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 things in my interactions with bestselling authors, and people who haven’t yet ...

Far too often, I see or hear about people jumping into new job situations, either because they’re desperate to be employed or because they get overzealous after a really good interview.  But rushing into a job is like rushing into a relationship – a lack of knowledge about the other party can lead to disappointment.  Over ...

Out of sight, out of mind is one of my least favorite qualities of human nature.  I can’t tell you the number of relationships, which I thought were real and lasting, that went bust because I used to see the person every day at school or work and then circumstances changed.   Though I’ve had this happen over and over again, it still ...

What’s the one time it’s okay to gossip?  When you’re looking for a job.   Discussion of your job search should not be reserved for close friends/family or headhunters or official networking events.  If you’re looking for work or thinking about looking for work, you shouldn’t hesitate to tell everyone you know the particulars, and ...

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 an open house, you invite candidates to an event at your organization’s offices or a ...

When you get to a certain point in your career, the tendency is to think you’re supposed to be an expert in everything pertaining to your field.  After all, you have years of experience under your belt, you keep up on new developments well enough, and you’re the one people are always asking for advice.    Regardless of your ...

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 blog content to be fairly sacred – reserved for career and business topics ...

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  Networking is how things get done in this world, and if you want to get ahead, you have to know how to cultivate relationships with people who are in a position to help you.  Meeting such individuals is often a brazen act – you walk up to someone at a conference and introduce yourself, you send ...

I’m very pleased to share this review of my friend and colleague Jason Alba’s new book, I’m on Linked In – Now What???  I have known Jason for over a year, and I can say with all seriousness that he is one of the best networkers I know.  He knows everyone, and if he doesn’t know someone, he wants to meet them.  He’s a big advocate ...

Thanks to my fellow career blogger, Anita Bruzzese, for calling my attention to the important issue of the unemployment and underemployment of recently-discharged Iraq war veterans.   When a person joins the military, says the website HireAHero.com, there is a promise made.  This promise is either explicit or implied that, if you serve ...