Singin’ the “I Need a Job” blues? It starts like this: “Don’t know what I wanna do with my life...Got so many bills to pay.” It’s a sorrowful tune about the rock and the hard place.You want a job that launches your career but can’t find one—the rock. You settle for a make-do job to cover debts and expenses—the hard place. Luckily, there is a cure for the blues!Jobs don’t make a career, but they can add up to one.A job is a...

Money is work. Given the chance, it will manipulate our decision-making. The question is: Who’s supposed to control the behavior of money? That would be us.When we have too little money to get what we want, we borrow and pay interest. When we have extra money, we invest and hope for gain. Too much borrowing and interest eats up what we earn. Poor investing means loss. There’s a lot of “woe is me” around money.When you contr...

Have a job that isn’t going anywhere? Reluctant to leave your work mates? Nervous about changing jobs? Join the club!A lot of people stay where they are, taking the avenue of least resistance. Unfortunately, it’s also the road to nowhere. So if you’re on it, get ready to exit.Being in a dead-end job isn’t the worst that can happen. Staying there too long is.We let ourselves get stuck in our jobs because of naïve or faulty t...

Being unemployed is your big break. Why? Because you can finally focus all your time on yourself — your future. Most people squander that time. Please don’t let that be you.Stress makes people stupid.Think about it. In the face of the unexpected, fear, or hard criticism, we become confused, befuddled, even frantic. When we reach our stress threshold, our decision-making ability implodes.Not having a job, for whatever reason...

Business is about survival. If you don’t make a profit, it’s curtains. Every day, we make decisions that can make or break our companies, often testing our ethics and integrity. It‘s a reality I had to face.You don’t really know how a business works until you’re in it.For 17 years, I was a commercial horse breeder. I knew absolutely nothing about breeding, foaling, racing, or selling when I started. I learned a little each...

Fear of employees. Way too many managers have a case of it. From what I can see, it’s highly contagious. That’s the issue.Businesses hire managers to make sure the right work gets done in the right way. Managers don’t actually do the work (usually), their employees do. So, the manager’s job is to set direction and clear the way.Problem: Too many managers don’t manage. Guess they’re just too scared.It’s epidemic. The good m...

It can make you feel like pulling the covers over your head. It reads like you have no direction. It’s a road block to interviews. What is it? Okay, you knew all along. A resume that brands you a “job hopper.” If you’ve changed jobs often, you need to understand why. If you don’t do this honestly, you won’t be credible explaining yourself. Job hopping is a symptom not a disease. If you treat it, you’ll be on your feet...

Ever wonder if really bad customer service is a conspiracy? Or is bad service just about poor leadership? I had to break my foot to find out.On a very hot summer morning, I was trying to teach a strong-willed colt of mine to walk nicely when being led. Instead he’d take two steps and rear. I would dodge his feet and try again.Well, my luck ran out. Up he went and down he came, digging his hoof into the outside of my left fo...

The art of interviewing well—it’s a thing of beauty! The candidate walks out the door and the interviewer basks in the after-glow. Unfortunately, these moments are few and far between.Why is that? Because interviewing well isn’t easy. It’s a skill that needs to be perfected so that you make it look easy, the way golf and tennis pros make their sports look easy.Your “sport” is the interview. Have you worked hard to become a...

Do you give yourself away? Show the chinks in your armor? Reveal the weaknesses in your game?We spend a lot of time trying to look and act the part in our careers. Every day we show up, take care of business, wait for our defining moment, and hope we can deliver.We showcase what we’re made of when all eyes are on us, including our own.We can run but we can’t hide from ourselves. We can do our best to cover our insecurities...