanding, as evidenced by this week’s Today Show segment . Karen Reddick is a Virtual Assistant (VA) who helps small businesses like Holland Travel in St. Louis successfully run their businesses virtually - from Read More... Posted Wednesday, May 30, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 2 Comments Filed under: Cool Careers, Technology, News and Politics

• 6 Reasons You’re Not Getting Hired

  Kate Lorenz is one of my favorite career advice writers, and a great piece she released recently is on the most common reasons you might have been on the market for a year or more and still don’t have a job in hand. I see this problem all the time. Most Read More... Posted Monday, May 28, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 7 Comments Filed under: Job Hunting, Productivity

• 12 Ways to Overcome Phone Phobia

  Calling people, especially ones I haven’t spoken to before, is not one of my favorite activities, this advice from Heather Mundell at Life @Work and the bloggers at Hiring Revolution . Heather’s post is dedicated to people who will do just about anything Read More... Posted Friday, May 25, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 4 Comments Filed under: Attitude & Motivation, Best Practices, Communication, Daily Life

• Can Your Boss Count On You?

  I’ve been taking on some new management responsibilities recently. And you know what I realized? The number one quality I appreciate most in a direct report is reliability. By reliable, I mean a person who says she is going to do something, and then actually Read More... Posted Wednesday, May 23, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 2 Comments Filed under: Attitude & Motivation, Best Practices, Ownership & Initiative, Project Management, Professionalism, Work

• It's Reflection Time: Jobacle Career Quiz

  This “ Tag, You’re It” quiz was sent over by Andrew at Jobacle.com . Andrew says that our careers all have their ups and downs, and when we share the ride with the world, everyone sees that they are not alone. He thought my answers might be of interest Read More... Posted Monday, May 21, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 2 Comments Filed under: Handy Resources, Daily Life, Work

• Alexandra on "Secrets of the Job Hunt" Podcast

  Yesterday, I was a guest on C.M. Russell's Secrets of the Job Hunt podcast series. Check out my 12 minute segment on job hunting advice for new college grads. Read More... Posted Friday, May 18, 2007 11:00 PM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Entry Level, Job Hunting, Work

• 20-Somethings Need Financial "Aid"

  U.S. News and World Report has reported that the vast majority of young workers are failing to sign up for myriad tax-advantaged accounts, potentially leaving hundreds if not thousands of dollars of benefits on the table. Though the vast majority of eligible Read More... Posted Friday, May 18, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Current Affairs, HR Issues, News and Politics

• Without This Business Skill, You're Dead

  My colleague Steve Rubel participated in a teleconference for PR professionals hosted by the Public Relations Society of America . During the session, the moderator, Peter Himler , asked him what three essential sites or tools that professionals should Read More... Posted Wednesday, May 16, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Creativity & Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Business, Work

• Just Graduating? 5 Career Tips You Won’t Learn in School

  In the fall of 2004, I published a book called They Don't Teach Corporate in College , which was based upon my experiences as an overachieving twenty-something slogging her way through the business world. Around this time of year, I always get asked for Read More... Posted Monday, May 14, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 3 Comments Filed under: Entry Level, Personal Marketing, Professionalism, Work, Plans, Hopes, Goals

• Thought Please Was the Magic Word? Think Again.

  Will Schwalbe , a guest blogger at Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist , is senior vice president, editor in chief of Hyperion Books , and has just published a cool new book called Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home . I’ve yet to receive Read More... Posted Friday, May 11, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Communication, Technology, Daily Life, Work

• Interview with Lindsey Pollak: New Career Author

  My friend Lindsey Pollak has a new book out called Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World . I interviewed Lindsey over the weekend and thought I’d share some of her thoughts with you! Alex: How do you think college Read More... Posted Wednesday, May 09, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Entry Level, Discovering Your Passion, Work, School, Plans

• Check Out The Most Painless Job Hunting Activity Ever

  It’s official: recruiting has entered the twenty-first century. A few weeks ago, I introduced the concept of Web 3.0 , and what do you know? We’re here already. TMP Worldwide is working with exclusive companies including eBay , Microsoft , HP and Verizon Read More... Posted Monday, May 07, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Creativity & Innovation, Employment Trends, Job Hunting, Networking, Technology

• 5 Reasons to Make a List

  I’ve recently noted that the most popular posts on my blog are lists, where I give advice in the form or “5 tips for X” or “10 ways to do Y.” So I’ve started thinking that lists are probably more effective for other types of communication too. Here are Read More... Posted Friday, May 04, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Communication, Handy Resources, Productivity

• The Psychology of Business Travel

  I’m always lamenting the annoyances of business travel. Whole days wasted on airplanes. Having to feel your way around strange airports and cities. Unavoidable expenses that the company finds an excuse not to pay for. Except when I think about it, some Read More... Posted Wednesday, May 02, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Business, Life Balance, Daily Life, Work