Career Advice

The connotations of a sales job can range from anything to sitting on the phone all day trying to sell old ladies household furnishings to big wig city guys, and the money they can bring in can be just a varied. At the end of the day no matter what your own personal opinion is of sales, it’s a solid career: people are always going to want to sell their products or services.So what is selling? You probably do it in some form or another in your job. Whether it’s convincing your client to give you that extra budget or convincing your boss to give you a raise and if you’re clever and careful you can be successful. If you’re selling for a living your job is basically to help someone make up their mind as to whether your product is right for them and guide them through the purchasing process.The first step to becoming successful in sales is to have an absolute belief in your product and a completely comprehensive knowledge of it. If you don’t believe in it, … [Read more...] about How to Succeed in Sales 101

Years ago when I graduated with a business degree, I fancied myself as fierce and ready for the world! I had been "briefed" on business structures, marketing strategies, resume styles, balance sheets, and the whole kit and caboodle. I was too hot to trot. … [Read more...] about 4 Career Lessons They Don’t Teach in Business School

Body art has been a form of adornment and branding for bikers, athletes and entertainers for ions. Due to increased social acceptance, greater exposure, and changing norms, body art is gaining popularity with “common folk”, and is now viewed as much of a “fashion statement” as a hairstyle or designer label. In fact, today it’s not unusual to see body art adorned by everybody from white-collar professionals, to middle aged moms.  Among them are those that perceive tattoos as merely an extension of their first amendment right to freedom of expression.I conducted an informal survey of about 100 friends and acquaintances, and found that about 40% of them had tattoos ranging in number from 1 to 7.  Most bearers said that they felt that tattoos were “sexy” and allowed them to uniquely distinguish themselves.  Some confessed to having gotten them in an act of rebellion back in their adolescent years, and later adding on more.But be … [Read more...] about Tattoos and Taboos: Why you should think before you ink

Jobs are hard to come by these days and making ends meet is no picnic either. If your current position isn’t bringing those ends any closer together, it might be time for a raise. Here are seven ways to get a raise. 7.  Work Hard There’s one way to make sure you don’t get that raise: slack off. If you want to take a break from impressing your buddies in order to take a stab at impressing the boss, then work and work hard. Now you have to decide what this entails and how far you’ll have to go but hard word never hurt anybody and, yes, it does build character. Just don’t forget that it can also build your bank account. 6. Ask, And You Might ReceiveSeems simple but we know it isn’t. However, facts are facts. And if you know your work deserves a little extra come payday and can back up your performance history, then present your case to your boss. Good workers and solid employees are not that easy to come by these days. Your boss will want to keep … [Read more...] about 7 Ways To Get A Raise

A decade ago, diaries were for girls. At least that was the assumption.  Little ladies would peel back the pink pages and write all about their secret crushes and desires.  The digital age has turned us all into little girls, ones who not only keep diaries (we've gender-neutralized it as a "journal"), but share them publicly.This blog post isn't about private vs. public journals, it is designed to encourage you to start a job journal, one where you share your deepest and darkest thoughts.  Or maybe just complain about the boss.  Whatever you decide to log, we recommend you keep it simple yet descriptive, honest and unfiltered.Keep a job journal to...JOG YOUR MEMORY.  We humans tend to forget.  We forget how difficult something once was or how good we had it.  In the rear-view mirror, bosses become vilified or propped up to heroic proportions, when in reality, they, like most bosses, were likely somewhere in between.A job journal will give you … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons to Start a Job Journal TODAY!

Almost 23 years ago, my husband and I “ran away” and got married on vacation in Key West. In our shorts. In the courthouse. Just the two of us. I have never regretted choosing to get hitched that way. There was no stress, no family arguments and it was cheap. Another thing we didn’t do was WORK while on our honeymoon/vacation. Daily, our most critical decision was, "Pool or beach?" I remember we were floating in the pool and overheard two guys who obviously didn’t know each other talking about their work. My husband and I looked at each other in amazement. Dudes, you’re in Key West! I was particularly pleased that neither my spouse nor I wanted to talk shop.A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “Why Relaxing Is Hard Work,” by Melinda Beck discusses the difficulty that many people have in disconnecting from work while on vacation.  In fact, Beck quotes a stress expert who says that staying in communication with the office while off … [Read more...] about Working Vacations – Isn’t That an Oxymoron?

A Different Approach = Different Result Admittedly, I know very little about Buddhism from a scholarly perspective, but understand a bit about it. (To learn about the basics principles of Buddhism, download the Working Podcast #65.)  You hear the words “zen” and “mindfulness” thrown around a lot. For me, those words relate strongly to finding my own inner peace and being aware of the moment.A recent, unexpected personal event has negatively impacted many aspects of my life. I try not to let it overwhelm me and some days I do better than others. But mostly I try to assess each moment and cut myself some slack if I’m worrying too much about not living up to my own or someone else’s expectations. My new meditative phrase is, “It is what it is.” Over-thinking and over-analyzing is not mindfulness.A very insightful patient in my private practice recently shared with me some of his thoughts in this area. He works in an über … [Read more...] about Try to Do the “Zen” Thing at Work

With today’s stressful times and a tough economy, many single women are in search of a soul-mate and a support system to help cushion the blows.Like the military, they too are “looking for a few good men.” Sometimes this strategic search is conducted on line via the popular dating websites, while others are pursued in church pews, and after-five singles’ mingles. And even for the reluctant, sometimes the potential hook-up happens at work. And when you think about it, theoretically it makes sense.Oftentimes relationships are built upon common interests or experiences.  Is it more than an office crush?With this being the case, who else would understand your work woes or departmental dynamics like a co-worker? In fact, this occurrence is so common that many TV shows address it in their weekly story lines. Look at Pam and Jim at Dunder Mifflin. And what about the doctors of E.R.?  …And so the story begins. But whether or not these … [Read more...] about Love in the Workplace in 2010 Style