March 2008 - Posts

• How to Crack the Recruiter Code

  On Chris Russell’s Secrets of the Job Hunt blog, Phil Rosenberg offers some smart info on getting what you need from recruiters. Phil suggests that in order to develop successful relationships with recruiters you must adopt the attitude that you work Read More... Posted Monday, March 31, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Best Practices, Communication, Job Hunting, Personal Marketing, Professionalism

• Self-Righteousness Should Be a Sin

  The other night, I was watching a re-run of an episode of Wife Swap . I’ve seen this show before, and more often than not one of the characters is a stay-at-home-mom who acts very self-righteous about the fact that it is her job to take care of her children, Read More... Posted Friday, March 28, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 2 Comments Filed under: Attitude & Motivation, Current Affairs, Life Balance, People Skills, Daily Life, Work

• Book Review: A Million Bucks by 30

  I’m trying to catch up on my reading, and I was finally able to get to my fellow Ballantine Books author Alan Corey’s very smart book on how to make a million bucks by the age of 30. Specifically, as the cover proclaims, the book teachers twenty-somethings Read More... Posted Wednesday, March 26, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Handy Resources, Ownership & Initiative, Plans, Hopes, Goals

• Why It Pays to Be a Math Geek

  As a college student in the late 90s, I used to curse my lack of proficiency at math. Back then, the perception was that if you could master integral calculus or organic chemistry, you could be the one landing the big paycheck right out of college. Over Read More... Posted Monday, March 24, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Entry Level, Compensation, Employment Trends, Work, School

• Start Managing on the Right Foot

  One of my friends has been complaining that her team is running wild. Much as I love her, I know that this is happening because when my friend took over the group a few months ago, she really wanted her new reports to like her, so she put up with a lot Read More... Posted Friday, March 21, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 1 Comments Filed under: Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Management, Daily Life

• 7 Tips for Busting the Office Bully

  I like to advise people on the topic of coping with difficult people at work because we’ve all been there and inevitably will be there again. In most cases, I recommend that you confront the problem head on and talk about it with the person who is giving Read More... Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: HR Issues, Office Politics, People Skills, Troubleshooting, Work

• Are You Sloppy and Incoherent?

  And no, I’m not talking about your mental state early last Sunday morning when you stumbled into your apartment after a late-night jaunt downtown. I’m talking about your writing. I’m amazed by how many typos I see everywhere, on everything, lately. Typos Read More... Posted Monday, March 17, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Best Practices, Communication, Personal Marketing, Project Management, Professionalism

• If You’re Leaving, Should You Still Get Your Bonus?

  A reader e-mailed the following question: I recently gave my company a month’s notice as I planned to move to a new city and pursue a new career. A few weeks later, the company gave out the second installment of our bi-annual bonuses, and I did not receive Read More... Posted Friday, March 14, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 1 Comments Filed under: Best Practices, Communication, Office Politics, People Skills, Personal Marketing, Professionalism, Work

• Recruitment Spotlight: Open Houses

  I frequently get asked about whether or not I recommend companies participate in job fairs to find qualified candidates. But open houses are often a more effective means of initiating face-to-face contact with a large number of potential recruits. In Read More... Posted Wednesday, March 12, 2008 2:00 PM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: HR Issues, Management, Networking, Work

• Insights on the Millennials in Asia

  The Millennial generation, born 1977-93, is the largest in American history, and is already causing profound changes in the way organizations are managed. In the US, Millennials are known for being ambitious, empowered, efficient, and yes, maybe a little Read More... Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Entry Level, Current Affairs, Employment Trends, HR Issues

• More on Resumes: Some Good Things in Life Are Still Free

  Maybe because we’re still at the beginning of a new year, or maybe because we’re on the edge of a recession, resume writing has become an even hotter topic lately. On the heels of the great response on last week’s Razume post , I thought I’d share some Read More... Posted Friday, March 07, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Best Practices, Handy Resources, Job Hunting, Personal Marketing

• Dream Job Spotlight Cont: Chris, Political Speechwriter

  Today, we’re continuing our interview with Chris , who has his dream job as a political speechwriter. Alex: What personality traits do you think it takes to be successful in your job? Chris: First, imagination. You can’t just say the same things over Read More... Posted Wednesday, March 05, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Cool Careers, Current Affairs, Discovering Your Passion

• Working Remotely or Remotely Working?

  The HR Capitalist has a great post about the distrust of those working from home. Are they really working, asks writer Kris Dunn, or are they simply squeezing 3 hours of work into an 8-hour day? More importantly, can a remote worker/telecommuter even Read More... Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: HR Issues, Life Balance, Personal Marketing, Productivity, Professionalism, Technology, Daily Life, Work