When it comes to compensation, for many, more is always better. Yet, a vast majority of job seekers -- under the mistaken assumption that they don’t have a say on the salary negotiation table -- sheepishly accept the first offer that comes their way. It is true that a few industries, companies, and roles are not suitable candidates for the negotiation process, but universalizing such an assumption would be incorrect. Tradit...

In the secure walls of corporate fortresses career warriors are relentlessly fighting -- at times with their own selves -- the battle to succeed. Although, victory and defeat have different connotations in this war, the rules, the challenges, and the strategies are like any other.As elusive as winning the battle on the career front may sound, it really is a game of good timing, great strategy, and powerful allies (smart net...

Held, guilty of career stagnation -- of course, no one is ever going to pass that sentence on you, but by ineffectively managing your career, you could easily find yourself making the same career mistakes most individuals make.1. Randomly pursuing jobsApparently, even the greatest of strategists do not have a clear plan when it comes to their own careers. Most, just accept jobs or opportunities that come their way, without...

Disaster management and emergency preparedness, once the exclusive domain of large government and corporate entities, are now being utilized by regular people like you and me to hedge against uncertainty.When disaster strikes, we are often incapacitated by fear and confusion. Rational planning and decision-making are not always easy in such situations. Fortunately, we can learn a lesson or two from our corporate counterpart...

Achieving impressive, but consistent, career growth is every professional’s dream. Yet, many believe that aiming for professional success is a difficult undertaking that often requires complex Machiavellian strategies or political tact. Not true. The best recipe for long term success is plain old PHP (planning, hard work, and persistence).Speaking of success, what actions if taken in 2007 will fire up your career and take y...

Ever wonder how career coaches and resume writers transform ordinary resumes into attention-grabbing documents? As career professionals, we use a variety of strategies to position job seekers and add the much-needed “punch” to their resumes. 1. Address employer needs; speak their languageEmployers look for solutions, not people. When a company publicizes an opening, it is advertising a need, a gap within its system. In orde...

Much has been said about creating a perfect resume, but job seekers pay very little attention to the document that precedes it: the cover letter. A well-crafted cover letter can not only deliver a solid first impression, it can actually influence the hiring manager even before the resume is reviewed. In my professional practice, I often come across cover letters that resemble cookie-cutter templates. Generic letters can...

Résumés have come a long way since they were just typed pages that chronologically listed employment histories, job duties, and educational qualifications. Hiring managers are inundated with hundreds of résumés that still follow “old school”.In a competitive economy, however, a résumé needs to work much harder. Every inch of résumé space must be used to effectively communicate your value proposition and differentiation stra...

Networking is a powerful tool that can catapult even ordinary careers to extraordinary heights. From entry level employees to business owners to politicians, individuals at all levels have leveraged networking to achieve their professional aspirations. Despite its proven effectiveness, many fail to exploit “people power”, mostly due to self-imposed, often myopic, misconceptions. I have come across myths ranging from “I am n...

Want a promotion? Let me guess the response.I estimate that over 80% to 90% of individuals never ask for a promotion. Worse still, of those who do, over 95% don’t plan well enough before pitching for it. Considering what’s at stake, it is surprising that so many individuals don’t have a robust plan to achieve their career goals.If you have repeatedly lost out on a promotion to an “unworthy” contestant, it may be time to con...