Career

1. In my company, there’s definitely a positive tone in meetings that can seem over the top. How can I talk the talk without being insincere? Start by recognizing why it is important to often have positive tones in company meetings. Building companies is hard work. Inventing something new, beating the competition, and working with […]

1. How do I know if I’m bringing value to my employer? To determine the key to bringing value to your employer, I start with the lowest common denominator and then build from there. We are all resources for an employer to hire (and fire) and are being evaluated and re-evaluated to determine if we

1. I’ve often heard that I need an elevator pitch? How short does it need to be and what advice do you have for creating one? Nowadays you need to realize that people have really short attention spans. So short that some of you may have already given up reading this post. Research shows that

1. What is the single most important principle to have in mind to climb the career ladder? The one key principle that has driven me throughout my career is simple: always, always add value. If you aren’t adding value then you are in the way. You are overhead. You are replaceable. Now, I know what

1. In my career, what is the best way to ensure I get paid well and not be viewed as easily replaceable by my employer? The key to building a lucrative career, or anything of strong long-term value, is to make it obvious how you are different from others. As I’ve said in previous posts,

1. We hear a lot about the five-year plan. That one should think about their goals for the next five years and chart the course? How really effective is that? In my view, five-year plans, or any plan that stretches more than a year or two, are helpful primarily as career northstars. However, I suggest

1. We too often get down on ourselves when we get that rejection letter, but doesn’t luck play a role in this as much as talent? Luck does play a huge role in life. At any given moment, we may be the sum total of all of our individual choices but I believe luck is

1. You have call the interview Show Time. What do you mean by that and how can I make my next interview “Show Time?” After a long career, I have come to this stark conclusion: what gets one hired and promoted is not what one has actually done but what others think one has done.