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• A Lesson in Good Sportsmanship

  Well, the gymnastics competitions that are my favorite part of the Olympic Games are over. As usual, the events were dogged with controversy. This year, it had mainly to do with the ages and scores of the Chinese gymnasts. In 1997, to counter the increasing Read More... Posted Monday, August 25, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Current Affairs, People Skills, Professionalism, News and Politics

• Recruitment Spotlight: How to Check References

  Most people have to check references in some shape or form, whether it’s for a candidate or a babysitter. I don’t know about you, but until I wrote Success for Hire I never really knew how to do it. Here's what I learned: While you can e-mail a reference Read More... Posted Friday, August 15, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Best Practices, HR Issues, People Skills, Professionalism

• Recruitment Spotlight: 7 Things Not to Do When Conducting a Job Interview

  Following up on last week’s interview post based on my new book Success for Hire , here’s what not to do if you want your interviewing exercises to result in strong and lasting hires! DON’T let first impressions get the better of you. Sometimes, you might Read More... Posted Friday, August 08, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 1 Comments Filed under: Management, People Skills, Productivity, Professionalism

• Career Lessons from a Hollywood Producer

  There are a lot of books out there on how to achieve job satisfaction and get ahead in the business world, but few are from the viewpoint of someone with a front row seat in the always-elusive entertainment industry. That’s what I found interesting about Read More... Posted Friday, July 18, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: People Skills, Personal Development, Personal Marketing, Professionalism, Work

• 4 Tips for Avoiding Fan Worship

  My friend Pam Slim over at Escape from Cubicle Nation has a great post on how to tread the fine line between expressing admiration for someone and fan worship. Straight from the ECN blog are 4 “fan traps” to avoid. I’ve been known to do some of these Read More... Posted Wednesday, July 02, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Mentoring, Networking, People Skills, Professionalism

• At the End of the Day, You Have to Be Yourself

  Last week, I gave a talk on twenty-first century recruitment and retention at the American Society of Training and Development’s annual conference in San Diego. While I was there, I attended a few “train the trainer” sessions on improving your technique Read More... Posted Wednesday, June 11, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Attitude & Motivation, Communication, People Skills, Professionalism

• The Secret of My Success

  Here’s a disclaimer before you start reading this post. I’m not writing it to brag or leave you thinking that I’m the greatest colleague or employee of all time. I’m trying to make a point, so I hope you will look at it in that light. Now that said, I’ve Read More... Posted Wednesday, April 23, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Best Practices, Communication, People Skills, Productivity, Professionalism, Work

• What if YOU are the Jerk?

  Bob Sutton’s book, the No A**hole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't , has been generating buzz since it was published last year. Sutton, a professor of management science at Stanford University , argues that a**holes—those Read More... Posted Friday, April 11, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 1 Comments Filed under: Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Office Politics, People Skills, Professionalism, Troubleshooting

• 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

• Caution: Falling Ice

  Chicago has already gotten hit with around eight snowstorms this year. It has also been quite cold, and next to every building you walk past downtown, there is a yellow “Caution: Falling Ice” sign. I understand the purpose of most signs like this. After Read More... Posted Friday, February 15, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Attitude & Motivation, Communication, People Skills, Professionalism

• How to Break Up with Your Boss

  In their January/February issue, Details Magazine has a provocative article on how to break up with a boss who’s holding you back. The article tells the story of Michael Rogers: “Michael Rogers had lunch or cocktails a couple of times a week with the Read More... Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2008 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Office Politics, People Skills, Professionalism

• The Time and Place for Self-Promotion

  Nearly all of my friends and colleagues in the career advice sphere regularly promote their media appearances and new projects on their blogs. I don’t do this. I’ve never done this. I get as many decent opportunities as the next guy, but I’ve always considered Read More... Posted Monday, December 10, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Best Practices, Communication, Networking, People Skills, Professionalism, Daily Life, Blogging

• New Job? Don’t Be a Bulldozer

  During recent talks I’ve given about young people entering the workplace, a new issue has been cropping up. “These twenty-somethings come in and expect to take over the company right away,” older managers complain. Whether you’re twenty-two or sixty-two, Read More... Posted Friday, November 16, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Entry Level, Communication, Ownership & Initiative, People Skills, Professionalism

• Premature Escalation

  This week, I was finishing up a project at the agency where I work part time. My colleague and I have been working closely with another internal team on this initiative since May, and fortunately, things have gone relatively smoothly. As the vice president Read More... Posted Wednesday, August 29, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 3 Comments Filed under: Communication, Office Politics, People Skills, Project Management, Professionalism

• 5 Steps for Coping with Criticism

  We all get criticized at work, and if we’re lucky, our managers and co-workers might even offer it in a constructive way. At the beginning of my career, I didn’t do too well with criticism, no matter how nicely my boss prefaced it. I’d respond with anger Read More... Posted Tuesday, July 24, 2007 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 4 Comments Filed under: Office Politics, People Skills, Professionalism, Troubleshooting