Career Advice Blog

There was a bit of a backlash to my post, How Not to Act Old, Especially in the Workplace; I heard quite a bit of grumbling. The book I reviewed took older folks to task for not trying harder to be young and fit in. Maybe my boomer peers are tired of hearing about these supposedly over-indulged younger people?I remember supervising Gen X social work graduate students on a work site. While I enjoyed their enthusiasm and curiosity, their lack of real-world experience made me grumpy. But I was still able to communicate with and direct them as we weren’t that far apart in age or ideology.Much has been written about how to interact and communicate with Gen Y. One book, Bruce Tulgan’s Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Generation Y, has some valid points, especially the fourteen myths about Gen Y in the workplace (Myth 12: Gen Y Won’t Do the Grunt Work). But the overall media message is that WE must adapt to THEM, not the other way around.Here are a few tips for Gen … [Read more...] about How Can Gen Y Quit Annoying Gen “Old” at Work?

Just Step Away from the Netbook, Ma’amLast weekend I took a three-day vacation from connectivity. Not even a peek at my email. It helped that I was in the middle of 180 acres of wilderness with nary a Wi-Fi in the breeze. Admittedly, I was a little twitchy at first. After all, I had made it to Level 130 in “Babylonia” - the procrastinating writer’s friend.There’s been much written lately on the emotional/mental and even physical effects of being in constant contact with everyone electronically. As a psychotherapist, I constantly stress the need for downtime. I wrote an article about it in 2007 (which sounds almost quaint now and predates Twitter); Disconnect Doesn’t Have to Be a Bad Thing. But as someone who also makes a living writing and glued to a computer, I realize that disconnecting is not easy. So maybe baby steps are indicated. Here are a few to try...* Turn off the mobile for a couple hours. If it’s really important, your callers will … [Read more...] about How to Disconnect During Downtime

I’ll Have a Side of Risotto with that PositionLast week, I posted about Extreme Job Hunting where people are using unconventional methods to get the proverbial foot in a company’s door for an interview. It made me recall some of the goofy hoops I’ve jumped through to get a job.Interviews where they make you do stuff…In the 90’s, I interviewed for a job with a psychiatric facility. The job was in marketing and was not a clinical position (I’m a licensed therapist), but several of the people who interviewed me were psych nurses and therapists. (There has to be a joke here about a roomful of therapists, light bulbs and/or change.) The interview was a disconcerting mix of touchy-feely therapist type questions and queries about market share, growth potential etc.In a second interview, they took me to lunch. I realize an interview over a meal serves a purpose - make it seem more relaxed for the candidate, check out their table manners, etc. These folks … [Read more...] about “Extreme” Interviewing – Part II

In this time of high unemployment numbers, how do you get noticed by potential employers? A recent Wall Street Journal article by Joanne S. Lublin addressed this question. Lessons of Extreme Job Hunting provided some examples of what desperate job-seekers have tried.The article describes one man who wore a sandwich board with “M.I.T. graduate for hire” in the financial district where he had worked. Creative? Possibly, but it didn’t land him any interviews. So in your effort to stand out in your employment search, what kinds of moves are not cool? An accompanying article by Dana Mattioli, Bold or Brazen? Bold Tactics Don’t Always Get the Job discussed behaviors recruiters advise against. Most often, people are not following established protocols for interviews, i.e., showing up in person when a phone interview was scheduled or harassing recruiters with phone calls. Starting my own business was a result of two layoffs in less than five years. It’s been … [Read more...] about Extreme Job Hunting: Where Do You Draw the Line?

My part-time job as a therapist allows me inside the minds of adolescents and young adults. When I gain their trust, I get a peek into their “culture.” As a result, I find I’m less likely to jump on the current “youth-bashing” bandwagon. I’m growing weary of articles lamenting Gen X or Y (or whomever) workers inability to get with the program.That’s why Pamela Redmond Satran’s new book, “How Not to Act Old” is so refreshing. It shifts the burden of responsibility for keeping up to us older folks. Satran identifies behaviors and beliefs that mark us as old. For instance, we need to stop emailing; younger people are IM-ing, texting and Facebook-ing (it is SO a verb) to communicate. And as she points out, quit using your index fingers to type, it’s all about the thumbs.I was particularly interested in Satran’s take on “how not to work old.” Some of her suggestions for not skewing into that demographic … [Read more...] about How Not to Act Old (Especially in the Workplace)