One of my tasks as a career coach is to help my clients get specific about what they are looking for. Too many job-seekers are casting their nets too broadly instead of making sure they are fishing in the right place with the right equipment to get a job that will be a good fit for them. Many of us have experienced the result of this: Just a job--something that pays the bills but does nothing to feed the spirit or energize...

On December 9, 2014, I learned that my steady, salaried job with Hertz was coming to an end. Our entire team was being laid off at the same time, and December 31 would be our last day. Right away I was faced with the question of whether to get a job or start a business.The knowledge that I would soon have to move forward without this job came to me first as welcome news. I’d been in the role for nearly four years. While I l...

A few years ago when I was working in a high energy, informal, friendly, and fun team, I could count on everyone to work well together--with one exception. One of the women was extremely structured, highly conforming, protective of her private time, and confrontational. She had been hired when we were worried about having enough hands on deck to get all of the work done, but her presence contrasted starkly to everyone in ou...

“Is it just too sad to be over 40 and still figuring out what you want to be when you grow up?” This question came from a women in a job-seekers coaching group I co-lead with Sharon Hamersley, The Resume Coach.“Who do you want to be?” is a question we ask of young people until they’re about 23, when we suddenly stop and assume this decision has been made. It’s in the past. Whoever you are, that’s it. You have decided. But t...