Thanks to MSNBC columnist Eve Tahmincioglu for revisiting the issue of the noncompete agreement.  I address this topic briefly in Success for Hire, and I think it’s an important one to be aware of if you’re job hunting or thinking of making a career transition anytime soon.  Says Eve: “Among the flood of forms you get when ...

For about a year, I’ve been getting these odd red bumps on one of my legs.  At first I thought they must be a result of some illness, environmental toxin, or even pregnancy.  When they appear, they itch and hurt, and I’ve been known to complain profusely about them.    Only lately has it occurred to me that perhaps something ...

My friend and radio show co-host Lindsey Pollak has a brand new blog over at Fast Company.  Her first, post, 5 Ways to Take More Control of Your Career, comes at a perfect time as we all sit in shock over the demise of long-established, powerful financial institutions Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch.    Many people who would ...

There are so many people applying for jobs these days, it’s difficult even to get your resume read, let alone get invited for an interview.  Some candidates, however, go overboard in the quest for attention, resorting to boldfaced lies about their education and experience in order to make their resumes stand out.  CareerBuilder.com’s ...

In his bestsellers Brand Warfare and Career Warfare, author David D'Alessandro offered sharp advice for building a brand and building a career. His new book, Executive Warfare is the advanced class for the truly ambitious. The book covers what it takes to rise to the top-and to do the even harder thing, which is survive there.  In ...

Although 2008 has been pretty good so far, 2007 was a doozy, and it has taken me a little while to recover.  I’ve experienced a crisis of confidence, and only recently started talking to my friends about it.  My radio show co-hosts, Christine Hassler and Lindsey Pollak, have been especially helpful. Christine visited me in ...

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 ...

A WCW reader writes:  “Dear Alexandra, I’ve read your advice about the right way to leave your job, and I think it’s good.  Only trouble is, the people I work with aren’t exactly helping me out.  I gave them six weeks notice so that I could find and train a replacement, but no one except me seems to feel this major urgency to hire ...

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 ...

Over at Employment Digest, Kit Samuels talks about how you can turn a rejection from a job into a second chance at a future opportunity.  Bill suggests that you let go of your anger as soon as possible and e-mail a simple, clean, professional response to the rejection.  Don’t let spite or even a shred of sarcasm creep into your ...