The Most Annoying, Overused Words in the Workplace

“Could you interface with that team on its ad campaign that’s gone viral, and then circle back with me? If we can leverage similar assets, we’ll have a game changer.” Ever heard talk like that in your workplace? If it sounds familiar, it could be the buzzwords. “Leverage,” “interface,” and “circle back” are among the

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Should You Stay or Should You Go?

The job market has not fully recovered, but there are a few encouraging signs. According to the latest Robert Half Professional Employment Report, a net 6 percent of employers plan to increase hiring activity in the fourth quarter. Further, 86 percent of executives said they are at least somewhat confident in their organizations’ ability to

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How to Succeed on the Job

Congratulations, you have landed the job of your dreams!  After all the hand-wringing, worrying, and pacing by the phone, you got the job.  That’s great! However, you suddenly realize that you will really need to impress the boss on the job. 

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Tips on Salvaging A Shaky Interview

Job hunters who feel they made mistakes in interviews often fail to use one of the most effective tools at their disposal: a follow-up phone call. You may think that trying to bolster a shaky performance will only make matters worse, but you may be surprised at the results you get. Here’s what happened to

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How to Switch Careers in Midlife

Many people fantasize about changing careers, but few actually follow through. It just seems too daunting. These days, though, a lot of people don’t have much choice. Maybe their industry’s days seem numbered, and they figure they better start planning now. Or maybe they already have been hit by a layoff.

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Effective Interviewing Key To Making A Good Hire

The ability to conduct an effective interview is a critical skill for all hiring managers. Knowing how to screen for the right candidate will save you the headache of a bad hire and help you assemble an all-star team, says career coach Cynthia Shapiro, author of the book “Corporate Confidential.” The goal of every hiring

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Life After Grad School: It Does Exist

Most graduate students have the skills it takes to succeed in business – some just need help navigating the world outside of the Ivory Tower. “Most of them are wrestling with academic life verses non-academic life,” says Paula Foster, creator of WRK4US, a job-help listserve for academics considering alternative careers. “Because the academic world is

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Thinking Strategically – Beam Me Up!

The Star Trek transporter has just been invented. Spell out some of the effects on the transportation industry. Here’s another (actual) case which calls for strategy analysis. First of all, remember not to make any assumptions. Don’t apologize for not watching the show – ask your interviewer (who, if they’ve given you this question, is

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Controlling Jitters Before Your Interview

The prospect of sitting alone in a room with a stranger and talking about yourself can be terrifying. You certainly don’t want the stress to overwhelm you. If an interviewer’s strongest impression of you at the end of the interview is the sweat on your brow, quiver in your voice, and the twitches in your

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Interview Questions: Finance Interview Brainteasers

Perhaps even more so than tough finance questions, brainteasers can unnerve the most icy-veined, well-prepared finance candidate. Even if you know the relationships between inflation, bond prices and interest rates like the back of a dollar bill, all your studying may not help you when your interviewer asks you how many ping pong balls fit

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Sort out who suits an online medium

In the course of planning PR activity, clients often ask ‘What is the value of online media? Is it as valuable as its print equivalents?’ The question is often phrased assuming there is some kind of intrinsic difference in value between one form of media and another. But this assumption misses the point about what

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How to spot the faker

It’s pointless filling a job that a candidate can’t do and won’t be able to keep. Likewise, an employer will not want to have to dismiss someone they have recently employed, and undergo expensive recruiting again.

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