10 Ways To Boost Your Productivity at Work

Are you looking for ways to improve your productivity at work? If you are, it indicates that you care about quality and are time-sensitive. Both of these qualities are found in good leaders and can help you get on the path to a promotion. Our 10-step guide helps you transform your day from reactivity (where you simply react to everything that happens in your day) to proactivity (where you take control of the things that you can and plan extra time to manage the things in your day that you cannot control). Being proactive is...

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Can an Employer Force You To Travel for Work?

Can your employer make you travel for work? It depends—several factors impact when an employer can require an employee to travel for business. In many cases, your employer can require travel, but you may be able to negotiate an alternative arrangement with your employer. There are also federal and state laws that may apply. Review information on when employers can require work travel, when you can’t be forced to travel, what can happen if you are unable or unwilling to travel, and what to do if you need to discuss options with your employer. When...

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How To Spot and Avoid Job Scams

Are you worried that the job you’re considering applying for could be a scam? What’s the best way to avoid fake job listings and getting scammed by phony employers when job searching? The Better Business Bureau reports that job scams are rising and are one of the riskiest in terms of prevalence, the likelihood of losing money, and the amount of money you can lose. Millions of people are exposed to job scams yearly, and victims lose more than $2 billion annually. Here’s what you need to know about the different types of job scams, how...

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What is a Mock Interview?

What’s a mock interview, and how can participating in one help you get a new job? One of the hardest things about getting hired is interviewing. Even if you’ve been interviewed many times, it can be stressful. You’re on the spot, and you need to come up with answers to interview questions without waiting too long to respond. There are ways you can practice interviewing, both in person and online, so you’re prepared to make the best impression and ace the interview. One of those ways is to participate in a mock interview, which is very similar to...

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Should You Accept a Job You Don’t Really Want?

While many job seekers would be elated to receive a job offer, particularly in the current employment market, what happens when you’re offered a role you don’t want but need to take?  Are there factors you should keep in mind before accepting a position that doesn’t excite you? Continue reading to learn what to do if you find yourself with a job offer you’re not 100% sure about. Is It Okay To Take a Job You Don’t Want? There are a host of reasons why you might accept a role you don’t want, and all of them are acceptable. While it would be...

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How To Send an Email Message That Will Get Read

Do you ever receive an email and groan? Dread opening missives from certain co-workers? Delay your response to long, confusing emails? Follow these practical tips to ensure that no one ever feels that way about your emails: use smart formatting and judicious editing to ensure that your missives get a fast, helpful response. How to Write a Successful Email Is This Email Necessary? It’s easy to send an email: no paper or ink is required, nor is a stamp or a visit to the post office. No wonder people send lots of emails, and frequently! But don’t...

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How Long Does It Take To Hear Back After an Interview?

Waiting to hear back after an interview can feel excruciating. As a career coach, job seekers often reach out to me wondering when it’s appropriate to follow up with a recruiter. Understanding the nuances of a modern-day interview process can help you decide when it makes sense to follow up on your candidacy. In this article, I share how long it usually takes to hear back from an interview, as well as common factors that impact the hiring timeline. I conclude with a template email you can use to follow up on your candidacy. When Should You Expect...

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When Can You Work Two Full-Time Jobs?

Can you work at more than one full-time job? Is it legal to have multiple jobs? How can you juggle roles, if you’ve got more than one of them? How can you handle working at two full-time positions? Working two full-time jobs used to be a virtual impossibility. Because the majority of workers performed their duties at a physical work site, holding down two positions meant putting in at least 80 hours a week—tough to pull off, if you also need to commute, eat, sleep, and attend to any responsibilities outside of work. But the world of work is changing....

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Free Career Quizzes for College Students

Questions about what you want to do with your career are among the most frequently asked questions you’ll hear when you’re a college student or a recent graduate. And it’s fine not to have an answer. Part of the point of going to school is to learn about different career options and explore ideas that sound interesting. You can use free online career quizzes to get some ideas, but you can (and should) take it a step further and check out the resources offered by your career services office. The staff will be glad to assist. When you’re deciding...

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Showcasing Durability: How To Craft a Resume with Durable Skills

In today’s competitive job market, simply listing your qualifications and experience isn’t enough. What truly distinguishes candidates is their grasp of non-technical skills that showcase their long-term potential for growth and success. Often dubbed ‘soft skills,’ these abilities shape how individuals approach their work and engage with others. Examples include leadership, communication and critical thinking. What Are Durable Skills? Despite the use of the term ‘soft,’ these skills are anything but. They are better described as ‘durable skills‘...

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How To Impress Your New Co-Workers

You know what they say about first impressions—they linger. So as you begin a new job, it makes sense to consider the best ways to impress your co-workers and form a good connection with them early on.  High on the list: dressing the part. You’ll want to choose an outfit that’s carefully calibrated to match the formality level you’ve observed from staffers during your interviews at the company. When in doubt, wear an outfit similar to the ones you wore to interviews—and opt for more formal, not less.  But there’s more to making a good...

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Can You Be Fired Without a Warning or Notice?

Can you be fired from a job without a warning or advance notification? Or does your employer have to give you notice before terminating employment?  In general, companies have the right to terminate an employee, and there are circumstances in which an employee can be terminated without notice. However, in some cases, employers are legally required to provide advance notice. Review information on the legalities of firing an employee without warning, how to learn about your rights, and what to do if it happens to you. Can You Be Fired Without...

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