After spending many years as an executive coach, I learned a clear lesson. People hate looking for jobs. They hate switching jobs. The process is stressful and painful. Most employees only consider a big job change as a last resort. They wait until the pain of staying is bigger than the pain of walking away. So, why do employees change jobs? It’s complicated. There is no one size fits all answer. Many people are looking for an opportunity to grow their skills at work. They may feel stuck. But, more than that, they may feel unhappy. They may feel unrecognized. They may even feel mistreated. In ..read more

It’s no longer socially acceptable for a company to ask an interview candidate how much money they currently make. It’s also not terribly good to ask the candidate how much they want to make. These days, the standard is to share the pay range for the role. Then, the candidate can decide whether or not the range is acceptable. In the past, recruiters would argue that asking questions like these made sense. They wanted to know if the candidate was “within their budget” for a particular role. In reality, if the candidate provided a salary number at the low end of the range, they would be paid on ..read more

If there’s anything I have learned recently, it’s just how important it is to give grace to others in the workplace. How often does a coworker not respond within the timeframe they agreed to? How often are they short with you when speaking? I would bet this happens pretty often. In the moment, it feels personal. It can make you feel angry. How could this person speak to me this way? Or, why is this person not following through as quickly as they promised? You may wonder what you did to be on the receiving end of this. You may wonder why they don’t respect you enough to do better. The problem i ..read more

What does the job market have in store for us this year? The answer seems to be mixed.  We are continuing to hear about company layoffs. Yet, at the same time, the stock market just hit a new all-time high. This doesn’t paint a clear picture for would be job seekers. And often, uncertainty in the market can discourage employees from seeking new employment. For example, major companies are continuing to lay off workers. In January alone, companies such as Microsoft, Sports Illustrated, Google, Amazon, and NBC all laid off workers. On the other hand, the S&P 500 has been setting records ..read more

Employees are switching jobs, and they switch often. They stay at jobs for a shorter time than their parents or grandparents. In most professions, the concept of sticking with one employer no longer makes sense. In fact, people who stay put are often indirectly penalized by doing so. Employees who stay forfeit promotions and money when they stay for too long. It’s the time of year when raises may begin to occur. When a company looks at an internal employee, they often focus on the person’s salary history. They’ll say, “We gave James a 9 percent raise last year. He should be happy for a few mor ..read more

Happy New Year! January is a time for new beginnings. It’s a time when we often set our goals for the remainder of the year. It can be a time to commit to change, whether it is within our personal lives or our careers. It can often help to begin with the end in mind. If you can create an image of the end goal, it can be easier to build the steps to complete the change you crave. But, so often, it can be hard to see the end goal in the beginning. This is especially true when you are in the middle of a difficult situation. And let’s face it, the last few years have not been easy. One thing remai ..read more

The holidays are here again. Along with the turkey, the stuffing, and the loved ones, there’s more to consider. This season is a time of giving thanks. In every job I have ever had, I have felt most thankful for those I work with each day. It’s not the work that makes things special. It’s not the perks that come with the job. It’s the people. And, it is those we work together with who allow our success to grow collectively. So often at work, we forget to thank one another. Because a task is expected of someone, we assume it should be done with no complaints, and with no thanks. Each task is si ..read more

There’s exciting news in the September jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In September, the job market in the U.S. far exceeded anyone’s predictions. A total of 336,000 jobs were added. This is in comparison to economists’ predictions of 170,000 jobs. The unemployment rate also remained steady at 3.8 percent. This is great news for many job seekers, who are continuing to look for new employment opportunities. These job gains were the most pronounced among the fields of leisure and hospitality and government. Leisure and hospitality added 96,000 jobs in September. This far ou ..read more

It is not uncommon for a CEO and other top executives to proudly announce that the employees at their company are family. “We’re just like a family here,” they’ll say. While this warm sentiment can feel good, the reality could not be less true. In fact, when a company is insistent that work is family, it’s a red flag that you may want to run the other direction. One of the big differences between family and everyone else in your life is boundaries. No family is perfect. We can all think of an alcoholic uncle or a manipulative cousin we are related to. These are people we would likely not be fr ..read more

At work, employees often wear many hats. You might play a role that you don’t typically play in your personal life. Or, you may go through periods of time when you put up with things at work that you wouldn’t normally be okay with. For example, if your office environment becomes unhealthy, you might just put up with it. After all, you have bills to pay and a family to provide for. You can’t fight every battle. You go to work with the understanding that things are just not going to be perfect. Recently, a friend shared with me that they finally feel like themselves at work. They feel good, comf ..read more