Yesterday I spoke with cbsatlanta.com about tips for standing out in the job hunt. We covered how you can use social media to find contacts at your dream company, and the all important use of “key words” to save your resume from the so-called black hole. Check out the video above!
I’m excited to introduce our guest blogger for the next few months, Cassandra. She’s 26, hails from San Diego, and graduated from University of California, Irvine (in three years, while working part-time!). She’s got a few GGG goals she wants to accomplish, and will be charting her progress right here. Check out her posts every other week. Here’s her first post below! Debra
For a twenty-something, I could have passed for successful but something wasn’t right. Plenty of my friends told me it was a quarter-life crisis since many of them asked the same questions I had been asking myself. Am I succeeding the way I wanted to succeed in life? Am I passionate about what I do on a regular basis? Am I where (or close to) I saw myself being at this stage of my life? Of course it is easy to roll one’s eyes and dole out a sarcastic “No” to every question or even go as far to say, “No one is.” Which is when I say (on a good day), “Well that’s just not good enough.”
I must have been awfully whiny about my situation because it was about this time when a good friend of mine sent me The Go-Getter Girl’s Guide from across the country. Since then I quit my “successful” position in the staffing industry and landed in education at a fashion college, supporting the creative community and gaining more time for myself to pursue my own creative passion—writing.
I realized early on when reading The GGG Guide that I must have all been closing doors for myself rather than opening them. I have a small awesome circle of friends and I’ll be honest, I like it that way. However, there have been many times that I’ve been invited out to a mixer, social outing, even a sporting event and before really even thinking about it answered politely, “No, thank you.” I hardly ever give an excuse or a reason, to me it was clear: I shouldn’t spend the money, I shouldn’t take the time away from my loved ones who I barely get quality time with, I don’t know anybody there anyway. Normally here is where I would start to list all the things I have missed out on but the truth is if I didn’t go, I don’t even know what I missed! So here is my 1st GGG project for the next three months: Accept rather than decline invitations to social and business events.
Since I will be growing into a beautiful social butterfly, I need give my body and mind a little me time and make sure I have the energy to keep up with my peers out there! I am setting a goal to go to the gym at least four times a week with the intention of lowering that BMI for long term health and happiness. As I lean out from my hours at the gym and am being seen around town, I better look pulled together and rockin’. I’ll be monitoring my closet’s inventory and making sure there is a surplus of fabulous power ensembles.
–Cassandra Altmann
I’m a mid-level manager working in marketing, and some of my employees take the dress code a little too loosely. As a manager, how do you tastefully address what is and is not appropriate to wear to work without getting people all fired up? Beth*, age 36, Phoenix
You want to avoid calling out your employee personally. Instead, send an email to all of your direct reports reminding them of the dress code, with specific do’s and don’ts. You might even attach a non-judgmental magazine article summarizing how to dress-your-best for work. If he or she doesn’t take the hint, try linking a conversation about appearance to a specific work-related event. Let’s say you’re a senior lawyer and your rumpled associate is joining you for an important court date. Say something like, “This judge is extremely picky about how we dress. What you were thinking of wearing?” and then launch into some tips and requests for what to wear.
With millions of Americans out of work, scammers are preying on desperate job-seekers. Yesterday I spoke on the CBS Early Show about some of the latest job hunting scams– including Twitter scams and the latest twists on credit info “phishing” cons. Here’s a link to the clip.
Some big red flags? 1) Anything that says you can “work from home” and make tons of money 2) When the email from the employer looks fake or is riddled with grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors 3) The employer is quick to ask for a credit check 4) You’re asked to wire money or transfer suspicious goods.
Photo: CBS News
This Wednesday I spoke about the trend of “moonlighting” on the CBS Early Show. We discussed some of the pros and cons, as well as some helpful websites to help you get started. Finding a dress for the segment was a bit of a challenge– being 20 weeks pregnant and all! (For now, I’m sticking with non-maternity dresses, in a more stretchy fabric or tunic style). This dress was from BCBG and belly-friendly, but not quite travel-friendly. Amazing that the hotel had someone available to press the dress at midnight the night before. Only in NYC!
Here’s a clip of the segment below:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQd1hPfsWjg
