Advice
Boobs & Jobsearching
Editorial Team 8I’m no stickpin, and I don’t need any reminders of that, thank you very much. But the point was driven home the other day when I was forced to follow gorgeous TV star Wendy Williams at a live, on-stage radio interview in front of 300 women in New Jersey.
That would be the blunt, LOL funny, surgically-enhanced double DD Wendy Williams, who stands 6-4 in four-inch Gucci slides and has a surgically-tucked and taut tummy — details that she offered during a hysterical, 15-minute interview with radio legend Joan Hamburg.
What to do?
The answer, I decided, was NOT to schlep up there like a loser with my head hanging low. When my turn came, after Hamburg’s gracious introduction about my new book Fired to Hired, I blurted out to her that she had forgotten the most important part.
Hamburg looked stunned. The audience got oh-so-quiet.
“What you forgot to say,” I told Hamburg straight-faced, “is that your next guest faces the unenviable task of diving into a downer (unemployment) to a roomful of women who have been wowed by an outrageously funny gal who batted her oh-so-long eyelashes, flipped her long locks and talked non-stop about her gigantic boobs and flashy high heels.”
The crowd roared.
Then, they listened — and laughed — as I talked for my 15 minutes about job searching in a dismal economy. We managed to find plenty of humor in what it takes to get hired today – and plenty of similarities between Wendy’s words and my own.
You don’t need big boobs, big hair, or big heels to get hired, but you definitely have to find ways to stand out from the crowd and differentiate yourself from the competition.
Tell us what YOU’RE doing to get noticed in a big way — and to separate yourself from the pack.
Uh, Good Morning: We Need Your Resignation By Friday
Editorial Team 7How would you feel if your employer told you that come Friday you had to submit your resignation and apply for a new job—which might not necessarily be the one you left? That’s what’s happening at The Journal News in suburban Westchester, N.Y. where executives plan to cut 70 out of 288 advertising and editorial positions—that’s a quarter of all jobs. But instead of outright layoffs, the newspaper ordered everyone to resign—and apply for jobs. Can you imagine being told today that you’ll need to do the same? Share your thoughts.
Ever Been Ignored After an Interview?
Editorial Team 49Updated on July 18, 2023
So, you had an interview, and now there’s just… silence. We’ve all been there, and let’s face it, it’s no fun. But don’t jump to conclusions. There are a heap of reasons why you might not have heard anything yet, and not all of them are bad news. There might be internal debates happening, or maybe they’re still weighing up other candidates. Or it could just be simple office delays slowing things down.
It’s also important to acknowledge that, unfortunately, ghosting has become a common practice in the recruitment process. In fact, a recent study of 1,500 global workers found that 75% of job seekers have been ghosted by a company after an interview. Even more surprising, only 27% of U.S. employers surveyed by job listings site Indeed said they hadn’t ghosted a candidate in the past year. They openly acknowledge that they do it. So if you’re facing this silence, it is not uncommon and often does not reflect on you or your qualifications, but rather on the company’s hiring practices.
Read MoreWorking from Home? Set Limits
Editorial Team 5Do you work from home? Do you want to work from home? If either is true, there is one thing you must know: working from home requires a strong set of boundaries.
When you work from home, you are working from the home front. That means staying focused amidst surrounding daily home life and not giving in to the idea that just because you work from home you are available for this, that and the other thing.
Lines of limits are a must in the work-at-home environment. They define and clarify expectations. Set them and you and those around you will be glad you did.
In the traditional office setting, the responsibility of setting limits typically falls on someone else. If you work from home, it falls on you. So where do you begin?
First, tune in by reflecting upon what’s working in your work-at-home environment and what’s not working. Is your workspace comfortable and inviting – perhaps too inviting? Are constant interruptions causing you to lose focus and your head to spin?
What about hours? Is there a flow to your day or are you constantly shifting between personal and professional life and losing valuable energy in between?
Decide where you need to draw a line.
In my own home office, I have invisible lines drawn around my space, time and accessibility. For example, my office, not the kitchen table or living room floor, is the base for my professional endeavors.
As for time, I have defined working hours. If someone calls for a favor during that time, I can politely decline and share what my hours are.
Maintaining separate phone lines, one for home and one for business, has also proven to save a lot of angst and reinforces the lines of limits around personal and professional life.
Above all, be patient with yourself. Boundary setting is an ever-evolving process, but an important one. Boundaries are foundational to having a positive work at home experience.
Do you have a method for setting boundaries that works especially well for you in your home office? Share it here. If you could benefit from coaching around this topic, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]
Speaking of Jobs…
Editorial Team 21Should a college degree guarantee you a job? Yes, says a New York City woman who is suing the college where she earned a bachelor’s degree because she can’t find a job. Trina Thompson, 27, is seeking $70,000 in a lawsuit filed last week against Monroe College in Bronx Supreme Court. Thompson, who got an information technology degree in April, charges that the school’s career office hasn’t provided her with promised leads and career advice.
A college spokesman says Thompson’s lawsuit is completely without merit. The college insists it helps its graduates find jobs. Meanwhile, as the climbing jobless rate has slowed the economy, The New York Times reports that some colleges are ramping up their career services departments to help alumni. Reason: it renews old ties that might have languished for decades. Tell us your thoughts. Should your sheepskin guarantee you work even in this economy? Does a college have an obligation to find you a job and be liable if it doesn’t? Share your thoughts here.
Women Fill HR Rolls, But Men Rule
Editorial Team 1Women outnumber men by 2-1 in the world of human resources, but despite the numeric advantage women make 30% less than their male HR colleagues. Why the disparity? Human Resource Executive Online reports that while women dominate entry level and mid-level HR roles, men still dominate high-paying HR executive positions.