Great Occupations

I’ve been skimming through a book called Callings: Finding and following an authentic Life by Gregg Levoy. It’s about vocational callings. The dictionary definition says that a vocation is "a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation." Being “called,” as Levoy puts it, is to be summoned away... Read the rest of this entry »

Earlier this week I presented a workshop during the Executive Women in Texas Government conference in Bastrop, Texas. I was paid in kind by the association with a wonderful luncheon and was able to attend 2 workshops given by other presenters. I was particularly impressed with Marny Lifshen and her program, “The Top Ten Mistakes Women Make in Networking.” While Marny’s observations about the overall differences in the way men and women have traditionally approached networking were spot on, her tips weren’t ALL gender-specific because... Read the rest of this entry »

You know, as well as I, that you can go to an event in a room filled with people and leave without making any connections. I know because I've observed it for many years. And until I became a savvy networker, I used to do it too! The Scene: You sit at a round table with 7 other strangers at a professional luncheon. You and the people at your table hardly make eye contact as you busy yourselves with eating, maybe politely asking someone to pass the salt. The presentation starts... Read the rest of this entry »

Dress for success in the interview, but consider how your appearance helps you advance your career as well. I once interviewed a woman who told me about her first real job out of college and how she moved forward in her career to the next level because of how she dressed. Read the rest of this entry »

It feels really awkward to get in touch with former colleagues and old friends you’ve lost touch with. After all, you don’t want them to think you are only contacting them because you need a job, even if that’s the truth of the matter. What do you do? Read the rest of this entry »