Just this morning, I called a client to confirm his appointment with me. The only number he’d given was his cell phone, which I dialed. For approximately three full minutes (I timed it), I was constrained to listen to a piece of music the man obviously thought would entertain his callers. Although the music was […]
Is a thank you letter a nicety or critical business protocol? In days gone by, guests of dinner parties penned thoughtful little thank you notes to their hosts and hostesses, in gratitude for their hospitality. Nowadays, those notes have gone the way of the fifteen-cent subway token, as have most of the genteel manners that […]
Do you remember this scene from the great old movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Pursued by the law, anti-heroes Butch (Paul Newman) and Sundance (Robert Redford) arrive at a bluff overlooking a long drop ending in churning waters.  Butch screams, “Jump!” And his partner hollers back, “I can’t swim!” Confronted with personal questions […]
Oh, happy job hunter, your search has ended! Your tenacity, ingenuity, professionally written resume and cover letter, and savvy interviewing techniques have paid off. After what seemed an interminable search, and despite stiff competition, you have landed the job and are about to let your breath out. Our advice is: “Don’t!” Don’t take for granted […]
As God is my witness, I once dated a man who admitted on our first (and consequently, last) date that his goal in life was to become a professional student. When I asked him to clarify this oxymoron, he explained that he’d hoped to achieve the highest level of education and continue to pile on […]
 To be perfectly blunt, the economy looks bleak.  American manufacturing jobs sold to foreign corporations, a flailing stock market, and companies paring staff down to the bare minimum: none of this paints a rosy future for job seekers. Those who are pragmatic will craft alternate plans as their idealistic counterparts search desperately for employment […]
