3/19/09: Top Career Posts this Week
Every week I check dozens of “career” blogs and other online publications, looking for things that will help you find a job, get promoted, develop your skills, and keep everything in perspective and balance. Here’s the pick of the lot for this week. I’m pointing you to items about online search firms, social media and your career, time management and social media, taking charge, and negotiating for salary.
From the Newark Star-Ledger: Online search firms thrive
“As the recession worsens and the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits increases — it topped 5.1 million last month — companies that help find jobs are increasingly in demand.”
Wally’s Comment: You’d expect this, but the article covers some firms you may not be aware of.
From Art Petty at Management Excellence: Mind Your Knowledge Gap: Why Social Media is Essential to Your Career
“This is a wake-up call to my mid to late 30 to 40 something (and older) contemporaries. It’s time to figure out what all the noise is about social media and how to leverage it for yourself, your career and your organization.”
Wally’s Comment: If you’re thirty-five or less, you probably won’t find anything new here. But if you’re much older than that, this piece is a must-read.
From David Allen at Business Week: Time Management in the Age of Social Media
“The most obvious issue about social media: Is this a useful way to spend your time, or is it a sinkhole of attractive distraction?”
Wally’s Comment: After you take Art’s advice and start using social media, you will almost certainly find that it changes your time management and workflow challenges. GTD guru David Allen offers some ideas on how to handle the load.
From Miriam Salpeter at What would Dad say: Are You Driving Your Own Career Bus?
“How much happier would we be if we stopped trying to change the things that we cannot alter and instead focused on what we do control – our responses?”
Wally’s Comment: This is a world where there’s a lot you can’t control. Don’t obsess about it. Take control of what you can and get moving.
From Working Girl: What’s your bottom line?
“You’ve sent countless resumes, spoken with too many recruiters and have had your fair share of interviews. Now you have a job offer, but do you know what you’re worth and do you have a “bottom line”? You need to know both, what you are worth in the current job market (please see my post Are you paid what you’re worth?) as well as your “bottom line” (defined as the lowest salary, benefits and other perks at which you would accept an offer and not feel as if you are under selling yourself). Today’s post will cover some tools you can use to help evaluate a job offer.”
Wally’s Comment: For many people, the toughest part of the job search is the salary negotiation.